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Acadia
Mooresville, North Carolina

Substance Use Counselor

CounselorNo callNo weekendsFull-Time

Compensation

Pay not listed

The week · per this posting · Monday – Friday

Ask the employer about the pay range, the work setting, nights and shift pattern and time off.

Posted 33m ago · Verified live

Job Description

  • Outpatient MAT Opioid Treatment Program (OTP)
  • Seeking: Substance Use Counselor
  • LCAS-A, LCAS, LCSW-A, LCSW, LCMHC-A, or LCMHC

Full-Time Hours

  • Monday - Friday 5 AM - 1:30 PM
  • Rotating Saturdays 6 AM - 8 AM

Our Benefits

  • Medical, Dental, and Vision insurance
  • Competitive 401(k) plan
  • Paid vacation and sick time
  • Employer-paid clinical supervision (free to employees)
  • Free and unlimited access to 500+ accredited Continuing Education Units (CEUs)
  • Employee Assistance Program (EAP) offering continued support to employee lifestyle and well-being
  • Early morning hours offering a great work/life balance
  • Opportunity for growth that is second to none in the industry

Our Team

Mooresville Comprehensive Treatment Center (CTC), located in Mooresville, NC, is part of Acadia Healthcare's Comprehensive Treatment Centers, the leading provider of medication-assisted treatment in the nation. Our counseling team provides compassionate, high-quality counseling and therapy to patients that are seeking recovery from Opioid Use Disorder.

Your Job as a Substance Use Counselor

The Substance Use Counselor is instrumental in our patient’s treatment and recovery from opioid use disorder. Substance Use Counselors provide high quality, compassionate care through various mediums which include both individual and group counseling sessions.

Job Responsibilities

  • Provide high quality, compassionate guidance in both individual and group counseling sessions.
  • Plan, oversee, facilitate and document patient's recovery.
  • Co-facilitate assigned group or family sessions as needed.
  • Ensure all documentation regarding patient care, treatment, and incidents is completed timely and in a clear, concise manner.
  • Prepare individual treatment plans for each assigned patient.
  • Initial assessments as well as follow up assessments.
  • Evaluate patient needs and determine if referrals to other programs or facilities are needed.
  • May plan for aftercare for assigned patients.
  • Provide crisis intervention to patients, as needed.
  • Provide case management duties for patients, ensuring individualized quality care as needed.
  • Act as a liaison between referral sources and patients, as needed.

Eligible positions may qualify for student loan forgiveness through HRSA, depending on clinic site eligibility. Check your eligibilty here: HRSA Eligibility

Required Education, Skills and Qualifications

  • High School Diploma or GED equivalent required;
  • Prefer Bachelor's or Master's degree in social or health services field;
  • Degree must be from an accredited college or university with practicum in order to be licensed.
  • 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.

  • Licenses/Certifications
  • LCAS-A, LCAS, LCSW-A, LCSW, LCMHC-A, or LCMHC
  • License or Certification is required to apply.
  • 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

Key Responsibilities

The Substance Use Counselor provides compassionate individual and group therapy to patients recovering from Opioid Use Disorder. Responsibilities include developing treatment plans, documenting patient progress, and providing crisis intervention as needed.

Requirements

Candidates must hold a valid LCAS-A, LCAS, LCSW-A, LCSW, LCMHC-A, or LCMHC license or certification. A high school diploma is required, though a bachelor's or master's degree in a social or health services field is preferred.

Qualifications

Education
Master's degree (postgraduate degree)
Experience
2+ years of experience

Key Skills

Substance use counselingIndividual counselingTreatment planningClinical documentationHIPAA compliance42 CFR Part 2 complianceMultidisciplinary collaboration

Addiction Medicine — Counselor Career Context

Of the 50 active Substance Use / Addiction Counselor listings this role was benchmarked against, 44% are remote, 24% have no call, 64% require no weekends.

The cost-of-living index for North Carolina is 94.3 (US average = 100; BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)). 59.2% of North Carolina clinicians report burnout symptoms in WeekdayDoc's Burnout Index (2026-01 data).

Acadia ranks #19 of 26 employers hiring Counselor on WeekdayDoc by average advertised pay.

Work-Life Balance Analysis

WeekdayDoc's proprietary algorithm rates Substance Use Counselor at Acadia 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 / Addiction Counselor — ranked against 1,008 active Substance Use / Addiction Counselor listings on WeekdayDoc. Contributing factors include no on-call duties, no weekend requirements.

Top Counselor Jobs

45 matches · ranked by pay

Salary Distribution44 jobs · 37 employers

19
<$80k
11
$80k-105k
6
$105k-130k
5
$130k-155k
3
$155k+

Annual compensation range

Benefits & Perks37 jobs

401k / retirement match
86% this job
CME allowance
32% this job
Sign-on bonus
27%
Loan repayment
24% this job
PSLF eligible
24% this job

Share of similar jobs offering each benefit

#1

Mental Health Therapist, Contractor - WI / (Remote)Contract

Cartwheel · Remote - Nationwide

$65-$75/hr
#2

Mental Health Therapist, Contractor - IN / (Remote)Contract

Cartwheel · Remote - Nationwide

$65-$75/hr
#3

Dental Therapist

From $155k
#4

Psychotherapist Outpatient Clinic – LCSW / LMHC / LMFT/Full-Time Employment/Signing Bonus 5000USD

$60-$70/hr
+ 43 more · ranked by pay

Work-life snapshot

median 6.1this job 7.2
Among the best 10% of Substance Use / Addiction Counselor listings for work-life

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

  • No call
  • No weekends

Living in Mooresville

Typical 3-bedroom home value
$394k
Typical market rent
$1,655/mo
Residents’ average commute
25 min
Metro price indexU.S. average = 100
97.3
State income tax
Up to 4.8%
Sources & methodology

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

BEA 2024 · Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC metro prices. Housing figures are city-level.

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

Acadia logo

About Acadia

Mental Health Care
Franklin, Tennessee
1,001-5,000 employees

Benefits & Perks

Medical, Dental, and Vision insurance
Competitive 401(k) plan
Paid vacation and sick time
Employer-paid clinical supervision
Free and unlimited access to 500+ accredited Continuing Education Units (CEUs)
Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
Early morning hours offering a great work/life balance
Opportunity for growth