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How to hire an addiction therapist

Addiction therapist hiring summary. Here are some key points about hiring addiction therapists in the United States:

  • In the United States, the median cost per hire an addiction therapist is $1,633.
  • It takes between 36 and 42 days to fill the average role in the US.
  • Human Resources use 15% of their expenses on recruitment on average.
  • On average, it takes around 12 weeks for a new addiction therapist to become settled and show total productivity levels at work.

How to hire an addiction therapist, step by step

To hire an addiction therapist, you should create an ideal candidate profile, determine a budget, and post and promote your job. Here's a step-by-step guide on how to hire a addiction therapist:

Here's a step-by-step addiction therapist hiring guide:

  • Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
  • Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
  • Step 3: Make a budget
  • Step 4: Write an addiction therapist job description
  • Step 5: Post your job
  • Step 6: Interview candidates
  • Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new addiction therapist
  • Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist
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  1. Identify your hiring needs

    Before you start hiring an addiction therapist, identify what type of worker you actually need. Certain positions might call for a full-time employee, while others can be done by a part-time worker or contractor.

    Determine employee vs contractor status
    Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

    Hiring the perfect addiction therapist also involves considering the ideal background you'd like them to have. Depending on what industry or field they have experience in, they'll bring different skills to the job. It's also important to consider what levels of seniority and education the job requires and what kind of salary such a candidate would likely demand.

    This list presents addiction therapist salaries for various positions.

    Type of Addiction TherapistDescriptionHourly rate
    Addiction TherapistSubstance abuse and behavioral disorder counselors advise people who suffer from alcoholism, drug addiction, eating disorders, or other behavioral problems. They provide treatment and support to help the client recover from addiction or modify problem behaviors.$18-34
    Substance Abuse CounselorSubstance abuse counselors act as a support system for people with drug and alcohol problems and other behavioral issues. They help the patients control their behavior until they achieve a full recovery... Show more$12-32
    Substance Abuse TechnicianA substance abuse technician works at facilities that aim to support the treatment of clients suffering from alcoholism, drug addiction, and other interfering behavior. They work alongside counselors and fellow technicians in the joint effort to implement rehabilitation programs and help patients reach their journey to sobriety... Show more$12-23
  2. Create an ideal candidate profile

    Common skills:
    • Patients
    • Social Work
    • Chemical Dependency
    • Continuous Improvement
    • Client Care
    • Crisis Intervention
    • Patient Care
    • Substance Abuse Treatment
    • OASAS
    • Mental Illness
    • Substance USE Disorders
    • Group Therapy Sessions
    • Discharge Planning
    • Family Therapy
    Check all skills
    Responsibilities:
    • Demonstrate working knowledge of community mental health services identify in the Medicaid guidelines and attain contractual outcomes within designate time frames.
    • Conduct psycho-educational support groups on addictive behaviors, patterns and relapse prevention and perform psycho-social assessments on patients.
    • Provide individual and group therapy to chemically dependent and mental health patients in a residential setting.
    • Perform initial evaluations and intakes, make eligibility determinations, conduct rehabilitation planning and problem solving, and counseling.
    • Work closely with a license orthotist/prosthetist to obtain orthotics for children who require them.
  3. Make a budget

    Including a salary range in your addiction therapist job description is one of the best ways to attract top talent. An addiction therapist can vary based on:

    • Location. For example, addiction therapists' average salary in maine is 45% less than in alaska.
    • Seniority. Entry-level addiction therapists 45% less than senior-level addiction therapists.
    • Certifications. An addiction therapist with certifications usually earns a higher salary.
    • Company. Working for an established firm or a new start-up company can make a big difference in an addiction therapist's salary.

    Average addiction therapist salary

    $53,271yearly

    $25.61 hourly rate

    Entry-level addiction therapist salary
    $39,000 yearly salary
    Updated January 20, 2026
  4. Writing an addiction therapist job description

    A job description for an addiction therapist role includes a summary of the job's main responsibilities, required skills, and preferred background experience. Including a salary range can also go a long way in attracting more candidates to apply, and showing the first name of the hiring manager can also make applicants more comfortable. As an example, here's an addiction therapist job description:

    Addiction therapist job description example

    FHCHC is a forward-thinking, dynamic, and exciting community health center that provides care for multiple generations at nearly 80,000 office visits in 17 locations. Overseen by a Board of Directors, the majority of whom are patients themselves, we are proud to offer a wide range of primary and specialty care services, as well as evidence-based patient programs to educate patients in healthy lifestyle choices. As we grow and are able to bring high-quality health care to more areas that need access, we continue to put our patients first in everything we do. The mission of FHCHC is “ To improve the health and social well-being of the communities we serve through equitable, high quality, patient-centered care that is culturally responsive .”

    For nearly 50 years, we have been a health care leader in our community focused on providing excellent, affordable primary care to all patients, regardless of insurance status or ability to pay. Fair Haven is proud to have a diverse and motivated team of professionals who are constantly seeking ways to enhance and improve the health and well-being of all patients. We believe that everyone should have access to high-quality medical and dental care, regardless of ability to pay.

    Job purpose

    Responsible for behavioral health evaluations, diagnosis, treatment planning, individual and group therapy, with primary clinical emphasis on patients with unhealthy substance use, and secondary emphasis on general behavioral health patients. Fair Haven Community Health Care (FHCHC) is a primary care clinic designated as a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC).

