Alcohol and Drug Counselor

The Job

Be an agent of change and make a difference in delivering health and wellness to millions of residents.

Join a team that is passionate about the services they provide and is committed to making a difference throughout San Bernardino County.

The San Bernardino County Department of Behavioral Health invites qualified professionals to apply for the position of Alcohol and Drug Counselor. Alcohol and Drug Counselor provide screening, counseling, referrals, and outreach services to individuals experiencing substance use disorders. Duties include short-term crisis intervention; planning and implementing supportive and educational counseling; assisting adolescents, adults, and families in recognizing and addressing social and cultural patterns, family problems, and personal dysfunctional behaviors that contribute to alcoholism and drug abuse; making presentations to schools and community groups; and monitoring compliance with grants and contracts.

For additional details, please refer to the Alcohol and Drug Counselor job description.

The Department of Behavioral Health (DBH) is responsible for providing mental health and substance use disorder services to county residents who are experiencing major mental illness or substance abuse related issues. DBH provides mental health and substance use disorder prevention and treatment services to all age groups, with a primary emphasis on treating children/youth who may be seriously emotionally disturbed, adults who are experiencing a serious and persistent mental illness, and individuals who are experiencing substance use disorders. DBH also provides an array of outreach/engagement, prevention, and early intervention services. DBH's core values are service, integrity, accountability, and trust. DBH is a unique County Department comprised of eight (8) direct service areas: Community Outpatient and Transitional Age Youth Services; Youth Collaborative and Justice Involved Services; Substance Use Disorder and Recovery Services; 24 Hour and Specialty Services; Adult Justice Involved and Diversion Services; Medical Services; Community Engagement and Equity Services; Office of Patients' Rights and five (5) indirect service areas: Administrative and Fiscal Services; Public Relations and Outreach Services; Program Support Services; Disaster and Safety Unit; and the Office of Compliance. The Department currently has a workforce in excess of 1500 positions and an approximate $800 million-dollar annual budget.

Excellent benefits!

To review job-specific benefits, please refer to the Summary of Benefits and the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU)

Conditions of employment

Pre-Employment Process: Prior to appointment, applicants must pass a background investigation, which includes fingerprinting and medical exam, which may include drug and/or TB testing. Applicants must be a U.S. Citizen or a permanent U.S. resident.

Travel: Travel throughout the County is required. Employees will be required to make provision for transportation and maintain a valid California driver license and proof of automobile liability insurance for the individual providing the transportation.

Hours: Some evening and weekend work may be required.

RBEST/TEST Positions: Positions within the Recovery Based Engagement Teams (RBEST) and Triage Engagement and Support Teams (TEST) are field based and require working outside of the office frequently. TEST teams work within law enforcement departments, Probation office sites and ER hospital sites. Indicate your availability for these positions on the supplemental questionnaire.

Sponsorship: Please note that San Bernardino County is not able to consider candidates who will require visa sponsorship at the time of application or in the future.

Minimum Requirements

Certification: Certification as an Alcohol or Other Drug (AOD) counselor by a National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA) accredited organization. --AND-- Experience: One (1) year of full time equivalent experience in a Substance Use Disorder Treatment Program performing counseling, crisis intervention, and community resource referrals.

Desired Qualifications

Bilingual Positions: Applicants fluent in American Sign Language, Arabic, Korean, Mandarin, Spanish, Tagalog, and/or Vietnamese are strongly encouraged to apply. Additional compensation is associated with positions requiring the use of bilingual skills. Applicants must pass written and oral language competency tests in order to be considered for bilingual vacancies. The ideal candidate will be a certified AOD counselor and have exceptional communication skills with the ability to clearly convey information and ideas both orally and in writing, a customer service background, and presentation skills. For positions assigned to treatment programs working with the adult forensic population, it is highly desirable for candidates to have experience in behavioral health programs with individuals who have co-occurring disorders.

Selection Process

Application Procedure: There will be a competitive evaluation of qualifications based on the information provided in the Application and the Supplemental Questionnaire. You are encouraged to include detailed descriptions of your qualifying experience, as only the most highly qualified applicants will be referred to the Department. Please ensure all relevant experience is indicated in the Application and responses to the Supplemental Questionnaire, as resumes and other attachments will not be reviewed for the competitive evaluation. Completing your application with statements such as "see/refer to resume" or "see attached" rather than completing your work history may affect your eligibility or competitive evaluation score. Be sure to clearly describe your experience in meeting the minimum requirements.

Technical Assistance: If you require technical assistance, follow this link to review the Government Jobs online application guide or contact their Toll-Free Applicant Support line at View phone number on click.appcast.io. Please note that Human Resources is not responsible for any issues or delays caused by your internet connection, computer, or browser when submitting an application.

Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) / Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA): San Bernardino County is an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) and Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliant employer, dedicated to ensuring equal employment opportunities for all employees and applicants.

ADA Accommodation: If you have a disability and need accommodations during the testing process, please submit the Special Testing Accommodations Request Form within one week of the recruitment filing deadline.

Veterans' Preference: Eligible veterans and their spouses or widows/widowers who are not current County employees may receive additional Veterans' Preference points. For details and instructions on how to request these points, please refer to the Veterans' Preference Policy. For more important details, review the Applicant Information and County Employment Process.