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Community Renewal Team
Hartford, Connecticut

Substance Use Counselor

Counselor Top 25% in Addiction Medicine (Counseling)Part-Time

Listed compensation

$40,656 - $47,568

Listing transparency2 of 6 stated

Ask the employer about call expectations, weekend coverage and nights and shift pattern.

Employment & setting
Part-Time · on-site
Call expectations
Not specified
Weekends
Not specified
Posted 4mo ago

Job Description

Job DetailsJob Location: Hartford, CT 06120Position Type: Part TimeEducation Level: 4 Year DegreeSalary Range: $40,656.41 - $47,567.99 SalaryJob Shift: AnyJOB DESCRIPTION POSITION TITLE: Substance Use Counselor DEPARTMENT: Clinical Services FLSA STATUS: Exempt PAY GRADE: 9 REPORTS TO: Director of Integrated Services-MAT GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF DUTIES The Substance Use counselor will support the Agency’s needs by providing full range of group and Individual services to adults providing effective evidence-based individual, group counseling to individuals who have substance use diagnosis SPECIFIC DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS The list of essential functions, as outlined herein, is intended to be representative of the tasks performed within this classification.

It is not necessarily descriptive of any one position in the class. The omission of an essential function does not preclude management from assigning duties not listed herein if such functions are a logical assignment to the position.

Use Motivational Interventions to assist clients in meeting their goals and moving along their paths to recovery, utilizing stage wise interventions Provides psycho-educational rehabilitation in individual and group settings, for recovery from substance use and psychiatric disorders, utilizing curriculum that is trauma informed and gender responsive.

Develop crisis plans for clients and work with other staff to respond to crisis situations as needed Support individual with linking and engaging with natural (family, friends) or community supports.

Provide intensive skill building interventions and support for self-management, self-advocacy, health and well-being, relapse prevention, and using community resources Provides coordination of care to create an appropriate discharge plan. Maintains documentation in compliance with agency and program standards.

Participates in staff meetings, supervision, trainings and other meetings as assigned.

Work with other professional staff to collaborate on treatment methods and plans for patients and to assess suitability for services or referrals to other treatment centers/services Conduct research as needed to develop new treatment methods and to stay up to date on changes within the field Comply with all company policies and procedures as outlined in the employee handbook, including how to handle patient grievances, proper intake procedures, staff meeting requirements and general code of conduct Create and modify individualized treatment strategies based on research, clinical knowledge, patient history and evaluations of progress.

Identifies, prevents and reports unsafe situations; uses appropriate procedures to assure safety environment Conducts brief, evidence-based and developmentally appropriate screening and conducts or arranges for more detailed assessments when indicated.

Creates and/or implements integrated care plans, ensures access to linked services; exchanges information among clients, family members, and providers. Provides range of brief, focused prevention, treatment and recovery services for clients.

Assess patients’ Substance use dependency status continually by collecting and evaluating urine samples ADDITIONAL JOB FUNCTIONS Perform all other duties as assigned MINIMUM TRAINING AND EXPERIENCE Education: Bachelor’s degree preferred or equivalent experience Minimum Years of Experience in 4 years’ experience of substance use Active Certification in good standing in: Certified Addiction Counseling (CAC) or Licensed Alcohol and Drug Counselor (LADC) is required.

Must have a valid driver’s license. Demonstrate skills in: Substance use counseling, treating adults age 18 and over. Strong group facilitating skills Knowledge of: Substance use, Harm Reduction Model. Electronic health record documentation requirements, Treatment plans, discharge planning.

Understanding and ability to learn Co-occurring Treatment. Knowledge of treatment modalities CBT, MI, and DBT. Excellent written and verbal communication skills, active listening, and progress monitoring. Perceptive emotional judgement and decision-making.

Strong social awareness and compassion for challenging, sensitive interactions Physical and TB Required Yes, prior to appointment Bilingual: preferred - Language Spanish Fluent – Speak & Written Yes Driving Required: Yes Agency Vehicle Yes Employee’s Own Vehicle Yes Active Driver License in good standing required upon hire and throughout employment ADA COMPLIANCE Physical Ability: Tasks involve sedentary to light work, involving some reaching, handling, fingering and/or feeling of objects and materials.

Sensory Requirements: Some tasks require visual perception and discrimination. Some tasks require oral communications ability.

Environmental Factors: Tasks are regularly performed with exposure to adverse environmental conditions, such as dirt, dust, pollen, odors, wetness, humidity, rain, fumes, temperature and noise extremes, machinery, vibrations, electric currents, traffic hazards, animals/wildlife, toxic/poisonous agents, violence, disease, or pathogenic substances.

