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Lowell Comprehensive Treatment Center
Lowell, Massachusetts · Hybrid

Substance Use Counselor - Level 5

Addiction CounselorNo weekendsFull-Time

Listed compensation

$31-$38/hr

The week · per this posting · Monday – Friday

Ask the employer about call expectations, nights and shift pattern and time off.

Posted 51m ago · Verified live

Job Description

Outpatient MAT Opioid Treatment Program (OTP)

LOOKING TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE WHILE EXPANDING IN YOUR CAREER? JOIN OUR TEAM!

Free Clinical Supervision + Unlimited CEU Access

  • Seeking: Substance Use Disorder Counselor
  • Level 5 – Preferred Bilingual (Spanish/English)
  • Full Time Hours (36-40): Monday - Friday, 6 AM - 2 PM

Hybrid Schedule

The candidate should expect and be willing to accommodate the hours if needed, or upon expanding programs.

Hybrid/Remote option is available for qualified candidates and must consistently meet productivity standards. Qualified candidate must satisfactorily complete the post-hire on site initial training and orientation and demonstrate consistent outcomes and sound judgment.

Our Benefits

  • Medical, Dental, and Vision insurance
  • Competitive 401(k) plan
  • Paid vacation and sick time
  • Employer-paid clinical supervision (free to employees)
  • STAR LRP Student Loan Forgiveness
  • Free and unlimited access to 500+ accredited Continuing Education Units (CEUs)
  • Employee Assistance Program (EAP) offering continued support to employee lifestyle and well-being
  • Early morning hours offering a great work/life balance
  • Opportunity for growth that is second to none in the industry

Our Team

Lowell Comprehensive Treatment Center (CTC), located in Lowell, MA, is part of Acadia Healthcare's Comprehensive Treatment Centers, the leading provider of medication-assisted treatment in the nation. Our counseling team provides compassionate, high-quality counseling and therapy to patients that are seeking recovery from Opioid Use Disorder.

Key Responsibilities

As a Substance Use Counselor, you will be essential in guiding patients through their treatment journey and fostering recovery from Opioid Use Disorder (OUD). This role will focus on community engagement, conducting mobile outreach in collaboration with hospitals, emergency departments, and health centers. It will also involve partnering with local providers and government officials, as well as:

  • Leading individual and group counseling sessions with compassion and professionalism.
  • Designing, managing, and documenting treatment plans tailored to patient needs.
  • Facilitating group or family therapy sessions as required.
  • Keeping thorough, clear, and timely documentation on patient care, progress, and any incidents.
  • Conducting initial and ongoing patient assessments.
  • Determining the necessity of referrals to additional programs or external resources.
  • Coordinating aftercare plans to support long-term recovery.
  • Providing immediate crisis intervention services when needed.
  • Managing patient cases to ensure personalized, high-quality care.
  • Serving as a liaison between patients and referral sources.

Compensation for roles at Lowell CTC varies depending on a wide array of factors including but not limited to the specific location, role, skill set, and level of experience. Lowell CTC provides a reasonable hourly range of compensation for roles that may be hired in Massachusetts as set forth below. Role Location: Massachusetts

Calculated Salary Range for the role: $31.00 - $38.00 per hour

Eligible positions may qualify for student loan forgiveness through HRSA, depending on clinic site eligibility. Check your eligibility here: HRSA Eligibility

Qualifications

Required Education:

Master's Degree in Behavioral Health Field from an accredited college or university, and possess a valid MA independent licensure as one or more of the following: LADCI, LICSW, LCSW, LMHC, LMFT.

Your Skills & Experience

The ideal candidate will have a minimum of 4 to 6 years of experience in a counseling role, demonstrating proficiency in the 12 Core Functions of the Counselor, across one or more levels of care including Outpatient, Intensive Outpatient Programs (IOP), Partial Hospitalization Programs (PHP), Psychiatric Mobile or Crisis Response Services, Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) teams, Clinical Utilization Review, or Multidisciplinary Inpatient/Residential treatment settings. Supervised, post-Masters counseling practicums completed through accredited educational institutions will be considered toward meeting a portion of the required experience.

The successful candidate will possess strong clinical assessment skills, a solid understanding of Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT) and harm reduction principles, and the ability to work effectively within a multidisciplinary team environment. The candidate should demonstrate a strong foundation in counseling theories, particularly Person-Centered, and evidence-based practices, with the ability to apply these concepts in the development and implementation of individualized treatment plans.

Bilingual proficiency in English and Spanish is strongly preferred but not required, with demonstrated excellence in both verbal and written communication.

