Chemical Dependency Counselor 2, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience

Chemical Dependency Counselor 2, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience


Posting Start Date: 6/1/26


Work Arrangement: Onsite


Current UC employees must apply internally via SuccessFactors

Next Lives at the University of Cincinnati

Founded in 1819, the University of Cincinnati ranks among the nation's best urban public research universities. Home to more than 53,600 students, 12,000 faculty and staff, and over 360,000 living alumni, UC, a Carnegie 1 institution, combines research prowess with a physical setting The New York Times has called "the most ambitious campus design program in the country." UC's momentum has never been stronger as the anchor of the Cincinnati Innovation District, the oldest cooperative education (co-op) program in the country with students earning $94 million annually through paid experiences, an academic health system, and as a member of the Big 12 Conference. The university contributes $10.6 billion in economic impact to the city and $22.7 billion to the state of Ohio. At UC, next is all of us. Learn more at uc.edu.


UC is a mission-driven organization where we are committed to student success and positively transforming the community through scholarship and service. We thrive on innovation, making an impact, and fostering an environment where staff and faculty are key contributors to UC's success.


Job Overview

As one of the oldest medical schools in the country, the UC College of Medicine has a reputation for training best-in-class health care professionals and developing cutting-edge procedures and research that improves the health and clinical care of patients.

The College of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience is looking for a Chemical Dependency Counselor II to work in the Addiction Sciences Division. This position will support the University's mission and commitment to excellence in our students, faculty, staff and all our activities. Classification and salary will be commensurate with experience.

The Addiction Sciences Division, within the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience, represents a collaborative effort among the University of Cincinnati, UC Health, and the Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Cincinnati. Our mission is to discover and refine medical and scientific knowledge and translate it via education, training, and dissemination into high quality, evidence-based treatments for peoples suffering from addiction-related conditions. Addiction Science Division research is supported by the National Institute on Drug Abuse and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, with some clinical trial support from the pharmaceutical industry.


The Chemical Dependency Counselor II will provide outpatient substance use and mental health services. The Addiction Sciences Chemical Dependency Counselor will primarily provide assessments, diagnosis, treatment planning, individual and group therapies while meeting all standards of practice as required. This position will also provide case management services as needed.

Essential Functions

• Provide psychosocial assessments of patients and families to identify emotional, social, and environmental strengths and problems related to their diagnosis, illness, treatment, and/or life situation.
• Provide education to patients and families around issues related to adaptation to the patient's illness and/or life situation; may utilize crisis intervention, brief and long-term individual, group, and family therapies.
• Provide therapy through face-to-face sessions.
• Collaborate with counselors, psychologists, psychiatrists, therapists, social workers and other appropriate treatment team members in diagnostic formulation, treatment direction, and recommendations.
• Maintain knowledge of external resources for patient needs to foster recovery.
• Liaison with community agencies; participate in area activities related to substance use disorders.
• Ensure that patient care documentation is timely, legible, and efficient. Documentation should be concise, pertinent, and meet the profession and department's documentation standards. Oral reporting should be clear, concise, relevant, and timely.
• Perform all required data collection for the department accurately and within expected time frame.
• Participate in departmental meetings, quality improvement efforts, and make sure peer review standards are met. Maintain current licensure, participate in clinical supervision and continuing education, and meet competency skills for evaluations in area of practice.
• Maintain knowledge of and compliance with HIPAA policies, CFR-42 Part 2 confidentiality policies, documentation guidelines, and other related regulatory requirements, in accordance with all Federal, State, Local laws, and UC Policies and Procedures.
• Keep current with health care developments in professional field, and seek to increase further enhancement of job-related knowledge, both internally and externally.
• Provide education on substance-related topics to other health care professionals.
• Serve as a peer-mentor within the department, supporting management and in various responsibilities as appropriate including the development of less experienced team members.
• Contribute to the development of new processes, procedures, tools, and training to enhance clinical activities, compliance and efficiency.
• May serve as a resource person or act as a consultant within area of clinical expertise.
• May provide direct and/or indirect supervision to exempt and non-exempt staff (i.e., hiring/firing, performance evaluations, disciplinary action, approve time off, etc.).
  Perform related duties based on departmental need. This job description can be changed at any time.

Required Education

Associate's Degree in Behavioral Health, Nursing, Social Work, Addictions, or related field.

Required Trainings/Certifications

Any of the following: LCDC-II, LCDC-III, LICDC, LICDC-CS or equivalent.

Required Experience

One (1) year of work experience relating to behavioral health, social work, addictions, or related field

Additional Qualifications Considered

• Strong background in treating individuals with substance use disorders in group and individual settings
• Experience working with clients on Medication Assisted Treatment such as Buprenorphine, Methadone, and Naltrexone
• Knowledge of various forms of community-based support

Physical Requirements/Work Environment

• Hearing, listening - Continuously
• Talking - Continuously
• Sitting - Often
• Repetitive hand motion (such as typing) - Often
• Standing - Often
• Walking - Often
• Bending - Seldom
• Climbing stairs/ladders - Seldom
• Kneeling, squatting - Seldom
• Pulling, pushing - Seldom
• Reaching overhead - Seldom
• Stooping - Seldom
• Lifting - up to 20 pounds - Seldom
• Lifting - up to 50 pounds - Seldom
• Lifting - over 50 pounds - Seldom

Compensation and Benefits

UC offers an exceptional benefits package designed to support your well-being, financial security, and work-life balance. (UC Benefits) Eligibility may vary by position and FTE status. Highlights include:

Salary/Hourly Pay Rate Information:


Comprehensive Tuition Remission

UC provides tuition remission for you and your eligible dependents, covering tuition costs for nearly all undergraduate and graduate programs offered by the university.

Robust Retirement Plans

As a UC employee, you won't contribute to Social Security (except Medicare). Instead, you'll choose between state pension plans (OPERS, STRS) or an Alternative Retirement Plan (ARP), with UC contributing 14-18% of your salary based on position.

Real Work-Life Balance

UC prioritizes work-life balance with a generous time-off policy, including:

Vacation and sick time

11 paid holidays and additional end-of-year paid time off (Winter Season Days)

6 weeks of paid parental leave for new parents

Additional Benefits Include:

• Competitive salary based on experience
• Comprehensive health coverage (medical, dental, vision, prescription)
• Flexible spending accounts & wellness programs
• Professional development & mentorship opportunities

To learn more about why UC is a great place to work, please visit our Careers Page.

UC is an E-Verify employer. If hired into this position, you will be required to provide satisfactory proof of employment eligibility by providing acceptable, original forms of identification for employment verification via the Federal I-9 employment verification process. Click here for a list of acceptable documents.


Important : To apply you must create a profile and submit a complete job application through the UC applicant portal. We are unable to consider "easy apply" applications submitted via other websites. For questions about the UC recruiting process or to request accommodations with the application, please contact UC HR at View email address on click.appcast.io.

Equal Opportunity Employer. Building a workplace where all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment, including Individuals with Disabilities and Protected Veterans.

REQ: 101517