Alcohol and Drug Treatment Specialist I/II/III

Alcohol And Drug Treatment Specialist I/II/III

Employer: Ventura County

Salary: $47,840.00 - $95,253.87 Annually

Location: Various locations throughout Ventura County, CA

Job Type: Full-Time

Job Number: 1473HCA-25AC (EN)

Department: Health Care Agency

Opening Date: October 23, 2025

Closing Date: Continuous

Description

Under supervision (Level I) or general direction (Level II/III), the incumbent performs educational and counseling services for clients with a substance use disorder or problematic substance use and performs other related duties as required. Distinguishing Characteristics:

Positions in the Alcohol and Drug Treatment Specialist series are distinguished by the certification requirements and level (entry, journey, lead). Each level entails increasing responsibility for counseling, educating, and developing treatment plans for individuals and small groups.

Alcohol and Drug Treatment Specialist I is the entry level in which incumbents gain interviewing and instructing skills and demonstrate requisite competencies for advancement to the journey level.

Alcohol and Drug Treatment Specialist II is the journey level in which incumbents provide the full scope of counseling and treatment services.

Alcohol Drug Treatment Specialist III is the lead level and highest in this classification series. Incumbents are expected to be certified counselors who lead and train subordinate staff within their programs.

Approximate salaries:

ADTS I: $23.00 - $32.15 Hourly

ADTS II: $27.62 - $38.68 Hourly

ADTS III: $32.68 - $45.80 Hourly

EDUCATIONAL/BILINGUAL INCENTIVE: Some positions may be eligible for educational incentive. This incentive may be 2.5%, 3.5%, or 5% for incumbents in eligible positions based on completion of an Associate's, Bachelor's, or Master's degree that is not required for the classification. Incumbents may also be eligible for bilingual incentive depending upon operational need and certification of skill.

VETERAN'S POINTS: This is a trainee/entry level classification (Level I), and Veteran's Points may apply to eligible candidates.

AGENCY/DEPARTMENT: Health Care Agency – Behavioral Health Alcohol and Drug Treatment Specialist I/II/III are represented by the Service Employees' International Union (SEIU) and are eligible for overtime compensation. The eligible list established from this recruitment may be used to fill current and future Regular (including Temporary and Fixed-Term), Intermittent, and Extra-Help vacancies within the Health Care Agency. There are currently twelve (12) regular, full-time vacancies.

NOTE: If appointed at the lower level, incumbent may be promoted to the higher level without further exam upon meeting the minimum requirements, demonstrating satisfactory performance, and in accordance with the business needs of the department.

Examples Of Duties

Duties may include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Level I: Conducts intake interviews, assessments, one-on-one interviews, teaches educational classes, performs toxicology testing, distributes harm reduction supplies, makes referrals, and coordinates client care.
• Develops and/or delivers substance use presentations to clients, their families, community groups, and other agencies, as well as participates in community outreach events.
• Provides case management and data/record management.
• Participates in clinical staff meetings and program related trainings.
• Assists with on-call duties or stand-by duties that may include nights and weekends, when assigned to a 24-hours team.
• Travels between various Behavioral Health facilities and community settings to provide services as needed.
• Performs other related duties as required.
• Level II: In addition to the above duties, the ADTS II duties may include:
• Conducts individual, group, and family counseling to clients with a substance use disorder and their families.
• Performs client assessment and discharge processes and prepares and administers individual recovery treatment programs; refers clients to appropriate social services.
• Maintains client records and data management.
• Assists the program manager or clinic administrator with scheduling the work of program staff to deliver specific treatment services such as substance use and mental health to target populations.
• Monitors and evaluates client participation in treatment programs.
• Acts as a liaison to the Courts and other County departments and agencies to coordinate a continuum of services.
• Level III: In addition to the above duties, the ADTS III duties may include:
• Leads and instructs subordinate staff within their programs and/or divisions, resolves operational problems encountered during work, and trains staff on program policies and procedures.
• Assigns and prioritizes tasks for subordinates within the work group, evaluates program content, and gathers and analyzes data to determine the effectiveness of the program.
• Prepares statistical and fiscal reports as required by the program coordinator, division manager, or department administration.

Typical Qualifications

These are entrance requirements to the examination process and assure neither continuance in the process nor placement on an eligible list.

EDUCATION, TRAINING, and EXPERIENCE:

ADTS I: One (1) year of experience in the field of alcohol and other drug abuse treatment or prevention or its equivalent OR 30 semester units of college experience in Alcohol and Drug studies OR a Bachelor's degree in social science, human services, or other closely-related field combined with experience in the area of human services.

ADTS II: Two (2) years of experience related to alcohol and other drug abuse counseling OR one (1) year as an Alcohol and Drug Treatment Specialist I.

ADTS III: Five (5) years of experience related to alcohol and other drug abuse counseling, one (1) year of which must include responsibilities equivalent to those of the Alcohol and Drug Treatment Specialist II classification OR possession of a Bachelor's degree in psychology, social science, human services or a closely related field, plus three (3) years of experience in alcohol and other drug abuse treatment prevention or its equivalent area.

AND Alcohol and Drug Counseling certification from the State of California Department of Health Care Services approved certifying organization.

NECESSARY SPECIAL REQUIREMENT: All levels: Must possess and maintain a California Driver's License.

Level I: Section 11833(b)(1) Health Care Services (HCS) requires incumbents providing counseling services with alcohol and other drug (AOD) must be a registered or certified Substance Use Disorder (SUD) counselor with certifying organization (CO) approved by the Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) and maintain valid certification as a condition of continued employment.

Currently there are three (3) approved certifying agencies: California Association for Alcohol and Drug Educators (CAADE); California Association of DUI Treatment Programs (CADTP); and California Consortium of Addiction Programs and Professionals (CCAPP).

All registered incumbents are required to complete certification as a substance use disorder counselor within five (5) years from the date of initial registration with any DHCS approved certifying organizations and maintain valid certification as a condition of continued employment.

Level II AND III:

Section 11833(b)(1) Health Care Services (HCS) requires incumbents providing counseling services within alcohol and other drug (AOD) must be a certified Substance Use Disorder (SUD) counselor with a certifying organization(CO) approved by Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) and maintain valid certification as a condition of continued employment.

Currently there are three (3) approved certifying agencies: California Association for Alcohol and Drug Educators (CAADE); California Association of DUI Treatment Programs (CADTP); and California Consortium of Addiction Programs and Professionals (CCAPP).

All "licensed professional" incumbents are not required to be certified but must remain "in good standing" with their respective licensing agency as a condition of continued employment.

*Section 13015(a) defines a "licensed professional" as: a physician licensed by the Medical Board of California; a psychologist licensed by the Board of Psychology; a clinical social worker or marriage and family therapist licensed by the California Board of Behavioral Sciences, or an intern registered with the California Board of Psychology or the California Board of Behavioral Sciences.