Substance Abuse Counselor
Listed compensation
$30-$35/hr
The week · per this posting
Schedule not stated in this posting — no days, weekends, call or nights given.
Ask the employer about call expectations, weekend coverage, nights and shift pattern and time off.
Job Description
Position Summary
Boxwood Learning Center seeks a New Jersey Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor to provide educational workshops and service referrals for justice-involved youth. The specialist will help young people build healthy decision-making and coping skills and connect with treatment and other community services.
This is a hybrid position with a strong in-person requirement. Workshops and scheduled youth engagement must take place in person in Roselle. Approved preparation, documentation, and referral follow-up may be completed remotely.
Responsibilities
Facilitate engaging workshops on substance-use prevention, coping skills, peer pressure, healthy choices, and accessing support. Build supportive relationships with justice-involved youth using trauma-informed, culturally responsive approaches.
Connect youth with substance-use treatment, mental health care, and other community services; follow up on referrals with appropriate consent. Coordinate with Boxwood staff and referral partners while protecting participant privacy.
Maintain attendance, brief workshop summaries, and referral records; follow safeguarding and emergency procedures.
Qualifications
Current New Jersey CADC certification in good standing; LCADC applicants welcome. Experience facilitating workshops and working with justice-involved youth. Knowledge of local treatment and community resources; strong communication and documentation skills. Reliable availability for required in-person work in Roselle and completion of required background screening.
Hours and Employment Terms
The initial wage budget is $2,500 at $40 per hour: 62.5 hours total, planned as 31.25 hours per month. All approved workshops, preparation, documentation, and follow-up are paid. Fringe is budgeted separately. Transition to permanent employment will be based on performance and is not guaranteed. This role provides education and referrals, not clinical treatment.
To Apply
Email your résumé, credential, and availability to info@boxwoodnj.org.
Boxwood Learning Center is an equal opportunity employer.
Flexible work from home options available.
Qualifications
- Education
- Professional certificate or licensure
- Experience
- 2+ years of experience
Key Skills
Addiction Medicine — Counselor Career Context
Of the 42 active Substance Use / Addiction Counselor listings this role was benchmarked against, 67% are remote, 10% have no call, 57% require no weekends — this position is remote.
The cost-of-living index for New Jersey is 108.8 (US average = 100; BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)), so the posted ~$68k midpoint carries the purchasing power of roughly $62k in an average-cost state. 63.8% of New Jersey clinicians report burnout symptoms in WeekdayDoc's Burnout Index (2026-01 data).
| Measure | This job | Market |
|---|---|---|
| Cost-of-living adjusted pay | ~$62k in purchasing power | New Jersey index 108.8 (US = 100)BEA Regional Price Parities (2024) |
| Substance Use / Addiction Counselor listings in New Jersey | 332 active | 13,523 nationallylive on WeekdayDoc, Nov 2026 |
| Work setting | remote | peers: 67% remote · 10% no call · 57% no weekends42 benchmarked listings |
| Sign-on & loan repayment | not stated | New Jersey Counselor listings: 10% state a sign-on bonus (median $6k) · 5% offer loan repayment332 active listings, Nov 2026 |
| New Addiction Medicine listings | 438 in the last 30 days | 276 the 30 days before (+59%)U.S., first seen on WeekdayDoc, Nov 2026 |
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