Substance Use Counselor
Listed compensation
$31-$38/hr
The week · per this posting · Monday – Friday
Ask the employer about call expectations, nights and shift pattern and time off.
Job Description
- Outpatient MAT Opioid Treatment Program (OTP)
- Now Hiring: Substance Use Counselor
- Sign-On Bonus Available!
- Full-Time Schedule: Early morning hours encouraging a great work-life balance:
- Monday - Friday, 6:00 AM - 2:00 PM, or
- Monday - Friday, 7:30 AM - 3:30 PM
Hybrid Schedule
- Offered to candidates with extensive SUD counseling experience.
- Hybrid clinicians will receive a laptop and can split their schedule between on-site and remote work after completing an initial in-person training period.
- Why Work With Us? Benefits Include:
- Comprehensive Medical, Dental, and Vision insurance
- Competitive 401(k) with employer match
- Paid vacation and sick leave
- Free employer-sponsored clinical supervision
- Unlimited access to over 500 accredited Continuing Education Units (CEUs)
- Employee Assistance Program (EAP) supporting your well-being
- Industry-leading growth and development opportunities
Our Team
Lawrence Comprehensive Treatment Center (CTC), located in Lawrence, MA, is part of Acadia Healthcare's Comprehensive Treatment Centers—the nation's leader in medication-assisted treatment (MAT) for individuals seeking recovery from Opioid Use Disorder. We provide a continuum of care that includes Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT), Office-Based Addiction Treatment (OBAT), Intensive Outpatient Programs (IOP), and mobile treatment units.
At Lawrence CTC, you’ll have the unique opportunity to work directly with a collaborative team of clinicians, case managers, nurses, and physicians delivering community-based services in a supportive and engaging environment.
This role offers exceptional opportunities for learning and skill-building, while contributing to innovative, cutting-edge care. Be part of creating new pathways to recovery and integrated healthcare solutions at the intersection of CTC and local health services.
Key Responsibilities
As a Substance Use Counselor, you will be essential in guiding patients through their treatment journey and fostering recovery from Opioid Use Disorder (OUD). This role will focus on community engagement, conducting mobile outreach in collaboration with hospitals, emergency departments, and health centers. It will also involve partnering with local providers and government officials, as well as:
- Leading individual and group counseling sessions with compassion and professionalism.
- Designing, managing, and documenting treatment plans tailored to patient needs.
- Facilitating group or family therapy sessions as required.
- Keeping thorough, clear, and timely documentation on patient care, progress, and any incidents.
- Conducting initial and ongoing patient assessments.
- Determining the necessity of referrals to additional programs or external resources.
- Coordinating aftercare plans to support long-term recovery.
- Providing immediate crisis intervention services when needed.
- Managing patient cases to ensure personalized, high-quality care.
- Serving as a liaison between patients and referral sources.
Compensation for roles at Lawrence CTC varies depending on a wide array of factors including but not limited to the specific location, role, skill set, and level of experience. Lawrence CTC provides a reasonable hourly range of compensation for roles that may be hired in Massachusetts as set forth below. Role Location: Massachusetts
Calculated Salary Range for the role: $31.00 - $38.00 per hour
Eligible positions may qualify for student loan forgiveness through HRSA, depending on clinic site eligibility. Check your eligibilty here: HRSA Eligibility
Qualifications
Required Education:
Master’s Degree in a relevant field, or one of the following credentials: CAC, CAS, CADC, CRC, LADC, LICSW, LCSW, LMHC, or LMFT.
Bachelor’s Degree holders without credentials are encouraged to apply if they are committed to obtaining required credentials within 30-60 days of employment.
For Bachelor’s-level candidates, we provide reimbursement for licensing or certification exam fees to support credential attainment.
Degree obtained must be in psychology, social work, or related health services field from an accredited college or university.
Licenses/Certifications
Candidates who do not hold a Master’s degree must possess one of the following certifications or commit to obtaining it within 60 days of hire:
CAC, CAS, CADC, CRC, LADC, Licsw, LCSW, LMHC, LMFT.
We provide reimbursement for licensing or certification exam fees to support credential attainment.
Your Skills & Experience
Previous experience in addiction recovery or behavioral health settings, such as outpatient, residential, or correctional facilities.
- Familiarity with Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT), including methadone, buprenorphine, and naltrexone.
- Experience conducting individual and group counseling sessions focused on substance use recovery.
Knowledge of evidence-based practices, such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Motivational Interviewing (MI), and relapse prevention techniques.
Documentation experience, including maintaining clinical notes, treatment plans, and progress updates in accordance with state and federal guidelines.
Familiarity with state regulatory standards (e. g., 42 CFR Part 2, HIPAA, Joint Commission standards).
Experience collaborating in a multidisciplinary team with medical staff, case managers, and peer support specialists.
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.
AHCTC
Qualifications
- Education
- Bachelor degree
- Experience
- 2+ years of experience
Key Skills
Addiction Medicine — Counselor Career Context
Of the 50 active Substance Use / Addiction Counselor listings this role was benchmarked against, 66% are remote, 32% have no call, 66% require no weekends — this position is remote.
The cost-of-living index for Massachusetts is 105.8 (US average = 100; BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)), so the posted ~$72k midpoint carries the purchasing power of roughly $68k in an average-cost state. 63.2% of Massachusetts clinicians report burnout symptoms in WeekdayDoc's Burnout Index (2026-01 data).
| Measure | This job | Market |
|---|---|---|
| Work-life score | 6.2 / 10 · above average in substance use / addiction counselor | ranked against 1,008 Substance Use / Addiction Counselor listingslisting-based score, 0–10 |
| Listed pay | $64k–$79k | Substance Use / Addiction Counselor median $68k (middle half $63k–$71k)19 comparable listings, Oct 2026 |
| Cost-of-living adjusted pay | ~$68k in purchasing power | Massachusetts index 105.8 (US = 100)BEA Regional Price Parities (2024) |
| Substance Use / Addiction Counselor listings in Massachusetts | 529 active | 13,807 nationallylive on WeekdayDoc, Oct 2026 |
| Work setting | remote | peers: 66% remote · 32% no call · 66% no weekends50 benchmarked listings |
| Sign-on & loan repayment | sign-on bonus · loan repayment | Massachusetts Counselor listings: 12% state a sign-on bonus (median $3k) · 17% offer loan repayment529 active listings, Oct 2026 |
Work-Life Balance Analysis
WeekdayDoc's proprietary algorithm rates Substance Use Counselor at Lawrence Comprehensive Treatment Center a 6.2 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, remote work flexibility.
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