Drug & Alcohol Counselor Assistant

Addiction CounselorIncludes weekendsFull-Time

Listed compensation

$20 per hour

The week · per this posting · Tuesday – Saturday

Ask the employer about the work setting, call expectations, nights and shift pattern and time off.

Posted 1mo ago

Job Description

  • Drug & Alcohol Counselor Assistant
  • Reports To: Clinical Director
  • Department: Inpatient
  • FLSA: Hourly- Non Exempt
  • Join a Mission-Driven Organization That Makes a Difference!

The Ellen O'Brien Gaiser Addiction Center is a nonprofit addiction treatment organization that has been serving individuals and families affected by substance use disorders since 1971.

As the region's longest-running addiction treatment program and a Pennsylvania Center of Excellence for opioid use disorder treatment, Gaiser Center provides compassionate, evidence-based care through inpatient and outpatient services.

Our holistic, trauma-informed approach addresses the physical, emotional, mental, and social aspects of recovery while supporting clients and their families throughout the healing process.

Position Summary/Objective

This is an entry level counseling and case management position in the drug and alcohol field. An employee in this position will work closely with experienced Addiction Treatment Counselors as he or she develops the skills and experience necessary to grow into an Addiction Treatment Counselor. The position will receive direct and close supervision Clinical Administration as part of the training and development pathway.

Schedule: Full-time ($20.00 per hour)

Shift

The position will follow either a Tuesday–Saturday or Sunday–Thursday schedule, based on organizational needs.

Organization Responsibilities

  • Ensure compliance with policies and procedures
  • Promote and follow safe working practices and take necessary steps to prevent injuries
  • Comply with confidentiality policies and procedures including but not limited to the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA).
  • Attend and participate in staff meetings, conferences, staff development trainings, etc.

Position Responsibilities

  • Performs client intakes, assessments and evaluations
  • Facilitates individual and group therapy
  • Performs case management for clients
  • Writes group and individual notes
  • Prepares client treatment plans and treatment plan updates
  • Prepares client discharge summaries and aftercare plan
  • Participates in all clinical staffing and presents client summaries
  • Provides crisis interventions
  • Reviews client progress with funding sources
  • Maintains professional relationships with referral sources
  • Performs all required agency, county, and state documentation
  • Performs other related job duties as required

Qualifications

  • Some knowledge of addiction treatment
  • Some knowledge of individual and group therapy in addiction treatment

Ability to Maintain Professional Client Charts

  • Must adhere professional ethical standards and be able to maintain professional boundaries with clients
  • Candidate must meet one of the following Commonwealth of PA Department of Health Division of Drug and Alcohol Licensure staffing qualifications for position of counselor assistant:
  • A Master's Degree in a human service area.
  • A Bachelor's Degree in a human service area.
  • Licensure in this Commonwealth as a registered nurse.
  • An Associate's Degree in a human service area.
  • A high school diploma or General Education Development (GED) equivalent.

A counselor assistant shall also complete the training requirements in § 704.11 (relating to staff development program).

In addition to training, assignment of a full caseload shall be contingent upon the supervisor's positive assessment of the counselor assistant's individual skill level.

Profile/Other Competencies

  • Satisfactory Criminal Background Check and Pre-employment Drug Testing.
  • Have a valid PA driver's license in good standing preferred

Working Conditions

Office conditions represent the primary working environment. Requires sitting and standing associated with a normal office environment. Manual dexterity needed for using a computer keyboard. This description is intended to provide only basic guidelines for meeting job requirements. Responsibilities, skills and working conditions may change as needs evolve. Extended hours may be required to meet the needs of the clients.

NOTE: The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by employees assigned this job. They are not exhaustive lists of all duties, responsibilities, knowledge, skills, abilities and working conditions associated with the job. Additional functions may be required to meet organization objectives.

