Thrive Medical Services logo
Thrive Medical Services
Las Cruces, New Mexico

Substance Abuse Counselor

CounselorFull-Time

Compensation

Pay not listed

The week · per this posting

Ask the employer about the pay range, call expectations, weekend coverage and time off.

Posted 3mo ago

Job Description

Position Summary

The Substance Abuse Counselor provides substance use disorder counseling, education, and recovery support services to incarcerated individuals. This role supports Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT) and non-MAT treatment plans through evidence-based counseling practices while operating within licensed scope and established program guidelines.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

  • Conduct substance use disorder screenings and provide counseling services to individuals enrolled in treatment programs.
  • Facilitate individual and group counseling focused on recovery, relapse prevention, and behavioral change.
  • Utilize evidence-based counseling approaches, including motivational interviewing and cognitive behavioral techniques.
  • Collaborate with MAT providers, psychiatric services, nursing staff, and case management to support integrated treatment plans.
  • Document counseling sessions, progress notes, and treatment participation accurately and confidentially.
  • Participate in interdisciplinary case reviews, staffing meetings, and CQI activities.
  • Support discharge planning by reinforcing recovery education and connection to community-based treatment resources.
  • Maintain compliance with confidentiality, documentation, and professional conduct standards.

Qualifications

  • Current New Mexico certification or licensure as a Substance Abuse Counselor

(CADAC, LADAC, or equivalent).

  • Experience providing substance use disorder counseling in correctional, residential, or community-based settings preferred.
  • Training in evidence-based addiction counseling practices required.

What We Offer

Competitive hourly pay. Stable scheduling with 12-hour shifts. Supportive leadership and clinical oversight Opportunity to be part of a growing correctional healthcare organization. Meaningful work serving an underserved population.

About Thrive Medical Services, LLC

Thrive Medical Services, LLC is a New Mexico–based correctional healthcare provider committed to delivering high-quality medical, mental health, and substance use disorder services to county detention facilities. Our mission is to provide ethical, compliant, and patient-centered care while supporting our clinical staff with strong leadership and clear clinical protocols.

Key Responsibilities

Provide substance use disorder counseling, education, and recovery support to incarcerated individuals. Collaborate with interdisciplinary teams to implement integrated treatment plans and manage clinical documentation.

Qualifications

Education
Professional certificate or licensure
Experience
2+ years of experience

Key Skills

Crisis Intervention

Work-Life Balance Analysis

WeekdayDoc's proprietary algorithm rates Substance Abuse Counselor at Thrive Medical Services 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 1,285 active Addiction Medicine (Counseling) listings on WeekdayDoc.

Addiction Medicine — Counselor Career Context

Of the 40 active Counselor listings this role was benchmarked against, 65% are remote, 10% have no call, 68% require no weekends.

Counselor pay on WeekdayDoc is down 3.3% vs. the prior quarter (through Aug 2026).

The cost-of-living index for New Mexico is 92.2 (US average = 100; BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)). 61.4% of New Mexico clinicians report burnout symptoms in WeekdayDoc's Burnout Index (2026-01 data).

Top Counselor Jobs

39 matches · ranked by pay

Salary Distribution21 jobs

5
<$85k
1
$104k
7
$110k-135k
8
$135k-160k

Annual compensation range

Benefits & Perks27 jobs · 21 employers

CME allowance
85%
401k / retirement match
44%
Sign-on bonus
26%
Loan repayment
19%

Share of similar jobs offering each benefit

#1

Licensed Therapist

BlueSky Telepsych · Massachusetts

$60-$70/hr
#2

Psychotherapist Outpatient Clinic – LCSW / LMHC / LMFT/Full-Time Employment/Signing Bonus 5000USDContract

Harmony United Psychiatric Care · Winter Garden, Florida

$60-$70/hr
#3

Licensed Mental Health Therapist

$123k-$141k
#4

Clinical Supervisor - CA - LPCC and LCSW

$57.95 - $67.22/hr
+ 37 more · ranked by pay

Work-life snapshot

median 6.1this job 6.6
Better work-life than 80% of Addiction Medicine (Counseling) listings

Listing-based score, 0–10, across 1,285 comparable listings. Shaded area = the share scoring below this one.

  • On-site

Living in Las Cruces

Typical 3-bedroom home value
$281k
Typical market rent
$1,446/mo
Residents’ average commute
19 min
Metro price indexU.S. average = 100
90.2
State income tax
Up to 5.9%
Sources & methodology

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

BEA 2024 · Las Cruces, NM metro prices. Housing figures are city-level.

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

Thrive Medical Services logo

About Thrive Medical Services

Health and Human Services
Tucumcari, New Mexico

Benefits & Perks

Competitive hourly pay
Stable scheduling with 12-hour shifts
Supportive leadership and clinical oversight
Opportunity to be part of a growing correctional healthcare organization
Meaningful work serving an underserved population