Lead Substance Use Counselor

Addiction CounselorNo weekendsFull-Time

Listed compensation

$33.14-$34.8/hr

The week · per this posting · weekdays assumed

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

Posted 1h ago · Verified live

Job Description

  • Outpatient MAT Opioid Treatment Program
  • Seeking: Substance Use Counselor
  • LPC or LCSW

Full-Time Hours

Sunday - Saturday 5 AM - 2 PM, rotating schedule

Our Benefits

  • Medical, Dental, and Vision insurance
  • Competitive 401(k) plan
  • Paid vacation and sick time
  • Employer-paid clinical supervision (free to employees)
  • 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

Clinch Valley Comprehensive Treatment Center (CTC) located in Cedar Bluff, VA, 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.

Your Job as a Substance Use Counselor/Counselor Lead

The Substance Use Counselor Lead is a counseling professional who is instrumental in providing treatment and support to assist patients in their recovery from Opioid Use Disorder. Substance Use Counselors provide high quality, compassionate care through various mediums which include individual and group counseling sessions, modify problem behaviors, and may also provide counseling services to families of patient’s through an outpatient setting.

Job Responsibilities

  • Conducts individual counseling sessions, as scheduled and documents;
  • Conducts group and/or family sessions, as scheduled and document;
  • May co-facilitate assigned group or family sessions;
  • Responsible for initial patient assessments, as well as follow up assessment;
  • Prepares individual treatment plan for each assigned patient;
  • May act as a liaison between referral sources and patient;
  • Provides crisis intervention to patients, as needed;
  • May plan for aftercare for assigned patients;
  • May act as a liaison with insurance carriers, as requested;
  • May provide case management duties for patients, ensuring individualized quality care.
  • Evaluates patient’s needs and determines if referrals to other programs or facilities is needed;
  • Ensures all documentation regarding patient care, treatment and incidents are completed timely and in a clear, concise manner and within policy guidelines;
  • May assist in the training of new clinical staff and interns;
  • May serve as lead for the team coordinating the activities of other clinical or direct patient care personnel, providing direction and clinical guidance; and,
  • Perform other duties as assigned.
  • Eligible positions may qualify for student loan forgiveness through HRSA, depending on clinic site eligibility. Check your eligibility here: HRSA Eligibility
  • Role Location: Virginia
  • Calculated Salary Range for role: $33.14 - $34.80 per hour

Education Requirements

  • Minimum education as required to obtain certification or licensure in the state the facility operates applies:
  • Minimum Bachelor’s degree in any field of study from an accredited college or university.
  • Prefer a Master’s degree in social or health services from an accredited college or university.
  • Experience Requirements
  • Master’s degree: Minimum 6 years counseling work experience
  • Bachelor’s or Associate degree: 8 years of work experience; or
  • No degree: 10 years of counseling work experience

Your Skills and Qualifications

Experience providing counseling in an addiction recovery, detox, substance use disorder (SUD), or opioid treatment program (OTP) environment

  • Prior knowledge/experience working with MAT (medication-assisted treatment) is highly preferred
  • Previous experience providing guidance and direction to others

Licenses/Certifications

LPC or LCSW

We are committed to providing equal employment opportunities to all applicants for employment regardless of an individual’s characteristics protected by applicable state, federal, and local laws.

Key Responsibilities

The Lead Substance Use Counselor provides compassionate, high-quality individual and group therapy to patients recovering from Opioid Use Disorder. Responsibilities include conducting assessments, developing treatment plans, providing crisis intervention, and offering clinical guidance to other staff members.

Qualifications

Education
Bachelor degree
Experience
10+ years of experience

Key Skills

Substance use counselingOpioid use disorder treatmentFamily therapyPatient assessmentTreatment planningClinical documentation

Addiction Medicine — Counselor Career Context

Of the 50 active Substance Use / Addiction Counselor listings this role was benchmarked against, 44% are remote, 34% have no call, 72% require no weekends.

The cost-of-living index for Virginia is 101.1 (US average = 100; BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)), so the posted ~$71k midpoint carries the purchasing power of roughly $70k in an average-cost state. 61.1% of Virginia clinicians report burnout symptoms in WeekdayDoc's Burnout Index (2026-01 data).

How many Substance Use / Addiction Counselor jobs are remote?
MeasureThis jobMarket
Listed pay$69k–$72kSubstance Use / Addiction Counselor median $60k (middle half $54k–$60k)16 comparable listings, Nov 2026
Cost-of-living adjusted pay~$70k in purchasing powerVirginia index 101.1 (US = 100)BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)
Substance Use / Addiction Counselor listings in Virginia441 active13,559 nationallylive on WeekdayDoc, Nov 2026
Work settingon-sitepeers: 44% remote · 34% no call · 72% no weekends50 benchmarked listings
Sign-on & loan repaymentloan repaymentVirginia Counselor listings: 16% state a sign-on bonus (median $3k) · 13% offer loan repayment441 active listings, Nov 2026
New Addiction Medicine listings460 in the last 30 days259 the 30 days before (+78%)U.S., first seen on WeekdayDoc, Nov 2026
Sources: WeekdayDoc live listing index, 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 Lead Substance Use Counselor at Clinch Valley Comprehensive Treatment Center a 6.0 out of 10 for work-life balance — classified as good. This places the position in the top 35% of all Addiction Medicine counselor listings evaluated on our platform. Contributing factors include no weekend requirements.

Top Counselor Jobs

45 matches · ranked by pay

Salary Distribution

45 jobs · 35 employers
17
<$85k
9
$85k-100k
13
$100k-115k
5
$115k-130k
1
$134k

Annual compensation range

Benefits & Perks

32 jobs
401k / retirement match
88% this job
Sign-on bonus
22%
CME allowance
22% this job
Loan repayment
9% this job
PSLF eligible
3%

Share of similar jobs offering each benefit

#1

Licensed Mental Health Therapist (LMFT, LCSW, LPCC)

LifeStance Health · Emeryville, California

$117k-$134k
#2

Behavioral Health Specialist Requires LCSW LPC or LMFT

CVS Health · Sun City, Arizona

$61k-$130k
#3

Licensed Clinical Mental Health Therapist - LICSW - LPCC - LMFT

$74k-$126k
#4

Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMFT, LMHC, LCSW)

$115k-$120k
+ 43 more · ranked by pay

Work-life snapshot

median 6.1this job 6.0
Better work-life than 50% 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
Clinch Valley Comprehensive Treatment Center logo

About Clinch Valley Comprehensive Treatment Center

Hospitals and Health Care
Cedar Bluff, Virginia

Benefits & Perks

Medical, Dental, and Vision insurance
Competitive 401(k) plan
Paid vacation and sick time
Employer-paid clinical supervision
Free and unlimited access to 500+ accredited CEUs
Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
Student loan forgiveness through HRSA (if eligible)

Living in Cedar Bluff

Typical 3-bedroom home value
$194k
Median resident rent
$860/mo
Residents’ average commute
24 min
State income tax
Up to 5.8%
Sources & methodology

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

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