Fresh Listing

Posted: January 9, 2026 (6 days ago)

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Substance Abuse Counselor

Military Treatment Facilities under DHA

Department of Defense

Fresh

Location

Salary

$57,641 - $91,664

per year

Closes

January 20, 2026

GS-7 Pay Grade

Base salary range: $41,966 - $54,557

Typical requirements: 1 year specialized experience at GS-6. Bachelor's degree with superior academic achievement or 1 year graduate study.

Note: Actual salary includes locality pay (15-40%+ depending on location).

Job Description

Summary

This job involves working as a substance abuse counselor at a naval medical center in San Diego, helping military personnel with addiction issues through assessments, counseling, and documentation.

A good fit would be someone with a background in behavioral health or social sciences who is empathetic, detail-oriented, and ready to obtain certification in drug and alcohol counseling.

It's an entry-to-mid-level role ideal for recent graduates or those with some experience in rehabilitation support.

Key Requirements

  • U.S. Citizenship
  • Drug and Alcohol Counselor Certification (ADC I) or equivalent within 6 months of starting
  • For GS-07: One year specialized experience (e.g., assisting with bio-psychosocial assessments, reviewing technical info, preparing documentation) OR one year graduate education in behavioral/social sciences OR superior academic achievement OR combination of education/experience
  • For GS-09: One year specialized experience (e.g., substance abuse rehabilitation, addressing dependency issues, patient documentation) OR Master's degree or equivalent in relevant field OR combination of education/experience
  • Relevant paid/unpaid experience, including volunteer work
  • Ability to provide transcripts if qualifying based on education

Full Job Description

About the Position: This position is located at Naval Medical Center, Department of Behavioral Health San Diego, California.

- This position requires Drug and Alcohol Counselor Certification (ADC I) or equivalent certification within six (6) months of entry on duty.

Who May Apply: US Citizens In order to qualify, you must meet the education and/or experience requirements described below.

Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religious; spiritual; community; student; social).

You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.

Your resume must clearly describe your relevant experience; if qualifying based on education, your transcripts will be required as part of your application.

Additional information about transcripts is in this document.

Specialized Experience for GS-07: One year of specialized experience which includes: assisting with creating bio-psychosocial assessments; reviewing and summarizing technical information; and preparing written documentation to support findings.

This definition of specialized experience is typical of work performed at the second lower grade/level position in the federal service (GS-05).

OR Education: One full year of graduate level education in a field which demonstrates the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of the position, such as: behavioral or social science; or related disciplines appropriate to the position such as psychology or counseling.

OR Superior Academic Achievement.

In order to be creditable under this provision, Superior Academic Achievement must have been gained in a curriculum that is qualifying for the position to be filled, such as that identified in Education above.

Superior Academic Achievement is based on:(1) Class Standing - Applicants must be in the upper third of the graduating class in the college, university, or major subdivision, such as the College of Liberal Arts or the School of Business Administration, based on completed courses; OR(2) Grade-Point Average (G.P.A.) - Applicants must have a grade-point average of either (a) 3.0 or higher out of a possible 4.0 ("B" or better) as recorded on your official transcript, or as computed based on 4 years of education, or as computed based on courses completed during the final 2 years of the curriculum; or (b) 3.5 or higher out of a possible 4.0 ("B+" or better) based on the average of the required courses completed in the major field or the required courses in the major field completed during the final 2 years of the curriculum.; OR(3) Honor Society Membership - Applicants may be considered eligible based on membership in one of the approved national scholastic honor societies listed by the Association of College Honor Societies (https://www.achsnatl.org/).

OR Combination of Education and Experience: A combination of education and experience may be used to qualify for this position as long as the computed percentage of the requirements is at least 100%.

To compute the percentage of the requirements, divide your total months of experience by 12. Then divide the total number of completed graduate semester hours (or equivalent) by 18.

Add the two percentages.

Specialized Experience for GS-09: One year of specialized experience which includes: experience in substance abuse rehabilitation; assisting with creating bio-psychosocial assessments; addressing patient substance abuse and dependency issues; and maintaining appropriate patient documentation.

This definition of specialized experience is typical of work performed at the second lower grade/level position in the federal service (GS-07).

OR Education: Master's or equivalent graduate degree or 2 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree in a field which demonstrates the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of the position, such as: behavioral or social science; or related disciplines appropriate to the position such as psychology or counseling.

OR Combination of Education and Experience: A combination of education and experience may be used to qualify for this position as long as the computed percentage of the requirements is at least 100%.

To compute the percentage of the requirements, divide your total months of experience by 12.

Then divide the total number of completed graduate semester hours (or equivalent) beyond the first year (total graduate semester hours minus 18) by 18. Add the two percentages.

You will be evaluated on the basis of your level of competency in the following areas: Customer Service Education and Training Information Management Oral Communication Major Duties:

  • Monitor patients' progress and adjusts treatment plans/counseling strategies when indicated.
  • Conduct bio-psychosocial assessment according to a specified guideline through clinical interviews and integration of patient historical data, other treatment team assessments and pertinent data.
  • Participate as a member of the Inter-disciplinary Treatment Team.
  • Attend all required clinical supervision sessions.
  • Maintain accurate patient documentation in compliance with facility accreditation standards.
  • Maintain the skills necessary to provide care appropriate to the age of the patient served within the designated work area.

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Posted on USAJOBS: 1/9/2026 | Added to FreshGovJobs: 1/9/2026

Source: USAJOBS | ID: HSJG-26-12860429-DEU