How to hire a drug and alcohol treatment specialist

How to hire a drug and alcohol treatment specialist, step by step

Here's a step-by-step drug and alcohol treatment specialist hiring guide:

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

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you post your drug and alcohol treatment specialist job, you should take the time to determine what type of worker your business needs. While certain jobs definitely require a full-time employee, it's sometimes better to find a drug and alcohol treatment specialist for hire on a part-time basis or as a contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   You should also consider the ideal background you'd like them a drug and alcohol treatment specialist to have before you start to hire. For example, what industry or field would you like them to have experience in, what level of seniority or education does the job require, and how much it'll cost to hire a drug and alcohol treatment specialist that fits the bill.

   This list shows salaries for various types of drug and alcohol treatment specialists.

   Type of Drug And Alcohol Treatment Specialist	Description	Hourly rate
   Drug And Alcohol Treatment Specialist	Substance 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.	$12-18
   Addictions Counselor	An Addictions Counselor helps patients overcome personal addiction problems, such as dependence on drugs, alcohol, and other substances. They evaluate the condition of their client through examining, asking questions, and recommending the proper treatment options.	$15-32
   Family Counselor	A Family Counselor treats married couples or family members in order to help them overcome mental or emotional problems. They provide effective treatment measures to help the family members resolve their issues.	$12-29

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Mental Health
   • Crisis Intervention
   • Group Therapy Sessions
   • Substance Abuse Issues
   • Motivational
   • Community Programs
   • Alcohol
   • Drug
   • Individual Therapy
   • Community Resources
   • Family Therapy
   • Alcohol Assessments
   • Individual Sessions
   • Discharge Planning

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Provide individualize intervention for problematic behaviors using TCI techniques such as de-escalation, to prevent and/or manage crisis.
   • Conduct substance abuse assessments and submit treatment recommendations for DUI and felony offenders.
   • Facilitate positive consumer and personal relationships base on positive consumer and personal relationships base on courtesy, compassion, and respect.
   • Provide individualize intervention for problematic behaviors using TCI techniques such as de-escalation, to prevent and/or manage crisis.

   More drug and alcohol treatment specialist duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your drug and alcohol treatment specialist job description is a great way to entice the best and brightest candidates. A drug and alcohol treatment specialist salary can vary based on several factors:

   • Location. For example, drug and alcohol treatment specialists' average salary in georgia is 35% less than in hawaii.
   • Seniority. Entry-level drug and alcohol treatment specialists earn 33% less than senior-level drug and alcohol treatment specialists.
   • Certifications. A drug and alcohol treatment specialist with a few certifications under their belt will likely demand a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for a prestigious company or an exciting start-up can make a huge difference in a drug and alcohol treatment specialist's salary.

   Average drug and alcohol treatment specialist salary

   $15.51hourly

   $32,253 yearly

   ---

   Entry-level drug and alcohol treatment specialist salary

   $26,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 17, 2025

   Average drug and alcohol treatment specialist salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$36,079	$17
   2	New York	$34,634	$17
   3	Pennsylvania	$32,362	$16
   4	Oregon	$27,866	$13

   Average drug and alcohol treatment specialist salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Commonwealth Of Pennsylvania	$41,724	$20.06
   2	United States Courts	$38,715	$18.61	4
   3	County Of Ventura	$37,619	$18.09	6
   4	Horizon House	$33,683	$16.19	2
   5	Ventura County Community Foundation	$31,979	$15.37
   6	Nyc Parks	$31,436	$15.11
   7	Pennsylvania State Treasurer	$30,995	$14.90	18
   8	UPMC	$28,487	$13.70	58

4. Writing a drug and alcohol treatment specialist job description

   A good drug and alcohol treatment specialist job description should include a few things:

   • Summary of the role
   • List of responsibilities
   • Required skills and experience

   Including a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager is also appreciated by candidates. Here's an example of a drug and alcohol treatment specialist job description:

   Drug and alcohol treatment specialist job description example

   Housing Smart is a collaboration between Resources for Human Development (RHD), Temple University Hospital, Keystone First, and the Health Partners Insurance Plan. It aims to improve the health of people experiencing homelessness by providing them with housing and support services. To qualify, participants must be frequent utilizers of the emergency rooms; have a chronic health condition, a serious mental illness(es) and/or substance use disorder(s); and be experiencing homelessness.
   
