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Encompass Community Services
Santa Cruz, California

Clinical Counselor

Addiction CounselorFull-Time

Listed compensation

$27/hr

The week · per this posting · weekdays assumed

Ask the employer about the work setting, call expectations and weekend coverage.

Posted 16m ago · Verified live

Job Description

Job Details:

Job Location: Santa Cruz Residential Recovery - Santa Cruz, CA, Salary Range: $27.00 - $27.00Hourly, Summary: The Clinical Counselor at our Santa Cruz Residential Recovery program, located in Santa Cruz, will provide individual therapy, case management, crisis intervention, and group counseling services to Drug MediCal eligible residential participants and assist with stabilizing the substance use disorder and mental health of participating clients.

Clinical interventions, strategies and services will be based on best practices and selected evidence based practices for mental health and substance use disorders and/or co-occurring disorders. These evidence based practices include, Motivational interviewing, CBT, and mindfulness based practices.

This position will work collaboratively with residential counseling staff to ensure that clients receive whole person care and appropriate coordination of treatment services.

Responsibilities

Provides direct client individual therapy and case management or group therapy in accordance with funder requirements and agency policies and evidence based practices Clinical Counselor are either responsible for a caseload of up to ten clients throughout their treatment or responsible for facilitation and training of evidence based groups to fidelity.

Conduct regular various assessments of client including but not limited to ASAM, biopsychosocial and risk assessments as needed Provides crisis intervention and counseling Maintain communication with external providers, coordinators and other entities involved in client care and or funding Maintains client confidentiality by adhering to HIPAA and 42CFR reulations Responsible for utilizing the approach of Motivational Interviewing to assure a client-centered approach to persons of diverse and underserved backgrounds Participates in own clinical supervision provided by Encompass for interns Adherence to and support of Encompass personnel, facility and expense policies Can be depended upon to report consistently to work at scheduled time and seldom cancels appointments with clients Employee adheres to MediCal documentation requirements and complete work in a timely, accurate, and thorough manner and is conscientious about assignments Follows instructions, responds to management direction, is accountable, and keeps commitments.

Maintaining clear professional and personal boundaries Qualifications: 5 years experience in SUD treatment Knowledge of CBT, DBT, motivational interviewing, mindfulness and other evidence based practices. Certified with recognized AOD certifying agency Position requires ability to meet OSHA mask fitting requirements.

Facial hair must be trimmed or shaved to ensure a proper seal for mask fitting. Must communicate effectively and be able to use or learn current technology including electronic health records, in the following areas: case notes, assessments, treatment plans, case management.

Demonstrated skills and understanding of effective treatment of addiction and recovery Organizational ability to keep accurate records Wages & Benefits: We prioritize the well-being of our team as much as the community we serve. Our comprehensive health benefits reflect this commitment.

We offer full-time employees medical and dental insurance plan that ensures peace of mind for themselves and their families. We go beyond traditional care by also offering our employees acupuncture and chiropractic, embracing a holistic approach to health that aligns with our values of care and compassion.

Our team’s future matters just as much as the present. That’s why we offer a 403(b) retirement plan, providing a foundation for a secure retirement.

We also recognize the need for work-life balance, so Encompass offers a competitive package of 11 vacation days, 15 additional paid holidays, and 12 sick days, These benefits are thoughtfully pro-rated for part-time positions, affirming our commitment to fairness and flexibility.

Key Responsibilities

The Clinical Counselor provides individual and group therapy, case management, and crisis intervention for residential participants. They are responsible for maintaining a caseload, conducting clinical assessments, and coordinating treatment services in compliance with agency and funder requirements.

Requirements

Candidates must have 5 years of experience in substance use disorder treatment and hold a certification from a recognized AOD agency. Proficiency in evidence-based practices such as CBT, DBT, and motivational interviewing is required, along with the ability to use electronic health records.

Qualifications

Education
Professional certificate or licensure
Experience
5+ years of experience

Key Skills

ASAM assessmentBiopsychosocial assessmentRisk assessmentHIPAA compliance42CFR regulationsClinical documentation

Substance Use Disorder Counseling — Counselor Career Context

In California, the Substance Use Disorder Counseling weighted monthly median benchmark on WeekdayDoc is ~$62k (27 salary observations; 46 listings), vs ~$63k nationally (47 salary observations; 108 listings). Monthly aggregates cover 2026-03-01 through 2026-11-01; these are not the modal's selected comparable-job medians.

Of the 45 active Substance Use Disorder Counseling listings this role was benchmarked against, 11% are remote, 60% have no call, 76% require no weekends.

Substance Use Disorder Counseling by the numbers
MeasureThis jobMarket
Listed pay$56kSubstance Use Disorder Counseling median $80k (middle half $62k–$104k)48 comparable listings, Nov 2026
California vs national$62k median in California$63k nationally (−2%)27 state / 47 national salary observations
Cost-of-living adjusted pay~$51k in purchasing powerCalifornia index 110.7 (US = 100)BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)
Substance Use Disorder Counseling listings in California23 active65 nationallylive on WeekdayDoc, Nov 2026
Work settingon-sitepeers: 11% remote · 60% no call · 76% no weekends45 benchmarked listings
Sign-on & loan repaymentnot statedCalifornia counselor listings (all specialties): 12% state a sign-on bonus (median $3k) · 9% offer loan repayment1,000 active listings, Nov 2026
New Substance Use Disorder Counseling listings18 in the last 30 days29 the 30 days before (−38%)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.

Top Counselor Jobs

20 matches · ranked by pay

Salary Distribution

20 jobs · 18 employers
5
<$65k
6
$65k-75k
5
$75k-85k
3
$85k-95k
1
$95k

Annual compensation range

Benefits & Perks

15 jobs
401k / retirement match
100% this job
CME allowance
33%
Sign-on bonus
27%
Loan repayment
13%
PSLF eligible
7%

Share of similar jobs offering each benefit

#1

Therapist (Associate or Licensed) - Co-Occurring Mental Health & Substance Use

Recover Medical Group · San Diego, California

$80k-$95k
#2

Substance Use Counselor

St. Anthony Foundation · San Francisco, California

$60k-$90k
#3

Substance Use Disorder Counselor

$68k-$90k
#4

Licensed Clinical Alcohol and Substance Abuse Counselor

$75k-$85k
+ 18 more · ranked by pay

Work-life snapshot

median 3.0this job 3.0
Below most Substance Use Disorder Counseling listings for work-life

Listing-based score, 0–10, across 61 comparable listings. Shaded area = the share scoring below this one.

Encompass Community Services logo

About Encompass Community Services

Individual and Family Services
Santa Cruz, CA
201-500 employees

Benefits & Perks

Medical Insurance
Dental Insurance
Acupuncture
Chiropractic
403(b) Retirement Plan
11 Vacation Days
15 Paid Holidays
12 Sick Days

Living in Santa Cruz

Typical 3-bedroom home value
$1.43M
Typical market rent
$3,418/mo
Residents’ average commute
23 min
Metro price indexU.S. average = 100
109.9
State income tax
Up to 13.3%
Sources & methodology

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

BEA 2024 · Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA metro prices. Housing figures are city-level.

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