Council on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse logo
Council on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse
Santa Barbara, California

Bilingual Adult Treatment Counselor - Float

CounselorFull-Time

Listed compensation

$22 - $25/hr

The week · per this posting · weekdays assumed

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

Posted 3mo ago · Verified live

Job Description

Benefits

  • Dental insurance
  • Health insurance
  • Paid time off
  • Training & development
  • Vision insurance
  • Bilingual Adult Treatment Counselor - Float, Downtown Santa Barbara

The Council on Alcoholism & Drug Abuse (CADA) is hiring a Full-Time Bilingual Counselor to support our Adult Programs in downtown Santa Barbara, including SB-38 multiple offender DUI program and Adult Residential Program. This is an exciting opportunity to be a part of a robust team of Alcohol and Drug Counselors assisting adults in our community.

Licenses

Substance Abuse counselor registration, certification, or clinical license from a State of California Accredited Institution.

Experience

  • Experience providing counseling services to diverse, bilingual, bicultural clients preferred.
  • Bilingual, Spanish/English required.
  • Minimum of one (1) year of experience in the field of alcohol/drug counseling required.
  • Strong documentation and organizational skills.

Specific knowledge of individual counseling principles and techniques, and substance abuse assessment and case planning.

Responsibilities

  • Conduct individual and group substance abuse counseling, education, and relapse prevention sessions.
  • Conduct treatment planning and assessment for clients.
  • Complete documentation accurately, professionally, and within the prescribed time frame.
  • Maintain effective communication with supervisors, support staff, and external service providers.
  • Uphold all HIPAA compliance standards.
  • Collect payment from clients.
  • Keep abreast of current literature and research in the field of alcoholism and drug addiction/abuse.
  • Maintain a caseload and ensure weekly services are provided to meet the needs of the individuals served.

Develop, review, and update individualized treatment and discharge plans in collaboration with clients and clinical supervisors.

This is a full-time position, 40 hours per week. Afternoon and evening hours required to meet the needs of our clients. This is an in-person position, and a successful candidate would be required onsite in Santa Barbara.

Compensation is dependent of the level of prior experience and qualifications, with a salary range of $22-$25 for Registered Counselors and a rate increase potential for bilingual (Spanish/English) and Certified Counselors.

In compliance with the California Department of Health Care Services, staff require an up-to-date Tuberculosis test during the duration of employment.

If you need assistance to accommodate a disability, you may request an accommodation at any time. Please contact HR via email at hr@cadasb.org or via phone at (805) 722-1313 with any questions.

Requirements

Requires a minimum of one year of alcohol/drug counseling experience and a valid California state registration, certification, or clinical license. Fluency in both Spanish and English is required.

Qualifications

Education
Professional certificate or licensure
Experience
2+ years of experience

Key Skills

Group CounselingClinical Documentation

Substance Abuse Counseling — Counselor Career Context

Of the 50 active Substance Abuse Counseling listings this role was benchmarked against, 68% are remote, 34% have no call, 54% require no weekends.

The cost-of-living index for California is 110.7 (US average = 100; BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)), so the posted ~$49k midpoint carries the purchasing power of roughly $44k in an average-cost state. 63.6% of California clinicians report burnout symptoms in WeekdayDoc's Burnout Index (2026-01 data).

Substance Abuse Counseling pay on WeekdayDoc is up 11.1% vs. the prior quarter (through Sep 2026).

Work-Life Balance Analysis

WeekdayDoc's proprietary algorithm rates Bilingual Adult Treatment Counselor - Float at Council on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse a 7.2 out of 10 for work-life balance — classified as very good. This places the position in the top 10% in Substance Abuse Counseling — ranked against 61 active Substance Abuse Counseling listings on WeekdayDoc.

Top Counselor Jobs

41 matches · ranked by pay

Salary Distribution41 jobs · 24 employers

8
<$90k
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$90k-105k
8
$105k-120k
11
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Annual compensation range

Benefits & Perks33 jobs · 24 employers

401k / retirement match
97%
Sign-on bonus
39%
CME allowance
30%
Loan repayment
15%
PSLF eligible
9%

Share of similar jobs offering each benefit

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+ 39 more · ranked by pay

Work-life snapshot

median 5.1this job 7.2
Among the best 10% of Substance Abuse Counseling listings for work-life

Listing-based score, 0–10, across 61 comparable listings. Shaded area = the share scoring below this one.

  • On-site

Living in Santa Barbara

Typical 3-bedroom home value
$1.91M
Typical market rent
$3,692/mo
Residents’ average commute
17 min
Metro price indexU.S. average = 100
108.8
State income tax
Up to 13.3%
Sources & methodology

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

BEA 2024 · Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA metro prices. Housing figures are city-level.

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

Council on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse logo

About Council on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse

Non-profit Organizations
Santa Barbara, California
51-200 employees

Benefits & Perks

Dental insurance
Health insurance
Paid time off
Training & development
Vision insurance