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RHA Health Services
Asheville, North Carolina

Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor

CounselorFull-Time

Compensation

Pay not disclosed

Listing transparency1 of 6 stated

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

Employment & setting
Full-Time
Call expectations
Not specified
Weekends
Not specified
Posted 1 day ago · Verified live

Job Description

We are hiring for

Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor

Type

Regular

If you are a positive and personable individual looking for a satisfying and fun opportunity to make a real difference in the lives of people with intellectual, developmental disabilities, and people facing mental health, and substance use challenges, join our team at RHA Health Services!

A Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor possesses knowledge and is able to apply substance use/abuse treatment to a diverse population and has the capacity and knowledge to work with a treatment group that present a variety of addictions and addiction related behaviors. Provides individual sessions to explore overall goals, treatment plan, and measurement of goal completion, assess further needs of individuals for successful recovery and program completion. Relies on knowledge, experience, and judgment with supervision and direction from the supervisor to provide quality services. Must be a Qualified Professional as defined by state agencies and service definitions. Must also be a Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor. Certain services may require additional training, knowledge, experience, and licensure.

Full time position. Flexible hours. Salaried position. Full CAD-C needed to provide group therapy, individual counseling to people participating in Asheville's SAIOP program.

Duties and Responsibilities

Individual and Group Counseling

Provide individual counseling sessions focused on setting and achieving recovery goals, measuring progress, and assessing further needs for long-term recovery and program completion.

Facilitate group counseling sessions to address skill-building, emotional support, coping strategy development, and relapse prevention.

Conduct family counseling sessions when necessary, helping clients build positive support systems.

Treatment Planning and Monitoring

Develop personalized, person-centered treatment plans based on assessment recommendations and input from the client, family, and other support networks.

  • Continuously monitor and revise treatment plans based on client progress and changing needs.
  • Ensure ongoing collaboration with involved professionals to provide comprehensive and integrated care.

Utilization Reviews and Service Authorization

Conduct utilization reviews to assess the need for continued services, eligibility, and discharge planning based on treatment progress and established guidelines.

Complete and submit service authorization requests and maintain up-to-date authorizations for service provision.

Preventive and Therapeutic Interventions

Deliver evidence-based preventive and therapeutic interventions, including supportive counseling, skills development, and case coordination.

Help clients develop essential coping mechanisms to manage substance use, mental health symptoms, and adapt successfully to home, work, or school environments.

Medical Consultation and Collaboration

Consult with psychiatrists and other medical personnel to report behavioral observations, discuss concerns, and monitor the effectiveness of prescribed medications.

Collaborate with healthcare providers to ensure clients receive appropriate medical and psychiatric care.

Documentation and Compliance

Accurately document all treatment interventions, progress assessments, and community support activities in client records according to state, agency, and regulatory guidelines.

Ensure documentation is completed within 24 hours of any billed activity.

license and personal vehicle insurance (if required for the role).

Other Duties

  • Demonstrates flexibility and commitment to meeting unit needs.
  • Performs additional responsibilities as assigned.

Supervisory Responsibilities

This position may or may not have supervisor responsibilities depending on the job profile.

Physical Demands and Work Environment

  • Must be able to lift a minimum of 10 lbs.
  • Must be able to pull a minimum of 20 lbs.
  • Must be able to squat, kneel, crawl, crouch, climb, and stoop.
  • Required to regularly stand and walk.
  • Vision requirements include close vision, distance vision, and peripheral vision.

RHA is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer, prohibits discrimination based on the following protected categories: race, creed, color, national origin, nationality, ancestry, age, sex/gender, marital status, civil status, domestic partnership status, familial status, religion, affectional or sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, atypical hereditary cellular or blood trait, genetic information, liability for service in the Armed Forces of the United States, or disability.

Pre-employment screening

Complete criminal background

Name checked in the registries. (OIG exclusions database, Child Abuse Registry, and Offenders Against Individuals with Developmental Disabilities)

  • Drug testing
  • Education verification and other credentialing based on position requirements.
  • Proof of employment history or references (if required)

Positions that require driving Proof of driver's license, driver's insurance, and vehicle, IF required for providing transportation for individuals.

We offer the following benefits to employees

  • Payactiv: early access to the money you’ve earned from hours you’ve already worked, before payday!
  • Employee perks and discount program: to help you save money!
  • Paid Time Off (full-time employees only)
  • Health/Insurance (full-time employees only)
  • 401(k) retirement savings program
  • Wellbeing Programs: Physical, Emotional and Financial
  • Chronic Disease management programs for hypertension and diabetes (for qualifying employees)
  • Training: Free CPR, first aid, and job-specific training opportunities

*contract/contingent workers and interns do not qualify for any of the above benefits

EEO Statement RHA is an equal opportunity employer. In addition, we provide reasonable accommodation to qualified employees who have protected disabilities to the extent required by applicable laws, regulations, and ordinances. If you are an individual with a disability and need a reasonable accommodation to participate in the application process, please contact our solutions center.

About RHA

At RHA Health Services, we help individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities, mental health and/or substance use needs live their best lives. Our mission is to provide a safe and healthy environment while creating opportunities for personal outcomes.

For over 30 years, the people we serve and support have remained at the very center of everything we do. RHA currently provides services in North Carolina, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, and New Jersey.

If you are ready to make a difference in the lives of people we serve and support apply to join the team today.

Key Responsibilities

The counselor provides individual and group therapy sessions to support recovery goals and skill-building for clients with substance use and mental health challenges. They are also responsible for developing person-centered treatment plans, conducting utilization reviews, and maintaining accurate clinical documentation.

Requirements

Candidates must be a Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor and a Qualified Professional as defined by state agencies. The role requires the ability to perform physical tasks such as lifting, kneeling, and standing, along with maintaining necessary professional credentials.

Qualifications

Experience
2+ years of experience

Key Skills

Substance use counselingCrisis interventionBehavioral health assessmentUtilization reviewPerson-centered careMedical collaboration

Addiction Medicine — Counselor Career Context

RHA Health Services ranks #16 of 23 employers hiring Counselor on WeekdayDoc by average advertised pay.

Of the 50 active Addiction Medicine listings this role was benchmarked against, 46% are remote, 20% have no call, 60% require no weekends.

Addiction Medicine pay on WeekdayDoc is up 4.9% vs. the prior quarter (through Aug 2026).

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).

Top Counselor Jobs

50 matches · ranked by pay

Salary Distribution50 jobs · 37 employers

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Annual compensation range

Benefits & Perks32 jobs

401k / retirement match
88% this job
CME allowance
25%
Sign-on bonus
16%
Loan repayment
16%
PSLF eligible
6%

Share of similar jobs offering each benefit

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Work-life snapshot

2.8/ 10
Listing-based score

Living in Asheville

Typical 3-bedroom home value
$455k
Typical market rent
$1,704/mo
Residents’ average commute
18 min
Metro price indexU.S. average = 100
96.5
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 · Asheville, NC metro prices. Housing figures are city-level.

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

RHA Health Services logo

About RHA Health Services

Individual and Family Services
Asheville
1,001-5,000 employees

Benefits & Perks

Payactiv early access to earned money
Employee perks and discount program
Paid Time Off (full-time employees only)
Health/Insurance (full-time employees only)
401(k) retirement savings program
Wellbeing Programs: Physical, Emotional and Financial
Chronic Disease management programs
Free CPR, first aid, and job-specific training