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Geogroup
Santa Rosa, California

ALCOHOL AND OTHER DRUG (AOD) COUNSELOR

CounselorFull-Time

Compensation

Pay not listed

The week · per this posting

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

Posted 3mo ago

Job Description

Benefits Information

Full-time employees will enjoy a competitive benefits package with options for you and your family including:

  • Paid Time Off
  • Paid Holidays
  • 401(k) Matching
  • Health Insurance
  • Vision Insurance
  • Life Insurance
  • Health Savings Account
  • Tuition Reimbursement
  • Employee Discount
  • Reduced Tuition Rates
  • Disability Insurance
  • Employee Assistance Program
  • 401(k)
  • Pet Insurance
  • Dental Insurance
  • Paid Training
  • Flexible Spending Account

The compensation and benefits information is accurate as of the date of this posting. The Company reserves the right to modify this information at any time, with or without notice, subject to applicable law.

Equal Opportunity Employer

Overview

Are you looking for a career you can feel good about? We hire only those that strive to do their best. By joining our family, you'll receive the honor and recognition that comes with working for the industry's global leader in evidenced based rehabilitation.

Who We Are

GEO provides complementary, turnkey solutions for numerous government partners worldwide across a spectrum of diversified correctional and community reentry services. From the development of state-of-the-art facilities and the provision of management services and evidence-based rehabilitation to the post-release reintegration and supervision of individuals in the community, GEO offers fully diversified, cost-effective services that deliver enhanced quality and improved outcomes.

Why Work for GEO

We believe that work is more than a place you go to every day. It is about being inspired and motivated to achieve extraordinary things.

Employee benefits play an important role in making The GEO Group a great place to work. At GEO, we believe in the three pillars of employee wellbeing: physical, emotional, and financial. With comprehensive benefits and competitive wages, we trust that you will find all the resources you need here to be successful.

Responsibilities

Summary

Under close supervision, the Alcohol and Other Drug Counselor assists in developing, organizing, and conducting programs to provide education for conditions and problems relating to drug and alcohol abuse. Conducts or assists in conducting individual or group counseling sessions and programs. Learns, uses and models principles of the “What Works” system through evidence-based practices in all interactions with clients and other staff members.

Primary Duties and Responsibilities

The Alcohol and Other Drug Counselor facilitates group and individual SUD treatment and documents participants’ attendance, participation and progress in case file and in database.

Conducts risk/need and secondary assessments and creates individual treatment plans (ISPs) for each assigned participant, including MAT participants.

The Alcohol and Other Drug Counselor reviews plan with participants on a regular basis and document progress or revisions so that they are gaining the life skills necessary to make a successful reentry into the community.

  • Coordinates substance abuse program using principles of the “What Works” system.
  • The Alcohol and Other Drug Counselor facilitates psycho-educational/behavior modification groups and individual sessions using principles of the “What Works” system.
  • Meets regularly with participants and documents participants’ progress or regress in Company database.
  • The Alcohol and Other Drug Counselor notifies the Program Manager and treatment team of any problems/issues involving participants
  • Makes decisions regarding caseload matters.

Conducts and participates in case conferences including the MAT provider for each participant assigned to the caseload.

Establishes and maintains relationships with outside referral sources, such as MAT providers, in-patient substance abuse facilities or detox facilities.

Identifies problem areas that may impact participants’ ability to successfully navigate and/or complete treatment.

  • Guides participants to develop strategies to overcome obstacles to success and completion of treatment.
  • Navigates data collection for tracking participant progress and reports out to customer.
  • Ensures that participants’ records are accurately completed in a timely manner.
  • Maintains a treatment case file for every program participant.
  • Maintains knowledge of new developments in the field of substance abuse.
  • Performs other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

Minimum Requirements

  • High School Diploma or equivalent required.
  • Bachelor's degree in social services, criminal justice preferred or Associate of Arts or Associate of Sciences degree from a granting institution accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) preferred.
  • Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP) or equivalent preferred.