  • We Offer Great Benefits!
  • Health, Dental, and Vision Insurance
  • FREE Life Insurance
  • FREE Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
  • Family Benefits Available
  • Generous Paid Time Off (PTO)
  • 11 Paid Holidays
  • Eligible for Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) through our nonprofit status

Supplemental Benefits

  • Short Term Disability
  • Accident Insurance
  • Critical Care Insurance
  • Cancer Protection Assurance

Retirement Benefits

403(b) Retirement Plan

Your Growth Matters

We are committed to supporting our employees through ongoing training and professional development opportunities. To help you grow in your career, we offer tuition reimbursement and cover the cost of approved professional trainings.

Equal Opportunity Employer

The Ellen O'Brien Gaiser Center is an Equal Opportunity Employer and is committed to creating an inclusive workplace.

Ready to Join Our Team?

Apply today! We look forward to learning more about you and the unique skills you'll bring to our team.

Key Responsibilities

The assistant performs client intakes, assessments, and facilitates individual and group therapy sessions under clinical supervision. They are also responsible for maintaining client records, preparing treatment plans, and managing case documentation.

Key Skills

Individual TherapyClient IntakeTreatment PlanningCrisis InterventionHIPAA ComplianceTrauma-informed CareSubstance Use Disorder Counseling

Addiction Counseling — Counselor Career Context

Of the 50 active Counselor listings this role was benchmarked against, 38% are remote, 36% have no call, 60% require no weekends.

The cost-of-living index for Pennsylvania is 97.6 (US average = 100; BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)), so the posted ~$42k midpoint carries the purchasing power of roughly $43k in an average-cost state. 61.7% of Pennsylvania clinicians report burnout symptoms in WeekdayDoc's Burnout Index (2026-01 data).

How many Counselor jobs are remote?
MeasureThis jobMarket
Cost-of-living adjusted pay~$43k in purchasing powerPennsylvania index 97.6 (US = 100)BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)
Counselor listings in Pennsylvania756 active13,611 nationallylive on WeekdayDoc, Oct 2026
Work settingon-sitepeers: 38% remote · 36% no call · 60% no weekends50 benchmarked listings
Sign-on & loan repaymentloan repaymentPennsylvania Counselor listings: 15% state a sign-on bonus (median $5k) · 14% offer loan repayment756 active listings, Oct 2026
Counselor pay trend+2.8% vs prior quarter—through Sep 2026
Sources: WeekdayDoc live listing index, BEA Regional Price Parities (2024); as of Oct 2026. Same values as the Weekday Verdict and Market Insights on this page.

Top Counselor Jobs

31 matches · ranked by pay

Salary Distribution

31 jobs · 25 employers
12
<$70k
5
$70k-85k
8
$85k-100k
4
$100k-115k
2
$120k

Annual compensation range

Benefits & Perks

28 jobs · 25 employers
401k / retirement match
96% this job
CME allowance
43%
Sign-on bonus
25%
Loan repayment
21% this job
PSLF eligible
14% this job

Share of similar jobs offering each benefit

#1

Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMFT, LCSW, LPC)

Gotham Enterprises · Anchorage, Alaska

$115k-$120k
#2

Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor (LCPC)

Gotham Enterprises · Bethesda, Maryland

$115k-$120k
#3

Child and Adolescent Therapist - LCSW, LPC, LMFT

$50k-$110k
#4

Copy of Staff Trauma Therapist_EMDR

$90k-$110k
+ 29 more · ranked by pay

Work-life snapshot

median 5.1this job 3.0
Below most Addiction Counseling listings for work-life

Listing-based score, 0–10, across 124 comparable listings. Shaded area = the share scoring below this one.

  • Includes weekends
Ellen O'Brien Gaiser Addiction Center logo

About Ellen O'Brien Gaiser Addiction Center

Non-profit Organizations
Butler, PA
11-50 employees

Benefits & Perks

Health Insurance
Dental
Vision
Free Life Insurance
Employee Assistance Program
Generous PTO
11 Paid Holidays
PSLF Eligible

Living in Butler

Typical 3-bedroom home value
$263k
Typical market rent
$931/mo
Residents’ average commute
22 min
Metro price indexU.S. average = 100
94.7
State income tax
Up to 3.1%
Sources & methodology

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

BEA 2024 · Pittsburgh, PA metro prices. Housing figures are city-level.

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