Substance Use Disorder Counselor - Registered

CounselorFull-Time

Listed compensation

$60,320 - $66,706/year

The week · per this posting

Ask the employer about call expectations, weekend coverage, nights and shift pattern and time off.

Posted 1mo ago

Job Description

For more than 55 years, Family Health Centers of San Diego’s (FHCSD) mission has been to provide caring, affordable, high-quality health care and supportive services to everyone, with a special commitment to uninsured, low-income and medically underserved persons.

FHCSD is one of the top 10 largest federally qualified health centers (FQHCs) in the country. We operate more than 90 sites across San Diego County, including 29 primary care clinics, 23 behavioral health facilities, 10 physical rehabilitation clinics, nine dental clinics, five vision clinics, four outpatient substance use treatment programs, three mobile medical units, two mobile counseling centers, two urgent care centers, and a pharmacy.

Our staff provides care to over 227,000 patients each year, of whom 91% are low-income and 29% are uninsured. FHCSD provides care to all.

Services include, but are not limited to adult care, chronic disease management, pediatrics, comprehensive women’s care including obstetrics, dental, vision, case management, physical rehabilitation, speech therapy for children, vaccinations, infectious diseases, behavioral health, substance use counseling and a host of specialty services including cardiology, podiatry, endocrinology, dermatology, among others.

FHCSD also offers supportive services to those who are unsheltered and in need of intensive case management.

The breadth of our clinic locations, services and programs has grown over the last five decades, making us the largest community clinic provider of health care to the uninsured in the county and one of the top 10 largest community clinic organizations in the nation. We are also the largest health care safety-net provider, largest school-based health care provider and the largest mental health provider in the San Diego region.

Family Health Centers of San Diego (FHCSD) is looking for Substance Use Disorder Counselor (SUDC) - Registered provides substance abuse screening, brief interventions, therapy for individuals and groups, and coordinates referrals for patients.

Responsibilities also include providing leadership and training to staff related to chemical dependency issues, and serving as a subject matter expert in the cross-functional treatment team. Depending on assignment, the SUDC may be working with patients living with serious mental illness, HIV, or homelessness.

Responsibilities

Completes all required documentation accurately, in a timely manner, and thoroughly in accordance with department standards; in addition, documentation complies with patients' insurance requirements.

Develops and maintains community resources information and contacts related to assigned patient population. Acts as a liaison and may provide consultations with community agencies.

Participates in the design and implementation of mental health and substance abuse service delivery, working closely with multi-disciplinary team to ensure continuity of care.

Provides direct substance abuse counseling services, including crisis intervention and individual, group, and family counseling, targeting assigned patient population groups experiencing substance abuse/dependency disorders. Provides support and assistance to maintain patients' treatment and recovery.

Provides substance abuse education and referral information to patients, families, and other staff members in the areas of substance abuse counseling and treatment services.

Provides substance abuse screening and assessments. Participates in the development of patients' individualized care plans. Assesses patients' need for enrollment in medical, self-help programs, outpatient services, and/or residential facilities and makes referrals, if necessary.

Performs other duties as assigned.

Requirements

Registered Intern status from a California State Substance Use Disorders (SUD) Services certifying agency required

High School diploma (or GED equivalent) required.

Current American Heart Association healthcare provider CPR (BLS), or Advanced Cardiac Life Support, Advanced Trauma Life Support, or Advance Resuscitation Training required.

1 year experience in providing counseling required; 2 years of experience providing counseling to assigned patient demographics, such as patients diagnosed with serious mental illness or HIV, preferred.

Bilingual English/Spanish may be required depending on site/location.

Traveling between sites and other locations is occasionally required. Must have a valid California driver’s license, an automobile, and proof of minimum levels of car insurance as required under California law, although limits of $100,000 are recommended. An acceptable driving record is also required.

California law requires all drivers to obtain a valid California driver’s license within ten days of establishing residency. Reasonable accommodation may be provided on a case-by-case basis. Mileage and other reimbursement governed by policy.

Rewards

  • Job type: Regular Full Time
  • Competitive Salary with Excellent Benefits
  • Retirement Plan with Employer Match
  • Paid Time Off, Extended Sick Leave and Paid Holidays
  • Medical/Dental/Vision/FSA/Life Insurance
  • Employee Discounts and Wellness Programs

#IndSUD

The successful candidate will have a demonstrated commitment to community medicine and providing culturally competent care to the medically underserved.

  • We are excited to share that the salary range for this position is:
  • $29.00 - $32.07

Information on our extensive benefits package can be found here: FHCSD Wellness – Employee Hub (gobenefits.net)

FHCSD 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, 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, transfer, leave of absence, compensation, and training.

Qualifications

Education
Professional certificate or licensure

Certifications

ACLSATLS

Key Skills

Individual counselingGroup counselingAssessmentCare planningReferral coordinationChemical dependency treatment

Work-Life Balance Analysis

WeekdayDoc's proprietary algorithm rates Substance Use Disorder Counselor - Registered at Family Health Centers of San Diego a 6.6 out of 10 for work-life balance — classified as good. This places the position in the top 25% in Addiction Medicine (Counseling) — ranked against 1,285 active Addiction Medicine (Counseling) listings on WeekdayDoc.

Addiction Medicine — Counselor Career Context

Family Health Centers of San Diego holds silver-tier status on WeekdayDoc's Top Employers work-life index, composite score 77/100, 33 active listings.

Of the 50 active Substance Use / Addiction Counselor listings this role was benchmarked against, 52% are remote, 22% have no call, 56% require no weekends.

The cost-of-living index for California is 110.7 (US average = 100; BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)), so the posted ~$66k midpoint carries the purchasing power of roughly $60k in an average-cost state. 63.6% of California clinicians report burnout symptoms in WeekdayDoc's Burnout Index (2026-01 data).

Top Counselor Jobs

35 matches · ranked by pay

Salary Distribution35 jobs · 25 employers

9
<$90k
10
$90k-110k
10
$110k-130k
6
$130k-150k

Annual compensation range

Benefits & Perks30 jobs · 25 employers

401k / retirement match
93% this job
CME allowance
40%
Sign-on bonus
33%
Loan repayment
17%
Relocation assistance
10%

Share of similar jobs offering each benefit

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#3

Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor (LPCC)

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#4

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+ 33 more · ranked by pay

Work-life snapshot

median 6.1this job 6.6
Better work-life than 80% of Addiction Medicine (Counseling) listings

Listing-based score, 0–10, across 1,285 comparable listings. Shaded area = the share scoring below this one.

  • On-site

Living in El Cerrito

Typical 3-bedroom home value
$1.16M≈ 36.1× annual pay
Typical market rent
$2,691/mo≈ 101% of gross pay
Residents’ average commute
43 min
State income tax
Up to 13.3%
Sources & methodology

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

Ratios use this listing’s gross annual pay. Not a cost-of-living guarantee.

Family Health Centers of San Diego logo

About Family Health Centers of San Diego

Hospitals and Health Care
San Diego, CA
1,001-5,000 employees

Benefits & Perks

Competitive Salary with Excellent Benefits
Retirement Plan with Employer Match
Paid Time Off
Extended Sick Leave
Paid Holidays
Medical/Dental/Vision/FSA/Life Insurance
Employee Discounts and Wellness Programs