The candidate must be highly organized, detail-oriented, and capable of thriving in a fast-paced, multitasking environment. They should demonstrate flexibility in managing competing priorities while balancing individual responsibilities and team objectives.

The ideal candidate maintains a professional appearance and conduct at all times and approaches individuals with substance use and co-occurring disorders from a perspective grounded in scientific evidence, compassion, and respect. They should consistently demonstrate a positive, nonjudgmental, and recovery-oriented approach while fostering meaningful therapeutic relationships with clients and colleagues.

Qualifications

Education
Master's degree (postgraduate degree)
Experience
5+ years of experience

Key Skills

Substance use counselingTreatment planningGroup therapyCase managementPerson-centered therapyBilingual communication

Addiction Medicine — Counselor Career Context

Of the 50 active Substance Use / Addiction Counselor listings this role was benchmarked against, 66% are remote, 44% have no call, 56% require no weekends — this position is remote.

The cost-of-living index for Massachusetts is 105.8 (US average = 100; BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)), so the posted ~$72k midpoint carries the purchasing power of roughly $68k in an average-cost state. 63.2% of Massachusetts clinicians report burnout symptoms in WeekdayDoc's Burnout Index (2026-01 data).

How many Substance Use / Addiction Counselor jobs are remote?
MeasureThis jobMarket
Work-life score6.6 / 10 · top 25% in substance use / addiction counselorranked against 1,008 Substance Use / Addiction Counselor listingslisting-based score, 0–10
Listed pay$64k–$79kSubstance Use / Addiction Counselor median $68k (middle half $63k–$71k)19 comparable listings, Nov 2026
Cost-of-living adjusted pay~$68k in purchasing powerMassachusetts index 105.8 (US = 100)BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)
Substance Use / Addiction Counselor listings in Massachusetts525 active13,472 nationallylive on WeekdayDoc, Nov 2026
Work settingremotepeers: 66% remote · 44% no call · 56% no weekends50 benchmarked listings
Sign-on & loan repaymentloan repaymentMassachusetts Counselor listings: 11% state a sign-on bonus (median $3k) · 16% offer loan repayment525 active listings, Nov 2026
New Addiction Medicine listings461 in the last 30 days253 the 30 days before (+82%)U.S., first seen on WeekdayDoc, Nov 2026
Sources: WeekdayDoc live listing index (1,008 Substance Use / Addiction Counselor listings), BEA Regional Price Parities (2024); as of Nov 2026. Same values as the Weekday Verdict and Market Insights on this page.

Work-Life Balance Analysis

WeekdayDoc's proprietary algorithm rates Substance Use Counselor - Level 5 at Lowell Comprehensive Treatment Center a 6.6 out of 10 for work-life balance — classified as good. This places the position in the top 25% in Substance Use / Addiction Counselor — ranked against 1,008 active Substance Use / Addiction Counselor listings on WeekdayDoc. Contributing factors include no weekend requirements, remote work flexibility.

Top Counselor Jobs

35 matches · ranked by pay

Salary Distribution

35 jobs · 24 employers
9
<$85k
9
$85k-100k
6
$100k-115k
8
$115k-130k
3
$130k+

Annual compensation range

Benefits & Perks

28 jobs · 24 employers
401k / retirement match
93% this job
CME allowance
39% this job
Sign-on bonus
21%
Loan repayment
4% this job
PSLF eligible
4% this job

Share of similar jobs offering each benefit

#1

Licensed Mental Health Therapist

LifeStance Health · Lake Oswego, Oregon

$123k-$141k
#2

Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT)

LifeStance Health · West Linn, Oregon

$123k-$141k
#3

Licensed Mental Health Therapist (LMFT, LCSW, LPCC)

$117k-$134k
#4

Licensed Clinical Mental Health Therapist - LICSW - LPCC - LMFT

$74k-$126k
+ 33 more · ranked by pay

Work-life snapshot

median 6.1this job 6.6
Better work-life than 80% of Substance Use / Addiction Counselor listings

Listing-based score, 0–10, across 1,008 comparable listings. Shaded area = the share scoring below this one.

  • No weekends
  • Hybrid
  • Remote
Lowell Comprehensive Treatment Center logo

About Lowell Comprehensive Treatment Center

Hospitals and Health Care
Lowell, MA

Benefits & Perks

Medical, Dental, and Vision insurance
Competitive 401(k) plan
Paid vacation and sick time
Employer-paid clinical supervision
STAR LRP Student Loan Forgiveness
Free and unlimited access to 500+ accredited CEUs
Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
Early morning hours for work/life balance