   The Peer Specialist performs a wide range of tasks to assist Persons In Recover (PIRs) in regaining control over their own recovery process. This includes but is not limited to the development of natural supports; development of social interactions in the community; and management of symptoms that challenge wellness in an individual. Peer Specialist will serve as a role model, mentor, advocate, and motivator to recovering individuals to help prevent relapse and promote long-term recovery.
   Responsibilities/Duties
   
   Demonstrate an ability to share personal recovery experiences and develop appropriate and authentic peer-to-peer relationships. This role must understand, and respect everyone's unique path to recovery
   
   Delivers peer support services: such as education, advocacy, and to foster engagement in treatment process
   
   Provide recovery support education for persons enrolled, staff, and family members. This may include but is not limited to: Wellness Recovery Action Plans (WRAP) for enrollees, Self-help/mutual peer support groups, training and orientation of new enrollees, and training and orientation for staff and Team members.
   
   Supporting person centered interventions as identified in service plans for everyone served
   
   Maintain one's own physical, mental, and emotional well-being so that the CPS can function appropriately in the job and can model healthy functioning to those we serve.
   
   Complete required documentation of services in a timely manner according to agency policy.
   
   Required Experience
   
   At least 2 years working with others in Mental Health RecoveryRequired Education
   
   HS Diploma/GED Required Qualifications
   
   Must self-identify as an individual with a serious mental illness who is currently or formerly a recipient of mental health services and/or substance abuse recovery services.
   
   Experience or training related to Drug & Alcohol
   
   Program Summary
   
   The RHD Housing Smart program provides outreach to homeless individuals in the community and provides coordination around housing, medical, psychiatric, and substance abuse services.
   
   RHD employees and programs in the City of Philadelphia are required to follow the COVID vaccine mandate. The City of Philadelphia has issued an Emergency Regulation Governing the Control and Prevention of COVID-19 Mandating Vaccines for Healthcare Workers and In Higher Education, Healthcare, and Related Settings ("Vaccine Mandate Regulation"), which mandates vaccine for healthcare workers and in higher education, healthcare, and related settings. This mandate became Effective on August 16, 2021 and requires Healthcare Workers and certain workers at Healthcare Institutions to be fully vaccinated by October 15, 2021. Fully vaccinated means it has been two weeks since the final dose of vaccine. The regulation does allow individuals to apply to RHD for an exemption based on a sincerely held religious belief that would prohibit vaccination for COVID-19 or because of medical conditions that preclude administration of one of the available vaccines

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find the right drug and alcohol treatment specialist for your business, consider trying out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important sources of talent for any company is its existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and current employees and ask if they know or have worked with drug and alcohol treatment specialists they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit drug and alcohol treatment specialists who meet your education requirements.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter now have more than 3.5 billion users, and you can use social media to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your drug and alcohol treatment specialist job on Zippia to find and recruit drug and alcohol treatment specialist candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Recruiting drug and alcohol treatment specialists requires you to bring your A-game to the interview process. The first interview should introduce the company and the role to the candidate as much as they present their background experience and reasons for applying for the job. During later interviews, you can go into more detail about the technical details of the job and ask behavioral questions to gauge how they'd fit into your current company culture.

   Remember to include a few questions that allow candidates to expand on their strengths in their own words. Asking about their unique skills might reveal things you'd miss otherwise. At this point, good candidates can move on to the technical interview.

   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 drug and alcohol treatment specialist

   Once you've decided on a perfect drug and alcohol treatment specialist candidate, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, it should include benefits and perks available to the employee. Qualified candidates may be considered for other positions, so make sure your offer is competitive. Candidates may wish to negotiate. Once you've settled on the details, formalize your agreement with a contract.

   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 drug and alcohol treatment specialist first day, you should share an onboarding schedule with them that covers their first period on the job. You should also quickly complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Finally, Human Resources must ensure a new employee file is created for internal record keeping.

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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