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Confidential Employer
Indianapolis, Indiana

Substance Abuse Counselor

Counselor 8.0 Work-LifeNo weekendsFull-Time

Compensation

Pay not listed

The week · per this posting · weekdays assumed

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Posted 1 day ago · Verified live

Job Description

The Recovery Village – Indianapolis is Hiring

Come Join Our Team! Saving Lives is What We Do!

We’re building a top-tier clinical team of Substance Abuse Counselors who are passionate about supporting individuals on their journey to recovery.

Schedules

Sunday-Thursday: 8:30a-5:30p

Advanced Recovery Systems is an integrated behavioral healthcare management company dedicated to the treatment of addiction, substance abuse, and mental health issues. We put behavioral health front and center, providing assistance to people with substance abuse issues, addictions and mental health concerns.

With facilities in various regions of the U.S., we have been furthering this mission since our inception, applying our advanced approach to patient care.

Every facility in the Advanced Recovery Systems network strives to provide the highest quality of care, using evidence-based therapeutic models that really work. Our goal is to help men and women live healthy, happy lives without the burden of substance abuse or mental illness.

The Substance Abuse Counselor is responsible for performing patient care activities as directed by the Clinical Director. The primary duties include group therapy by providing comprehensives group therapy, creating evidence based group curriculum, developing group curriculum, participating in treatment plans to ensure service delivery. Position will collaborate with the Treatment Team to formulate the Master Treatment Plan and assist in coordinating discharge planning.

Core Job Duties

Develops and provides daily group therapy to assigned patients following substance abuse and co-occurring program curriculum provided by Clinical Director.

  • Assists in ensuring group attendance/compliance by providing engaging and meaningful group content.
  • Uses substance abuse and co-occurring therapeutic interventions and de-escalation techniques to assist patients with accomplishing all treatment plans goals and objectives and successfully complete treatment.
  • Assesses patient for substance use disorders, risk to self or others and co-occurring mental health disorders.
  • Provides support for aftercare planning in collaboration with multidisciplinary team.
  • Demonstrates sufficient comprehension of Substance Use Disorders and Co-Occurring Mental Health Disorders.

Consistently identifies areas for improvement within the department by studying data and developing, implementing, and documenting plans for improvement and outcomes.

Other Required Tasks

Maintains positive relationships with all staff.

Participates in multidisciplinary treatment plan reviews.

Maintains healthy boundaries with patients and staff.

Asks for and accepts feedback from supervisors.

Provides a safe and therapeutic environment to all staff and patients.

Communicates significant patient developments to supervisor.

Participates in Quality Improvement activities and contributes to the success of the organization.

Pursues professional development through participation in education and training programs.

Contributes positively to the morale of other staff members.

Complete all required documentation as needed, ensuring compliance with all company policies and procedures, state regulations, Joint Commission standards and Medical Needs Criteria. This includes the following documents:

  • Comprehensive Problem List
  • Integrated Master Treatment Plan and Updates
  • Group therapy session notes
  • Discharge Summary

Other duties as assigned.

Education

  • Bachelor’s or Master’s Degree in Behavioral Health Field preferred.
  • High School Diploma required.

Experience

Minimum one (1) year of work experience in behavioral health field preferred.

Licensure/Certification Desired

  • State SUD certification required if education is equivalent to High School or Bachelor’s level.
  • CPR-AED and First Aid certification required.

Knowledge and Training Required

  • Demonstrates Proficiency in Communication & Written skills.
  • Knowledge of State & Federal Statutes Regarding Patient Confidentiality laws.
  • Knowledge of licensing and accreditation standards.

Understanding addiction placement, continuing care, and discharge criteria, including American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM) criteria.

Advanced Recovery Systems, a national integrated behavior healthcare management company dedicated to the treatment of addiction, substance abuse, and mental health issues.

The Company complies with state and federal nondiscrimination laws and policies that prohibit discrimination based on age, color, disability, national origin, race, religion, or sex. It is unlawful to retaliate against individuals or groups based on the basis of their participation in a complaint of discrimination or on the basis of their opposition to discriminatory practices/EEO.

  • We are proud to be a drug-free workplace.
  • We offer great benefits including 401(k), paid time off plan, medical, dental, vision, and much more.

Key Responsibilities

Develop and lead daily group therapy using substance use and co-occurring disorder curricula, therapeutic interventions, and de-escalation techniques. Assess patients, contribute to treatment plans and discharge and aftercare planning, maintain required clinical documentation, and collaborate with the multidisciplinary team to support safe, effective care.

Requirements

A high school diploma is required; a bachelor’s or master’s degree in a behavioral health field is preferred, and at least one year of behavioral health experience is preferred. State substance use disorder certification is required when education is equivalent to high school or bachelor’s level, along with CPR-AED and First Aid certification; communication skills and knowledge of confidentiality laws, accreditation standards, and ASAM criteria are also required.

Qualifications

Education
Professional certificate or licensure

Key Skills

Substance Use Disorder AssessmentCo-Occurring Disorder TreatmentEvidence-Based Therapeutic InterventionsTreatment PlanningPatient Risk AssessmentMultidisciplinary CollaborationCPR and AED

Addiction Medicine — Counselor Career Context

The cost-of-living index for Indiana is 93.3 (US average = 100; BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)). 60.4% of Indiana clinicians report burnout symptoms in WeekdayDoc's Burnout Index (2026-01 data).

Work-Life Balance Analysis

WeekdayDoc's proprietary algorithm rates Substance Abuse Counselor at Confidential Employer a 8.0 out of 10 for work-life balance — classified as excellent. This places the position in the top 5% in Substance Use / Addiction Counselor — ranked against 1,008 active Substance Use / Addiction Counselor listings on WeekdayDoc. Contributing factors include no weekend requirements.

Top Substance Use / Addiction Counselor Jobs

8 matches · ranked by pay

Salary Distribution8 jobs · 4 employers

4
<$50k
2
$50k-60k
1
$62k
0
$70k-80k
1
$80k

Annual compensation range

Work-Life Balance Distribution8 jobs · 4 employers

0
1-2
0
3-4
6
5-6
2
7-8
0
9-10

Higher = better work-life balance

#1

Substance Use Counselor

Boston Comprehensive Treatment Center · Boston, Massachusetts

$30-$38.5/hr
#2

Addiction Counselor | ADT, CSC-AD, or CAC-AD

Kolmac Integrated Behavioral Health · Brooklyn, Maryland

$25-$30/hr
#3

Substance Use Counselor

$55k-$58k
#4

Sr Substance Abuse Counselor

$52,160
+ 6 more · ranked by pay

Work-life snapshot

median 6.1this job 8.0
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 weekends

Living in Indianapolis city (balance)

Typical 3-bedroom home value
$229k
Typical market rent
$1,389/mo
Residents’ average commute
25 min
State income tax
Up to 3.1%
Sources & methodology

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

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

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About Confidential Employer

Mental Health Care
Fort Lauderdale, FL
201-500 employees

Benefits & Perks

401(k)
Paid Time Off
Medical Insurance
Dental Insurance
Vision Insurance