Qualifications

MINIMUM TRAINING AND EXPERIENCE Education: Bachelor’s degree preferred or equivalent experience Minimum Years of Experience in 4 years’ experience of substance use Active Certification in good standing in: Certified Addiction Counseling (CAC) or Licensed Alcohol and Drug Counselor (LADC) is required.

Must have a valid driver’s license. Demonstrate skills in: Substance use counseling, treating adults age 18 and over. Strong group facilitating skills Knowledge of: Substance use, Harm Reduction Model. Electronic health record documentation requirements, Treatment plans, discharge planning.

Understanding and ability to learn Co-occurring Treatment. Knowledge of treatment modalities CBT, MI, and DBT. Excellent written and verbal communication skills, active listening, and progress monitoring. Perceptive emotional judgement and decision-making.

Strong social awareness and compassion for challenging, sensitive interactions Physical and TB Required Yes, prior to appointment Bilingual: preferred - Language Spanish Fluent – Speak & Written Yes Driving Required: Yes Agency Vehicle Yes Employee’s Own Vehicle Yes Active Driver License in good standing required upon hire and throughout employment ADA COMPLIANCE Physical Ability: Tasks involve sedentary to light work, involving some reaching, handling, fingering and/or feeling of objects and materials.

Sensory Requirements: Some tasks require visual perception and discrimination. Some tasks require oral communications ability.

Environmental Factors: Tasks are regularly performed with exposure to adverse environmental conditions, such as dirt, dust, pollen, odors, wetness, humidity, rain, fumes, temperature and noise extremes, machinery, vibrations, electric currents, traffic hazards, animals/wildlife, toxic/poisonous agents, violence, disease, or pathogenic substances.

Key Responsibilities

Provide evidence-based individual and group counseling to adults with substance use diagnoses using trauma-informed and gender-responsive curricula. Develop individualized treatment strategies, crisis plans, and coordinate care to ensure effective recovery and discharge planning.

Requirements

Requires a Bachelor's degree (preferred) and 4 years of experience in substance use, along with a valid CAC or LADC certification. Must possess a valid driver's license and proficiency in CBT, MI, and DBT modalities.

Qualifications

Education
Bachelor degree
Experience
2+ years of experience

Key Skills

Group FacilitationMotivational InterviewingCognitive Behavioral TherapyDialectical Behavior TherapyCrisis PlanningCase ManagementTrauma-Informed CareElectronic Health RecordsTreatment PlanningSpanish FluencyPatient AssessmentClinical Documentation

Work-Life Balance Analysis

WeekdayDoc's proprietary algorithm rates Substance Use Counselor at COMMUNITY RENEWAL TEAM a 6.6 out of 10 for work-life balance — classified as good. This places the position in the top 25% in Addiction Medicine (Counseling) — ranked against 1,302 active Addiction Medicine (Counseling) listings on WeekdayDoc.

Addiction Medicine — Counselor Career Context

Of the 50 active Addiction Medicine listings this role was benchmarked against, 34% are remote, 32% have no call, 76% require no weekends.

Addiction Medicine pay on WeekdayDoc is up 6.4% vs. the prior quarter (through Aug 2026).

The cost-of-living index for Connecticut is 103.6 (US average = 100; BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)), so the posted ~$44k midpoint carries the purchasing power of roughly $43k in an average-cost state. 62.6% of Connecticut clinicians report burnout symptoms in WeekdayDoc's Burnout Index (2026-01 data).

Top Counselor Jobs

27 matches · ranked by pay

Salary Distribution27 jobs · 16 employers

8
<$70k
4
$70k-90k
11
$90k-110k
4
$110k-130k

Annual compensation range

Benefits & Perks25 jobs · 16 employers

401k / retirement match
96%
Sign-on bonus
44%
Loan repayment
24%
CME allowance
20%
PSLF eligible
16%

Share of similar jobs offering each benefit

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#3

Licensed Clinical Therapist (LCSW, LPC, LMFT)

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#4

Licensed Mental Health Therapist (LMFT, LPCC, LPP, LCSW)

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+ 25 more · ranked by pay

Work-life snapshot

6.6/ 10
Listing-based score

Top 25% in Addiction Medicine (Counseling)

  • On-site

Living in Hartford

Typical 3-bedroom home value
$274k
Typical market rent
$1,600/mo
Residents’ average commute
23 min
State income tax
Up to 7%
Sources & methodology

Sources: Zillow home values (Aug 2026), Zillow market rents (Aug 2026), U.S. Census ACS 2024 five-year.

City-level figures. Not a cost-of-living guarantee.

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About Community Renewal Team

Non-profit Organizations
Hartford, CT
201-500 employees