Minimum of one (1) year of experience in counseling duties with a criminal justice and/or substance abuse program.

Certified AODS Counselor, or Registered and in the process of completing the required hours of certification while under supervision by an agency/individual approved and recognized by the California Department of Health Care Services (DHCS).

Knowledge of the transitional process, both documentation and operational, between in-custody and community-based modalities/programs preferred.

  • Ability to interact in a professional manner in both individual and group counseling settings.
  • Excellent oral and written communication skills.
  • Ability to work with a team of professionals and have the ability to implement team strategy approaches to work assignments.
  • Ability to work with computers and the necessary software typically used by the department.
  • Effective communication skills with internal and external contacts at all levels.
  • Problem solving ability.
  • Good interpersonal skills while understanding the boundaries needed for working in custody.
  • Bi-lingual skills (English/Spanish) preferred but not mandatory.
  • Good facilitation skills.
  • Good organizational skills and attention to detail.
  • Ability to handle multiple priorities simultaneously.
  • Knowledge of client record management.
  • Basic computer skills.
  • GEO Reentry Services LLC.

Qualifications

Education
Bachelor degree

Key Skills

Individual CounselingCase ManagementTreatment PlanningRisk and Need AssessmentCrisis InterventionClinical DocumentationInterpersonal CommunicationBilingual English/SpanishComputer Literacy

Work-Life Balance Analysis

WeekdayDoc's proprietary algorithm rates ALCOHOL AND OTHER DRUG (AOD) COUNSELOR at Geogroup a 7.2 out of 10 for work-life balance — classified as very good. This places the position in the top 10% in Substance Use Disorder Counseling — ranked against 53 active Substance Use Disorder Counseling listings on WeekdayDoc.

Substance Use Disorder Counseling — Counselor Career Context

Of the 50 active Counselor listings this role was benchmarked against, 12% are remote, 26% have no call, 86% require no weekends.

Counselor pay on WeekdayDoc is down 3.3% vs. the prior quarter (through Aug 2026).

The cost-of-living index for California is 110.7 (US average = 100; BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)). 63.6% of California clinicians report burnout symptoms in WeekdayDoc's Burnout Index (2026-01 data).

Top Counselor Jobs

47 matches · ranked by pay

Salary Distribution46 jobs · 39 employers

13
<$65k
14
$65k-75k
12
$75k-85k
6
$85k-95k
1
$96k

Annual compensation range

Benefits & Perks40 jobs · 39 employers

401k / retirement match
95% this job
CME allowance
63%
Loan repayment
48%
Sign-on bonus
38%
PSLF eligible
35%

Share of similar jobs offering each benefit

#1

Sup, Substance Abuse Counselor

University of Rochester · Henrietta, New York

$69k-$96k
#2

Certified Addictions Counselor (CAC-I and CAC-II)Contract

T and N Services and Solutions · Washington, District of Columbia

$40-$45/hr
#3

Therapist, Substance Abuse Counselor, Behavioral Health

$69k-$93k
#4

Substance Use Disorder Counselor

$43.39 /Hr
+ 45 more · ranked by pay

Work-life snapshot

median 3.0this job 7.2
Among the best 10% of Substance Use Disorder Counseling listings for work-life

Listing-based score, 0–10, across 53 comparable listings. Shaded area = the share scoring below this one.

Living in Santa Rosa

Typical 3-bedroom home value
$705k
Typical market rent
$2,560/mo
Residents’ average commute
23 min
Metro price indexU.S. average = 100
107.8
State income tax
Up to 13.3%
Sources & methodology

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

BEA 2024 · Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA metro prices. Housing figures are city-level.

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

Geogroup logo

About Geogroup

Security and Investigations
Boca Raton, Florida
5,001-10,000 employees

Benefits & Perks

Paid Time Off
Paid Holidays
401(k) Matching
Health Insurance
Vision Insurance
Life Insurance
Health Savings Account
Tuition Reimbursement