La Frontera Center logo
La Frontera Center
Maricopa, Arizona

Substance Abuse Therapist EMPACT

Addiction CounselorFull-Time

Compensation

Pay not listed

The week · per this posting · weekdays assumed

Ask the employer about the pay range, the work setting, call expectations 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

We are searching for a Substance Abuse Therapist for our City of Maricopa location. (The city of Maricopa, in Pinal county, is 25 miles southwest of Chandler, AZ.)

Provide therapy to adults and their families from various cultural and socio-economic backgrounds, focusing treatment on substance abuse issues. The therapy shall include assessment, evaluation, diagnosis, treatment, and case management. It will also include maintaining client records in up-to-date and complete status.

Essential Responsibilities

  • Provide psychotherapy for the purpose of assessment, diagnosis, and treatment of adults and their families, individualizing these services to meet unique needs. Facilitate IOP, SOP, & Aftercare groups, using 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. Use community resources and referrals, as appropriate, to enhance and expand treatment.
  • Deliver at least 40 hours of work per week, with a goal of 30 hours of direct client contact, which includes case management as needed. Productivity standards established at a minimum of once a year and as needed due to contract changes. Complete all tasks agreed upon by timelines given.
  • Work independently and responsibly, and participate in the development, implementation, and evaluation of treatment and prevention programs.
  • Produce complete, timely, thorough, quality clinical documentation of all services rendered, both billable and non-billable, as required. The documentation must include sufficient information about the activity being documented and the client’s participation in, and response to, the activity. Complete Monthly Families First spreadsheet, including services, narratives and deliverables as required in contract.
  • Ensure quality service delivery, including clinical care and all associated duties. Utilize Best Practice therapeutic approaches whenever possible. Maintain all client records in up-to-date status and in accordance with agency policies and procedures, as well as RBHA, state, and federal requirements. Participate in the agency’s Quality Management Program, as needed or requested.
  • Participate actively in regular supervision, accepting feedback and suggestions in a collaborative and strengths-based way.
  • Interact regularly and constructively with the clinical team, support staff, and administrative staff.

Other Duties and Responsibilities

  • Participate in all regularly scheduled administrative, in-service, and staff meetings. Recommend changes that would improve service delivery.
  • Coordinate communication with other departments of the agency in accomplishing continuity of care.
  • Participate in standing and ad hoc committees and work groups, as requested. Provide instruction and training for interns and coworkers in his/her respective discipline, as requested.
  • Comply with the agency's standard of care for service delivery.
  • Develop and maintain effective working relationships with state, community, and contracting organizations, and with collaborating partners.
  • Perform additional related duties and participate in agency fund-raising activities, as requested.

What You’ll Provide

  • Master’s degree in Behavioral Health related field required. License is preferred.
  • Experience facilitating substance abuse groups and working with people who have a substance abuse diagnosis is required.
  • Detail oriented and ability to multi-task in a fast-paced environment.
  • Substance Abuse certification is a plus.
  • Must have a valid AZ driver's license with no major infractions in the past three years.
  • Must have regular access to reliable transportation.
  • Bi-lingual (Spanish) Diff per hour available.
  • Must be at least 21 years of age at time of employment.

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

Provide psychotherapy, assessment, and diagnosis for adults and families focusing on substance abuse issues. Facilitate structured group programs and maintain comprehensive clinical documentation in accordance with agency and state requirements.

Requirements

Requires a Master's degree in a Behavioral Health related field and experience facilitating substance abuse groups. Candidates must have a valid driver's license and be at least 21 years of age.

Qualifications

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

Key Skills

Substance abuse counselingTreatment planningGroup facilitationMotivational interviewingClinical supervisionInterpersonal skills

Addiction Medicine — Counselor Career Context

Of the 50 active Substance Use / Addiction Counselor listings this role was benchmarked against, 44% are remote, 36% have no call, 64% 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).

How many Substance Use / Addiction Counselor jobs are remote?
MeasureThis jobMarket
Listed paynot listedSubstance Use / Addiction Counselor median $63k (middle half $55k–$69k)219 comparable listings, Oct 2026
Cost of livingArizona index 100.7US average = 100BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)
Substance Use / Addiction Counselor listings in Arizona348 active13,600 nationallylive on WeekdayDoc, Oct 2026
Work settingon-sitepeers: 44% remote · 36% no call · 64% no weekends50 benchmarked listings
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

39 matches · ranked by pay

Salary Distribution

37 jobs · 33 employers
17
<$75k
6
$75k-95k
4
$95k-115k
6
$115k-135k
4
$135k+

Annual compensation range

Benefits & Perks

28 jobs
401k / retirement match
89% this job
CME allowance
46%
Loan repayment
29%
Sign-on bonus
21%
PSLF eligible
21%

Share of similar jobs offering each benefit

#1

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Cartwheel · Cambridge, Massachusetts

$60-$70/hr
#2

Licensed Therapist

BlueSky Telepsych · Surprise, Arizona

$60-$70/hr
#3

Virtual School Based Counselor

$66 per hour
#4

Mental Health Therapist

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+ 37 more · ranked by pay

Work-life snapshot

median 6.1this job 3.0
Better work-life than 30% of Substance Use / Addiction Counselor listings

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

La Frontera Center logo

About La Frontera Center

Mental Health Care
51-200 employees

Benefits & Perks

Generous PTO
10 paid holidays
Medical plans (4 choices)
Dental plans (2 choices)
Vision plans (2 choices)
403(b) retirement plan
Retirement Allowance
Company paid Life/AD&D

Living in Maricopa

Typical 3-bedroom home value
$314k
Typical market rent
$1,773/mo
Residents’ average commute
37 min
Metro price indexU.S. average = 100
103.3
State income tax
Up to 2.5%
Sources & methodology

Sources: Zillow home values (Sep 2026), Zillow market rents (Sep 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.