SUBSTANCE ABUSE COUNSELOR 2
Career Family: SUBSTANCE ABUSE COUNSELOR
New Jersey treats Substance Abuse Counselor 2 as a competitive-class job, so the gate is an examination and the ranked list it produces rather than a direct offer.
This is the senior rung of the Substance Abuse Counselor series, the level you reach after Substance Abuse Counselor 1. Eligibility comes down to 1 year of relevant experience. The FY2026 range lands between $67,312 and $98,503, and state payroll currently lists about 49 people in the title, most of them at Health and Senior Services.
How to get hired
- Watch for an open-competitive announcement for Substance Abuse Counselor 2 on the NJ Civil Service Commission jobs portal. Announcements run for a fixed filing window.
- Apply during that window and sit the examination. Depending on the title, that can be a written test, a rating of your training and experience, or a mix of the two.
- Passing scores go onto a ranked eligible list. Veterans get preference points added on top of their score.
- When an agency has a vacancy it must appoint from the top of that list under the "Rule of Three." Many competitive jobs are first filled provisionally while the list is being built.
Read the official specification at NJ Civil Service Commission.
Pay ladder: Substance Abuse Counselor series
- Substance Abuse Counselor 1 — $56,253 – $81,897
- Substance Abuse Counselor 2 — $67,312 – $98,503 (this title)
Its top salary lands around the 42nd percentile of all NJ civil service titles that publish a range.
Rungs are ordered by FY2026 pay. NJ level numbers are not always sequential, so ordering follows salary rather than the title number.
Who employs this title
State payroll records show 49 people working under this title. The median actual salary is $86,027. The agencies employing the most are:
- Health and Senior Services (34)
- Juvenile Justice Commission (15)
Counts from NJ YourMoney agency payroll. See statewide workforce analytics.
Official job specification
The text below is the official specification published by the New Jersey Civil Service Commission. The plain-language summary and analysis above are derived from it by NJ Civil Service Navigator.
Definition
Under direction of a Supervising Substance Abuse Counselor or other supervisory official in a state department or other agency, acts as a case consultant or supervises work of subordinate counselors and does varied tasks involved in assisting clients to make satisfactory social/emotional adjustments; may act as supervisor in a small clinic; supervises staff and work activities; prepares and signs official performance evaluations for subordinate staff; does other related duties.
Examples of work
Does assigned followup counseling work in furtherance of programs to eliminate drug abuse. Organizes assigned counseling pertaining to drug addiction, and develops appropriate work methods. Makes field visits and interprets policies, procedures, regulations, standards, and objectives of the program designed to control drug or alcohol addiction. Confers with local health, welfare, and other agencies to ensure cooperative work relationships in providing assistance for drug/alcohol addicts. Conducts special surveys, studies, and investigations and prepares reports thereon. Provides assignments to subordinate counselors and supervises their work. Collaborates with courts and with parole/probation officers engaged in supervising drug/alcohol addicts. Interprets New Jersey laws and department regulations/procedures pertaining to drug addicts and drug addiction. In treatment centers, may be required to make safety/fire checks, bed checks of students or patients, sanitation checks, inventory equipment, or perform other duties during emergencies to protect students and patients and to protect state property. Plans, organizes, and assigns work of the organizational unit and evaluates employee performance and conduct, enabling the effective recommendation of the hiring, firing, promoting, and disciplining of subordinates. May maintain an assigned caseload and provide group or individual counseling. May assist in assigning caseloads and ensuring efficient use of available staff. In noneducational accredited facilities, may organize and supervise guidance/educational programs. Plans and conducts formal group discussions on a variety of subjects. Keeps current with literature and trends of thought in the field of counseling with particular emphasis on drug/alcohol addiction. Responsible for training and supervision of subordinate counselors. Prepares correspondence. Prepares case histories and reports. Maintains records and files. Will be required to learn to utilize various types of electronic and/or manual recording and information systems used by the agency, office, or related units.
Experience
Two (2) years of experience in counseling or social work having responsibility for gathering and analyzing social or health information from clients, determination of their needs and planning and carrying out of a treatment plan geared to needs of individual clients, one (1) year of which shall have included experience with persons addicted to drugs or alcohol in a narcotic or alcohol treatment, prevention, and/or rehabilitation program. SPECIAL SKILLS Appointees to the Marie H. Katzenbach School for the Deaf must be able to communicate effectively in the language of the deaf, particularly American Sign Language, sufficiently to perform duties of the position, and must successfully pass a screening process administered by the deaf and hard of hearing committee at the school.
License
Appointees will be required to possess a driver's license valid in New Jersey only if the operation of a vehicle, rather than employee mobility, is necessary to perform essential duties of the position.
Knowledge, skills and abilities
Knowledge of and familiarity with counseling theory, procedures, and techniques. Knowledge of and familiarity with laws of New Jersey relating to substance abuse after a period of training. Knowledge of current facts, theories, hypotheses, programs, and research in the area of narcotic and dangerous drugs. Ability to supervise assigned staff and plan, organize, and implement projects within the unit. Ability to organize and supervise assigned counseling to be done with drug addicts assigned to an aftercare clinic, analyze the social, psychological, economic and other problems which arise therein, and develop appropriate work methods within the framework of established regulations. Ability to collect, compile, and make accurate appraisals of factual and other information. Ability to conduct required field visits, studies, and investigations and prepare detailed case histories, records, and reports. Ability to comprehend, analyze, interpret, and apply basic laws/regulations pertaining to drug/alcohol addiction. Ability to assign and supervise lower grade counselors. Ability to take part in lay and professional meetings/conferences and act as representative of the department. Ability to prepare correspondence. Ability to prepare reports. Ability to maintain histories, records, and files. Ability to utilize various types of electronic and/or manual recording and information systems used by the agency, office, or related units. Ability to read, write, speak, understand, and communicate in English sufficiently to perform duties of this position. American Sign Language or Braille may also be considered as acceptable forms of communication. Persons with mental or physical disabilities are eligible as long as they can perform essential functions of the job with or without reasonable accommodation. If the accommodation cannot be made because it would cause the employer undue hardship, such persons may not be eligible.
Note
The examples of work for this title are for illustrative purposes only. A particular position using this title may not perform all duties listed in this job specification. Conversely, all duties performed on the job may not be listed.
CERTIFICATION
Applicants must posses a certificate as a Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor (CADC), issued by the Board of Marriage and Family Therapy Examiners, New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs, Department of Law and Public Safety. Applicants who posses the credential as a Licensed Clinical Alcohol and Drug Counselor (LCADC) are considered to have met the above certification requirement.