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La Frontera Center
Apache Junction, Arizona

Substance Abuse Therapist EMPACT

CounselorFull-Time

Compensation

Pay not disclosed

Listing transparency1 of 6 stated

Ask the employer about the pay range, the work setting and call expectations.

Employment & setting
Full-Time
Call expectations
Not specified
Weekends
Not specified
Posted 49m ago · Verified live

Job Description

Who We Are

EMPACT- Suicide Prevention Center, part of the La Frontera family, is an industry-leading non-profit organization dedicated to providing valued community services and resources for behavioral health counseling, crisis intervention, and suicide prevention since 1987. We are an EEO/AA Employer.

You can view all our job openings at: https://lafronteraaz-empact.org/join-us/ [https://lafronteraaz-empact.org/join-us/]

What You’ll Do

This is a great opportunity for a Substance Abuse Therapist to join our agency. The ideal candidate will have experience in substance abuse treatment and experience facilitating groups. This position may require you to work some evenings.

The position will require the individual to provide psychotherapy for the purpose of assessment, diagnosis, and treatment of adults and their families, individualizing these services to meet unique needs.

The Substance Abuse Therapist will facilitate IOP, SOP, & Aftercare groups, using the agency Substance Abuse Program curriculum, which consists of a comprehensive, structured, step-down group program, and can also include individual and/or family therapy, as needed.

The Substance Abuse Therapist will utilize community resources and referrals, as appropriate, to enhance and expand treatment.

What You’ll Provide

  • Master's Degree in marriage and family therapy, counseling, or social work required.
  • AzBBHE Licensure is preferred.
  • Experience working with substance abuse issues and facilitating groups is preferred.
  • Must be organized and reliable, have knowledge of community resources, be trauma-informed, and be able to individualize treatment.
  • Detail-oriented and able to multi-task in a fast-paced environment.
  • Excellent oral and written communication and strong customer service skills.
  • Strong problem-solving and analytical skills.
  • Must have a Fingerprint clearance card or be eligible to obtain one.
  • Must have a valid AZ driver's license with no major infractions in the past three years.
  • Plus: Bi-lingual (Spanish) Diff per hour available.
  • Must be 21 years of age or older at the time of employment.

Additional Requirements and Responsibilities

  • Demonstrated ability to remain calm in crisis situations, work independently and cooperatively, recognize personal limitations, and relate positively and with empathy to all persons regardless of age, race, creed, gender or sexual orientation.
  • Maintain professional conduct consistent with ethical professional practice and the policies and procedures of the agency.
  • Maintain a professional demeanor and positive working relationships with internal and external team members, stakeholders, and community and business partners.
  • If driving while on agency time or on agency business, a valid Arizona driver license and appropriate liability insurance and approval for liability coverage with EMPACT - SPC’s liability insurance carrier is required. At time of hire, a 3-year state driving record with no major infractions or excessive driving violations/tickets is required.

What We’ll Offer

(Full-time employees)

  • Generous PTO
  • 10 paid holidays per year
  • Medical plans (4 choices)
  • Dental plans (2 choices)
  • Vision plans (2 choices)
  • 403(b) retirement plan
  • Retirement Allowance
  • Company-paid Life/AD&D and Long-term Disability
  • Voluntary additional Life and Short-term Disability
  • Tuition Reimbursement
  • Licensure Reimbursement
  • Elder Care Assistance
  • Pet Insurance and much more!

EMPACT-SPC is licensed by the Arizona Department of Health Services and accredited by the American Association of Suicidology (AAS) and The Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF).

EMPACT-SPC/La Frontera Arizona provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.

This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation and training.

All employees of EMPACT-SPC and La Frontera Arizona are employees "at will" as that term is understood in the State of Arizona. This means that employment may be terminated at any time without prior notice and for no stated reason.

EMPACT-SPC/La Frontera Arizona reserves the right to modify position descriptions as needed and without notice. This job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee. Duties, responsibilities and activities may change or new ones may be assigned at any time with or without notice.

Key Responsibilities

The Substance Abuse Therapist will provide psychotherapy for the assessment, diagnosis, and treatment of adults and their families. They are also responsible for facilitating IOP, SOP, and Aftercare groups using the agency's structured curriculum.

Requirements

Candidates must hold a Master's degree in marriage and family therapy, counseling, or social work. A valid Arizona driver's license and a fingerprint clearance card are also required for the position.

Qualifications

Education
Master's degree (postgraduate degree)
Experience
2+ years of experience

Key Skills

Group facilitationTrauma-informed careMulti-taskingCase management

Addiction Medicine — Counselor Career Context

Of the 50 active Substance Use / Addiction Counselor listings this role was benchmarked against, 40% are remote, 24% have no call, 74% require no weekends.

The cost-of-living index for Arizona is 100.7 (US average = 100; BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)). 60.3% of Arizona clinicians report burnout symptoms in WeekdayDoc's Burnout Index (2026-01 data).

Top Counselor Jobs

48 matches · ranked by pay

Salary Distribution48 jobs · 38 employers

15
<$70k
9
$70k-90k
12
$90k-110k
12
$110k-130k

Annual compensation range

Benefits & Perks41 jobs · 38 employers

401k / retirement match
85% this job
CME allowance
46%
Sign-on bonus
37%
Loan repayment
22%
PSLF eligible
7%

Share of similar jobs offering each benefit

#1

West Virginia Licensed Professional Counselor (Remote)

Adjuvant Behavior Health · Morgantown, West Virginia

$60-$62/hr
#2

Clinical Supervisor & Therapist

Mindfully Behavioral Health · Longmont, Colorado

#3

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

$92k-$125k
#4

Licensed Telehealth Therapist / Mental Health Counselor (South Carolina)

$55-$60/hr
+ 46 more · ranked by pay

Work-life snapshot

median 6.1this job 3.0
Higher than about 2 in 10 of 1,299 Addiction Medicine (Counseling) listings

Listing-based score, 0–10. Shaded area = share of comparable listings scoring below this one.

Living in Apache Junction

Typical 3-bedroom home value
$375k
Typical market rent
$1,737/mo
Residents’ average commute
28 min
Metro price indexU.S. average = 100
103.3
State income tax
Up to 2.5%
Sources & methodology

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

BEA 2024 · Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ metro prices. Housing figures are city-level.

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

La Frontera Center logo

About La Frontera Center

Mental Health Care
51-200 employees

Benefits & Perks

Generous PTO
10 paid holidays
Medical plans (4 choices)
Dental plans (2 choices)
Vision plans (2 choices)
403(b) retirement plan
Retirement Allowance
Company-paid Life/AD&D and Long-term Disability