La Frontera Center logo
La Frontera Center
Tempe, Arizona

Substance Use Therapist EMPACT

CounselorNo weekendsFull-Time

Compensation

Pay not listed

The week · per this posting · weekdays assumed

Ask the employer about the pay range, call expectations, nights and shift pattern and time off.

Posted 1mo 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: lafronteraaz-empact.org

What You’ll Do

This is a great opportunity for an ENTRY LEVEL Substance Use Therapist to join our agency. The ideal candidate will have experience in substance abuse treatment and experience facilitating groups. *FLEXIBLE schedules available with NO WEEKEND shifts.

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 facilitating groups required.
  • Families First program experience is preferred.
  • Must have experience working with substance abuse populations.
  • Must be willing to complete reports and be punctual in corresponding with DCS, probation and others.
  • Ability to multi-task in a fast-paced environment and have good time management skills.
  • Must have good team collaboration skills.
  • Must have or be able to obtain a valid fingerprint clearance card.
  • Valid Arizona Driver’s License, with no major infractions in the past three years is required.
  • Bilingual (Spanish speaking) is a plus. Bilingual Differential available.
  • Must be 21 years of age or older at the time of employment.

Additional Requirements and Responsibilities

  • Excellent oral and written communication skills.
  • Clear and effective communication.
  • Strong customer service.
  • Strong problem-solving and analytical skills.
  • Ability to document detailed information.
  • Ability to multitask.
  • 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 while working remotely (from home) 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 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 substance abuse curriculum.

Requirements

A Master's degree in marriage and family therapy, counseling, or social work is required. Candidates must have experience working with substance abuse populations and facilitating groups.

Qualifications

Education
Master's degree (postgraduate degree)

Key Skills

Group facilitationDocumentationMultitasking

Addiction Medicine — Counselor Career Context

Of the 50 active Substance Use / Addiction Counselor listings this role was benchmarked against, 60% are remote, 36% have no call, 62% 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).

Work-Life Balance Analysis

WeekdayDoc's proprietary algorithm rates Substance Use Therapist EMPACT at La Frontera Center a 6.3 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.

Top Counselor Jobs

34 matches · ranked by pay

Salary Distribution29 jobs · 28 employers

11
<$75k
5
$75k-95k
8
$95k-115k
5
$115k-135k

Annual compensation range

Benefits & Perks27 jobs

401k / retirement match
93% this job
CME allowance
33%
Sign-on bonus
26%
Loan repayment
7%
PSLF eligible
4%

Share of similar jobs offering each benefit

#1

Clinical Supervisor & Therapist

Mindfully Behavioral Health · Longmont, Colorado

#2

Licensed Clinical Mental Health Therapist - LICSW/LPCC/LMFT

LifeStance Health · Saint Louis Park, Minnesota

$74k-$126k
#3

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

$92k-$125k
#4

Licensed Mental Health Therapist (LMFT, LMHC, LCSW)

$115k-$120k
+ 32 more · ranked by pay

Work-life snapshot

median 6.1this job 6.3
Better work-life than 60% of Substance Use / Addiction Counselor listings

Listing-based score, 0–10, across 1,008 comparable listings. Shaded area = the share scoring below this one.

  • No weekends
  • On-site

Living in Tempe

Typical 3-bedroom home value
$454k
Typical market rent
$1,649/mo
Residents’ average commute
21 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 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