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Community Medical Services
Fargo, North Dakota

Licensed Addiction Counselor (LAC) Outpatient Clinic

CounselorNo weekendsFull-Time

Listed compensation

$36-$40/hr

The week · per this posting · Monday – Friday

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

Posted 1mo ago · Verified live

Job Description

Pay: $36-$40/hr---TOP OF MARKET FOR FARGO REGION

Schedule: Monday-Friday- 6am-2pm

Community Medical Services (CMS) is hiring a Licensed Addiction Counselor to walk alongside patients recovering from opioid and other substance use disorders. Through individual sessions, group counseling, and personalized treatment planning, you'll help build a safe, steady foundation for people at the start of their recovery journey — in an outpatient setting much like a behavioral health clinic.

We're Looking for Someone Who

  • Thrives in a consistent, outpatient schedule
  • Is passionate about serving diverse communities, including clients from varied cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds
  • Wants a role that supports ongoing licensure and professional growth

What You'll Do

  • Manage a caseload in compliance with regulatory standards and ratios
  • Conduct individual counseling sessions and facilitate group and educational sessions
  • Complete comprehensive behavioral health assessments and individualized treatment plans
  • Evaluate treatment effectiveness on an ongoing basis and adjust care plans as needed
  • Coordinate care with other providers and community-based services, including referrals and case management documentation
  • Involve family and natural supports in treatment, per each client's preference
  • Maintain thorough, compliant client records
  • Work independently, under the general supervision required by the ND Board of Addiction Counseling Examiners
  • (Full list of responsibilities shared during the interview process.)

Requirements

What We're Looking For

Bachelor's Degree or Higher Required

Active LAC (Licensed Addiction Counselor) license required. Candidates holding the advanced LMAC credential (Master's + 2,000 additional supervised hours) are also encouraged to apply.

Candidates with an active LICSW license may be considered, provided LAC licensure is completed within [specify timeframe, e. g., 12 months] of hire

Behavioral health experience preferred

Benefits

  • Subsidized medical, dental, and vision insurance
  • Health savings account
  • Short- and long-term disability insurance
  • Life insurance
  • Paid sick, vacation, and holiday time
  • 401(k) retirement plan with match
  • Tuition and CME reimbursement up to 100% — including support for the continuing education hours required for LAC license renewal
  • Employee assistance program for mental health and wellness
  • Ongoing professional development

About Community Medical Services

Community Medical Services (CMS) is a CARF-accredited addiction treatment program providing services in the form of outpatient medication-assisted treatment and one-on-one and group counseling to those seeking help with their opioid use disorder. Headquartered in Arizona with more than 70 treatment clinics in 14 states, CMS is dedicated to meeting the challenges presented by the growing opioid epidemic in communities where treatment is lacking.

Our Commitment

We are an equal employment opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, sex, disability status, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, protected veteran status or any other characteristic protected by law. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions.

Other Conditions

Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties, or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change at any time with or without notice.

Key Responsibilities

Manage a caseload of patients with substance use disorders by conducting individual and group counseling sessions. Develop and implement personalized treatment plans while coordinating care with other providers and maintaining regulatory compliance.

Qualifications

Education
Bachelor degree
Experience
2+ years of experience

Key Skills

Behavioral health assessmentCare coordinationSubstance use disorder treatmentCrisis interventionPatient advocacy

Addiction Medicine — Counselor Career Context

Of the 46 active Substance Use / Addiction Counselor listings this role was benchmarked against, 87% are remote, 37% have no call, 63% require no weekends.

The cost-of-living index for North Dakota is 89.0 (US average = 100; BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)), so the posted ~$79k midpoint carries the purchasing power of roughly $89k in an average-cost state. 58.8% of North Dakota clinicians report burnout symptoms in WeekdayDoc's Burnout Index (2026-01 data).

Work-Life Balance Analysis

WeekdayDoc's proprietary algorithm rates Licensed Addiction Counselor (LAC) Outpatient Clinic at Community Medical Services a 6.4 out of 10 for work-life balance — classified as good. This places the position in the Above average in Substance Use / Addiction Counselor — ranked against 1,008 active Substance Use / Addiction Counselor listings on WeekdayDoc. Contributing factors include no weekend requirements.

Top Counselor Jobs

33 matches · ranked by pay

Salary Distribution33 jobs · 10 employers

13
<$90k
4
$90k-105k
9
$105k-120k
7
$120k-135k

Annual compensation range

Benefits & Perks32 jobs · 10 employers

401k / retirement match
100% this job
Sign-on bonus
63%
CME allowance
9% this job
Loan repayment
3%
PSLF eligible
3%

Share of similar jobs offering each benefit

#1

Licensed Clinical Mental Health Therapist - LICSW/LPCC/LMFT

LifeStance Health · Saint Louis Park, Minnesota

$74k-$126k
#2

Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT, LPC, LCSW)

LifeStance Health · Brookfield, Wisconsin

$92k-$125k
#3

Licensed Mental Health Therapist (LMFT, LMHC, LCSW)

$115k-$120k
#4

Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT)

$115k-$120k
+ 31 more · ranked by pay

Work-life snapshot

median 6.1this job 6.4
Better work-life than 70% 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

Living in Fargo

Typical 3-bedroom home value
$295k
Typical market rent
$1,079/mo
Residents’ average commute
16 min
Metro price indexU.S. average = 100
90.9
State income tax
Up to 2.9%
Sources & methodology

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

BEA 2024 · Fargo, ND-MN metro prices. Housing figures are city-level.

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

Community Medical Services logo

About Community Medical Services

Medical Practices
Scottsdale, Arizona
501-1,000 employees

Benefits & Perks

Subsidized medical, dental, and vision insurance
Health savings account
Short- and long-term disability insurance
Life insurance
Paid sick, vacation, and holiday time
401(k) retirement plan with match
Tuition and CME reimbursement up to 100%
Employee assistance program