    Duties and responsibilities

    The Certified Addiction Counselor – Behavioral Health Clinician will care for patients in an integrated primary health care clinic. Typical tasks include but are not limited to:

    • Evaluate and diagnose mental, emotional, developmental and behavioral difficulties in individuals, couples and families based on clinical standards of practice and formulate treatment plans and treatment plan reviews based on evaluations
    • Provide individual and group psychotherapy, with a primary emphasis on patients with unhealthy substance use; provide clinical and consultative treatment services that are strength based and client centered to individuals, groups, families, and/or couples; respond to mental health crises, assessing need, formulating disposition, and implementing appropriate care; and provide mental health crisis triage assessments as needed for patients on the primary medical services
    • Participate in a team of physicians, advanced-practice providers, nurses, care coordinators and medical assistants focused on integrated addiction treatment. This position will be responsible for brief psychotherapy, consultation and crisis management oriented services
    • Coordinate with the general body of FHCHC clinical providers (medical, behavioral health and dental), social service providers, and care coordinators in assisting with and following up on client referrals and with patient care
    • Complete all required documentation for intakes, progress notes, treatment plans and reviews, authorizations, billing, and licensure accurately and within a timely manner
    • Participate in professional activities such as: continuing education activities, clinical conferences, meeting with representatives of community groups

    Qualifications

    • Licensed Alcohol and Drug Counselor (LADC), LCSW or psychologist, licensed in the State of Connecticut required. Unlicensed psychologists are clinical social workers of any type, including LMSW will not be considered. Clinicians with the credentials LMFT, LPC will not be considered.
    • 3-5 years related experience is required.
    • Oral and written fluency in both English & Spanish is required.
    • The ideal candidate will have the following: The ability to work well in a team and regularly communicate with other behavioral health and primary care clinicians about shared patients; the ability to use computer and telephone; experience using an electronic health record management program and a strong knowledge base of medical terminology and procedures to work in an integrated medical clinic. Experience with running psychotherapy groups and substance abuse recovery and previous experience in health care setting, ideally in an outpatient setting, is highly desirable

    Direction of Others

    none

    OSHA Status

    Category III—Low Risk Position

    Generally works in an office environment with no exposure to bloodborne pathogens

    Physical requirements:

    Physical Demands: Requires walking, bending, sitting, standing, writing, reading, telephone use, data input into computer, pulling medical records,

    Mental Demands: Ability to cope with continual changing priorities under potentially stressful conditions

    Manual Dexterity Required: Ability to use a keyboard, telephone.

    American with Disabilities Requirements:

    External and internal applicants, as well as position incumbents who become disabled, must be able to perform the essential job specific functions (listed within each job specific responsibility) either unaided or with the assistance of a reasonable accommodation to be determined by the organization on a case by case basis.

    Fair Haven Community Health Care is an Equal Opportunity Employer. FHCHC does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, non-disqualifying physical or mental disability, national origin, veteran status or any other basis covered by appropriate law. All employment is decided on the basis of qualifications, merit, and business need.

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  5. Post your job

    There are various strategies that you can use to find the right addiction therapist for your business:

    • Consider promoting from within or recruiting from your existing workforce.
    • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
    • Attend job fairs at local colleges to find candidates who meet your education requirements.
    • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to reach potential job candidates.
    Post your job online:
    • Post your addiction therapist job on Zippia to find and recruit addiction therapist candidates who meet your exact specifications.
    • Use field-specific websites.
    • Post a job on free websites.
  6. Interview candidates

    To successfully recruit addiction therapists, your first interview needs to engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. You can go into more detail about the company, the role, and the responsibilities during follow-up interviews.

    It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents. You can move on to the technical interview if a candidate is good enough for the next step.

    The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

  7. Send a job offer and onboard your new addiction therapist

    Once you've found the addiction therapist candidate you'd like to hire, it's time to write an offer letter. This should include an explicit job offer that includes the salary and the details of any other perks. Qualified candidates might be looking at multiple positions, so your offer must be competitive if you like the candidate. Also, be prepared for a negotiation stage, as candidates may way want to tweak the details of your initial offer. Once you've settled on these details, you can draft a contract to formalize your agreement.

    It's equally important to follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

    To prepare for the new employee's start date, you can create an onboarding schedule and complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9 forms, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Human Resources should also ensure that a new employee file is created.

  8. Go through the hiring process checklist

    • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
    • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
    • Define job responsibilities and requirements
    • Establish budget and timeline
    • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
    • Write job description
    • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
    • Promote the job internally
    • Process applications through applicant tracking system
    • Review resumes and cover letters
    • Shortlist candidates for screening
    • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
    • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
    • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
    • Conduct background checks on top candidates
    • Check references of top candidates
    • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
    • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
    • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
    • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
    • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
    • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)
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How much does it cost to hire an addiction therapist?

There are different types of costs for hiring addiction therapists. One-time cost per hire for the recruitment process. Ongoing costs include employee salary, training, onboarding, benefits, insurance, and equipment. It is essential to consider all of these costs when evaluating hiring a new addiction therapist employee.

You can expect to pay around $53,271 per year for an addiction therapist, as this is the median yearly salary nationally. This can vary depending on what state or city you're hiring in. If you're hiring for contract work or on a per-project basis, hourly rates for addiction therapists in the US typically range between $18 and $34 an hour.

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