Gateway Foundation logo
Gateway Foundation
Lake Villa, Illinois

Substance Use Counselor

CounselorIncludes weekendsNo callFull-Time

Listed compensation

$19.23-$23.16/hr

The week · per this posting · weekdays assumed

Ask the employer about the work setting and nights and shift pattern.

Posted 1mo ago

Job Description

Who Is Alpharus Health?

Alpharus Health is a national nonprofit behavioral health provider dedicated to helping people build healthier lives. For nearly 60 years, we have provided substance use and mental health treatment that helps individuals, families, and communities find healing, hope, and lasting wellbeing.

Our mission is simple: We help people build healthier lives. By combining clinical expertise with a person-centered approach, we help people build the skills, resilience, and support systems needed to create meaningful, lasting change.

Why Join Us?

Consider joining our team, where your impact can be truly meaningful. Our organization focuses on delivering high quality clinical services as a recognized leader in evidence-based treatment proven to get results.

By joining our team, you'll be working for an organization that values you and aims to be an employer of choice. You can expect to be part of a vibrant culture that emphasizes teamwork and professional growth.

When you join us, you have the opportunity to find both personal and professional fulfillment by aligning your career with your values.

Location: 25480 W. Cedarcrest Lane Lake Villa, IL 60046

View the facility details here!

Work Schedule (various shifts available):

  • Friday through Monday from 1:30pm-12:00am
  • Friday through Monday from 7:30am-6:00pm
  • Tuesday through Saturday from 3:30pm-12:00am
  • Sunday through Thursday from 3:30pm-12:00am

Residential Substance Use Counselors are responsible for:

Preparing and facilitating group counseling sessions, educational programs, and lectures to assist clients in meeting therapeutic goals

Conducting individual counseling to provide crises intervention, support & guidance, and address client behaviors and personal problems

  • Documenting clients’ progress and responses to treatment
  • Maintaining client records; ensuring records are complete, accurate, and up to date
  • Monitoring clients in medication self-administration
  • Ensuring client safety and well-being
  • Monitoring client behavior during social, recreational, or daily activities
  • Enforcing house rules
  • Scheduling, coordinating and transporting clients to appointments and maintaining the vehicle
  • Collecting urine samples and administering breathalyzer
  • Other duties as assigned

Job Requirements:

High school diploma or equivalency required

Minimum 6 months of previous experience in substance abuse or mental health counseling required

Related work experience with a program specific population (adolescent/adult) in a residential treatment setting required

Physical Requirements:

Ability to walk and move about the facilities for up to two hours at a time, to monitor and interact with clients.

  • Ability to speak with others in order to exchange information and provide counseling.
  • Ability to record, proofread and check documents and files for accuracy on a regular basis.
  • Ability to use a keyboard and video display terminal to receive, retrieve, and/or audit information and data on a regular basis.
  • Ability to respond to telephones, and to hear and detect alarms and unusual noises.

Ability to drive an automobile or van; remain alert to traffic conditions, and to identify and comply with traffic signals and signs

Compensation:

  • Range begins at $19.23 - $23.16 per hour
  • This position offers shift differentials on top of the hourly rate.
  • Starting rates are determined based on years of experience, qualifications, and relevant skills.

Alpharus Health conducts annual performance reviews, with merit increase eligbility determined by employee performance and organizational financial performance.

Benefits at Alpharus

Health and Wellness:

  • Medical, dental, and vision insurance for employees and dependents
  • Employee wellness program promoting health and fitness and offering cash-saving premiums
  • Employee assistance programs focused on mental health

Financial Wellbeing:

  • 403(b) Retirement Plan with 3% employer match
  • Short-term and Long-term Disability and Life and AD&D Insurance paid for by Alpharus
  • Flexible Spending Accounts for medical and dependent care
  • Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF)

Flexibility and Time Off:

  • 18 paid time off days per year – accrual rates increase with years of service
  • 9 paid company holidays
  • Work-life-balance

Personal Development:

Training & Development Programs

Tuition Reimbursement - up to $5,250 per calendar year eLearning access to online courses that provide CEU’s and job-related training

Clinical Supervision: Formal and informal guidance

Alpharus Health is an Equal Opportunity Employer: Race/Color/Sex/Sexual Orientation/ Gender Identity/Religion/National Origin/Disability/Vets. Please view Equal Employment Opportunity Posters provided by OFCCP here.

Key Responsibilities

The counselor is responsible for facilitating group and individual counseling sessions while monitoring client safety and progress in a residential setting. They must also maintain accurate clinical records and assist with daily living activities and medication administration.

Requirements

Candidates must have a high school diploma or equivalent and at least 6 months of experience in substance abuse or mental health counseling. Experience working with specific populations in a residential treatment setting is also required.

Key Skills

Substance use counselingCrisis interventionDocumentationClient monitoringSafety complianceCase managementTherapeutic goal settingRecord keepingTransportation coordination

Addiction Medicine — Counselor Career Context

Of the 50 active Substance Use / Addiction Counselor listings this role was benchmarked against, 50% are remote, 26% have no call, 62% require no weekends.

The cost-of-living index for Illinois is 100.0 (US average = 100; BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)), so the posted ~$44k midpoint carries the purchasing power of roughly $44k in an average-cost state. 62.6% of Illinois clinicians report burnout symptoms in WeekdayDoc's Burnout Index (2026-01 data).

Work-Life Balance Analysis

WeekdayDoc's proprietary algorithm rates Substance Use Counselor at Gateway Foundation a 6.1 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 on-call duties.

Top Counselor Jobs

39 matches · ranked by pay

Salary Distribution39 jobs · 29 employers

15
<$75k
13
$75k-95k
5
$95k-115k
6
$115k-135k

Annual compensation range

Benefits & Perks37 jobs · 29 employers

401k / retirement match
86% this job
Sign-on bonus
38%
CME allowance
27% this job
Loan repayment
22% this job
PSLF eligible
16% this job

Share of similar jobs offering each benefit

#1

Clinical Therapist

Counseling Works · Naperville, Illinois

$104k-$127k
#2

Licensed Clinical Mental Health Therapist - LICSW/LPCC/LMFT

LifeStance Health · Saint Louis Park, Minnesota

$74k-$126k
#3

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

$92k-$125k
#4

Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor (LCPC)

$115k-$120k
+ 37 more · ranked by pay

Work-life snapshot

median 6.1this job 6.1
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 call
  • Includes weekends

Living in Lake Villa

Typical 3-bedroom home value
$341k
Typical market rent
$2,068/mo
Residents’ average commute
34 min
State income tax
Up to 5%
Sources & methodology

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

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

Gateway Foundation logo

About Gateway Foundation

Hospitals and Health Care
Chicago, Illinois
1,001-5,000 employees

Benefits & Perks

Medical, Dental, Vision Insurance
Wellness Program
Employee Assistance Program
403(b) with 3% Match
Disability & Life Insurance
Flexible Spending Accounts
PSLF Eligible
18 PTO Days