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Bay Area Community Health
San Jose, California

Substance Use Disorder Counselor

CounselorIncludes callFull-Time/Part-Time

Listed compensation

$84k-$97k

Listing transparency3 of 6 stated

Ask the employer about the work setting, weekend coverage and nights and shift pattern.

Employment & setting
Full-Time/Part-Time
Call expectations
Includes call
Weekends
Not specified
Posted 3h ago · Verified live

Job Description

Job Details: Job Location: Aborn Admin - San Jose, CA, Position Type: Full-Time/Part-Time, Education Level: Not Specified, Salary Range: $84094.40 - $97489.60Salary/year, Travel Percentage: Up to 50%, Job Shift: Day, Job Category: Health Care, Overall Summary: The Substance Use Disorder Counselor demonstrates a solid understanding of substance use and abuse treatment and is skilled in applying this knowledge to a diverse population. They are equipped to work with a treatment group exhibiting various addictions and related behaviors. The Substance Use Disorder Counselor will counsel, advocate for, and advise clients within their assigned caseload.

Key characteristics for this role include excellent interpersonal communication skills, empathy, compassion, multitasking abilities, and the capacity to maintain a professional yet supportive relationship with clients. The Substance Use Disorder Counselor is a Qualified Professional as defined by state agencies and service standards, and possess certification in the area of Alcohol and Drug counseling. Additional training, knowledge, experience, and licensure may be required for certain services. Essential Responsibilities: Under the general direction of the SUDMAT Manager to perform a variety of complex, professional, analytical, and confidential services. Duties include: Evaluates behavioral, emotional, cognitive, spiritual, and social needs of clients and family members and consults with treatment team regularly for the development of and progress towards treatment goals in accordance with clinical policy and accreditation guidelines. Facilitates all clinical services for clients including individual and family sessions, therapeutic groups, and referral source/ outpatient provider contact as applicable. Responsible for maintaining clinical record for clients with appropriate documentation of clinical services and client program engagement accordance with program policy. Provides documentation and support for utilization review in a timely way and participates in the process. Participates in aftercare plan development and outcome data process as applicable. Contributes to program specific curriculum development, literature review, and training. Participates in on call rotation as directed by supervisor and in accordance with program policy. Conduct Level of Care Assessments as required. Maintains safe, orderly, and therapeutic physical environment for clients including crisis intervention. Be familiar with community resources. Have and understanding of 12-Step programs and other outside support meetings such as Refuge or SMART. Be familiar or have experience treating dual diagnosis clients. Coordinate counseling efforts with mental health professionals and other health professionals at the center for collaborated care for the client. Secondary Responsibility: Attend workshops, trainings, and meetings as needed, and as requested. Provide presentations and trainings to staff or stakeholders Perform other duties as assigned by supervisor.

Qualifications

Qualifications: Required education, experience, training Bachelors Level with a CADC I/II/III or are working towards a CADC with a minimum of one year of qualifying clinical experience. High School Diploma or equivalent with a CAAC Preferred education, experience, training Master’s Degree from an accredited college with a major in chemical dependency, psychology, social work, counseling with a Master’s level licensure (social work, Professional counseling.) Grant management experience. Bilingual/bi-cultural. Certifications/Licenses Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor (CADC or higher) preferred Critical Success Factors in this role include: knowledge, Skills and Abilities The ability to work and act independently, and to make and carry out decisions with minimal super

  • vision. The ability to communicate effectively, both orally and in writing. Strong interpersonal skills with the ability to lead teams and projects, and work collaboratively. Maintaining confidentiality and HIPAA compliance. Excellent customer service and client services philosophy in all interactions. Successfully manage multiple projects at the same time. Appreciation and respect for working with and serving a diverse population. Proficiency in Microsoft Office and the internet. The ability to investigate and analyze information, draw conclusions and problem solve. The ability to gather data, compiles information, and prepares reports. This position requires the ability to work closely with target populations including, but not limited to HIV+, active substance users, homeless, LGBT community, as well as ability to interface appropriately with law enforcement and other entities. Super
  • vision of personnel, which includes work allocation, training, and problem resolution; evaluates performance and makes recommendations for personnel actions; motivates employees to achieve peak productivity and performance. Participates in development, implementation and maintenance of policies, objectives, short and long-term planning; develops and implements projects and programs to assist in accomplishment of organizational objectives. Valid and current driver’s license, and personal vehicle insurance with your name listed as a driver. Work Conditions: Travel locally to visit other sites, may require a day or overnight trip to attend events; workload may be demanding at times; require professionalism and confidentiality. Physical Demands: This position requires: Sitting, walking, and standing associated with a normal medical, clinical and administrative office environment, with some bending, reaching, stretching, and lifting up to 25 pounds. Manual dexterity for tasks involving standard office equipment and computer keyboard, including repetitive movements, such as typing. Traveling to work sites, including some exposure to outside elements. Exposure to potentially dangerous materials and situations, requiring adherence to extensive safety precautions and possibly the use of protective equipment. Supervises: None

Key Responsibilities

Assess clients’ behavioral, emotional, cognitive, spiritual, and social needs; provide individual, family, and group counseling; and coordinate care with treatment teams and outside providers. Maintain clinical records, support utilization review and aftercare planning, conduct level-of-care assessments, and help maintain a safe therapeutic environment.

Requirements

Requires a bachelor’s degree with CADC I/II/III certification or progress toward CADC certification and at least one year of qualifying clinical experience; alternatively, a high school diploma or equivalent with CAAC is listed. A master’s degree and master’s-level licensure are preferred, along with strong communication, confidentiality, collaboration, and organizational skills, plus a valid driver’s license and personal vehicle insurance.

Qualifications

Education
Professional certificate or licensure
Experience
2+ years of experience

Key Skills

Substance Use Disorder CounselingClinical AssessmentIndividual And Family CounselingGroup FacilitationTreatment PlanningClinical DocumentationDual Diagnosis TreatmentCare CoordinationClient AdvocacyProblem Solving

Addiction Medicine — Counselor Career Context

Of the 50 active Substance Use / Addiction Counselor listings this role was benchmarked against, 46% are remote, 26% have no call, 66% require no weekends.

The cost-of-living index for California is 110.7 (US average = 100; BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)), so the posted ~$91k midpoint carries the purchasing power of roughly $82k in an average-cost state. 63.6% of California clinicians report burnout symptoms in WeekdayDoc's Burnout Index (2026-01 data).

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Salary Distribution34 jobs · 27 employers

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Annual compensation range

Benefits & Perks29 jobs · 27 employers

401k / retirement match
93% this job
CME allowance
38%
Sign-on bonus
14%
Loan repayment
14% this job
PSLF eligible
10%

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Work-life snapshot

3.0/ 10
Listing-based score
  • Includes call

Living in San Jose

Typical 3-bedroom home value
$1,300k
Typical market rent
$3,563/mo
Residents’ average commute
27 min
Metro price indexU.S. average = 100
110.4
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.

BEA 2024 · San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA metro prices. Housing figures are city-level.

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

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About Bay Area Community Health

Hospitals and Health Care
Fremont, California
201-500 employees

Benefits & Perks

Health insurance
Dental and vision
Retirement plan
Paid time off
Professional development