Substance Abuse Counselor II (Casa Raphael)
Listed compensation
$22 - $25/hr
The week · per this posting · weekdays assumed
Ask the employer about call expectations, weekend coverage, nights and shift pattern and time off.
Job Description
- Position Title: Substance Abuse Counselor II
- Department: Clinical/Treatment
- Reports to: Clinical Supervisor
Benefits
Alpha Project offers a generous benefits package, including 14 paid holidays, paid vacation, sick leave, and 100% employer-paid medical, dental, vision premium, and group life insurance.
- FLSA Status: Temporary and Non-Exempt
- Salary: $22.00 - $25.00/hour, commensurate with experience
Position Summary
The Substance Abuse Counselor II works with clients to develop effective treatment plans, provides guidance on resources and partners that can support the treatment plan and rehabilitation, and provides guidance to Substance Abuse Counselors, as needed.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities
Resident Coordination
- Provide support to Substance Abuse Counselor as directed including linkage to referrals to meet client needs, crisis management, supervision, and strategic direction to residents in all aspects of treatment;
- Facilitate resident process groups, classroom activities, and workshops;
- Assist in documenting residents' program participation on county service sheet documents as per county standards; and
- Provide transportation and clinical support for clients as needed to meet any aspect of treatment.
Administration
- Communicate and adhere to program policies and procedures and model professional rapport to all residents in accordance with the Casa Raphael Operations Manual;
- Maintain appropriate documentation regarding services provided to the client through daily timesheets to be submitted to the administration at the end of each day;
- Complete and submit time-sensitive reports to referring entities and/or agents; and
- Ensure compliance with organization, contractual, local, state, and federal mandates, including confidentiality laws.
Other Duties
Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties, or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job.
Qualifications
Team Members must demonstrate the ability to follow policies and procedures as established in the Company's Employee Handbook. Team Members will also contribute to a positive work environment by behaving and communicating in a manner such that they get along with all constituent groups, co-workers, and management.
In addition, the education, experience, and other skills listed below are representative of the knowledge, skills, and/or abilities required.
Experience
- Experience in a substance abuse residential facility or treatment-related field; and
- One (1) to two (2) years in a Substance Abuse Field.
Certification
- Substance Abuse counseling certification in treatment-related field or proof of current enrollment: and
- CPR and First Aid certification, preferred.
Key Skills Set
- Ability to communicate in person and over the phone, required;
- Strong written and verbal communication skills, required;
- Understanding confidentiality protocols and protecting personal information, required;
- Ability to organize and prioritize projects and multiple tasks in an effective and timely manner, required;
- Effectively problem-solve and maintain composure in high-pressure situations, required;
- Ability to liaise with partner agencies;
- Ability to work independently with minimal daily supervision, required;
- Ability to maintain the confidentiality of sensitive personal information of applicants, current and former clients, landlords, and other matters affecting tenant relations;
- Knowledge of treatment modalities in the areas of substance dependency;
- Knowledge of all applicable Federal, State, and local laws, codes, regulations, and departmental policies and procedures;
- Ability to apply theory, principles, and practices of homeless housing interventions, social services, case management, eviction prevention, shelter diversion, and crisis intervention;
- Knowledge of used practices and principals, including Housing First, Trauma-Informed Care, Conflict Resolution, Motivational Interviewing, Low Barrier Operations, and Prevention and Diversion, preferred;
- Bilingual speakers of any language preferred.
Equipment and Applications
- High proficiency in MS Office, including Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint, and Clarity;
- Proficiency in San Diego County database program, SanWits;
- Working knowledge of all standard office equipment; and
- Experience with principles and practices of data collection and report preparation, HMIS, and Clarity experience, preferred.
Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties, or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job.
Key Responsibilities
The Substance Abuse Counselor II develops and implements client treatment plans while providing guidance and support to residents and other counseling staff. Responsibilities include facilitating group activities, managing crises, and ensuring compliance with all organizational and legal documentation standards.
Qualifications
- Education
- Professional certificate or licensure
Certifications
Key Skills
Addiction Medicine — Counselor Career Context
Of the 50 active Substance Use / Addiction Counselor listings this role was benchmarked against, 48% are remote, 38% have no call, 58% require no weekends.
The cost-of-living index for California is 110.7 (US average = 100; BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)), so the posted ~$49k midpoint carries the purchasing power of roughly $44k in an average-cost state. 63.6% of California clinicians report burnout symptoms in WeekdayDoc's Burnout Index (2026-01 data).
| Measure | This job | Market |
|---|---|---|
| Work-life score | 6.6 / 10 · top 25% in substance use / addiction counselor | ranked against 1,008 Substance Use / Addiction Counselor listingslisting-based score, 0–10 |
| Listed pay | $46k–$52k | Substance Use / Addiction Counselor median $62k (middle half $57k–$65k)110 comparable listings, Nov 2026 |
| Cost-of-living adjusted pay | ~$44k in purchasing power | California index 110.7 (US = 100)BEA Regional Price Parities (2024) |
| Addiction Medicine listings in California | 113 active | —live on WeekdayDoc, Nov 2026 |
| All substance use / addiction counselor listings in California | 1,023 active | 12,843 nationallylive on WeekdayDoc, Nov 2026 |
| Work setting | on-site | peers: 48% remote · 38% no call · 58% no weekends50 benchmarked listings |
| Sign-on & loan repayment | not stated | California counselor listings (all specialties): 12% state a sign-on bonus (median $3k) · 9% offer loan repayment1,000 active listings, Nov 2026 |
| New Addiction Medicine listings | 433 in the last 30 days | 231 the 30 days before (+87%)U.S., first seen on WeekdayDoc, Nov 2026 |
Work-Life Balance Analysis
WeekdayDoc's proprietary algorithm rates Substance Abuse Counselor II (Casa Raphael) at Alpha Project for the Homeless a 6.6 out of 10 for work-life balance — classified as good. This places the position in the top 25% in Substance Use / Addiction Counselor — ranked against 1,008 active Substance Use / Addiction Counselor listings on WeekdayDoc.
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