Substance Abuse Counselor

Location: New York

Are you a counselor who believes recovery begins with meeting people where they are?

Neighborhood Coalition for Shelter (NCS) is seeking a compassionate and skilled Substance Use Counselor to join our Chance for Change (CFC) program, an OASAS-licensed outpatient clinic serving adults experiencing substance use challenges, mental health concerns, and homelessness.

The program provides a welcoming, recovery-oriented environment where members access integrated treatment, build community, and work toward stability and wellness. Counselors play a key role in supporting members through individual counseling, group therapy, and community-based services within a harm-reduction and trauma-informed framework.

The program’s comfortable clubhouse-style environment provides members with a safe and supportive space to engage in treatment, build relationships, and strengthen their recovery.

Why Join Chance for Change?

Join a collaborative team committed to helping individuals rebuild stability, strengthen recovery, and reconnect with community.

Clinical Supervision Toward Licensure Our Senior Director is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) who can provide clinical supervision hours for LMSWs pursuing LCSW licensure. CASAC-T counselors may also receive supervised hours toward CASAC credentialing.

Mission-Driven Work with Real Community Impact Chance for Change serves individuals facing complex challenges including substance use disorders, mental health conditions, homelessness, and chronic health concerns. Our team is committed to providing respectful, person-centered care that promotes dignity, recovery, and long-term stability.

A Collaborative 'Clubhouse' Treatment Environment Unlike traditional clinical settings, our program operates within a welcoming clubhouse model, where staff and members build a supportive community through therapeutic groups, meals, celebrations, and daily activities that strengthen recovery and connection.

Position Summary:

The Substance Use Counselor provides integrated dual-diagnosis treatment for members participating in the Chance for Change program. The counselor works collaboratively with program staff to address both substance use and mental health needs while supporting members in achieving greater stability, wellness, and recovery.

Services are delivered both on-site and in community settings, as appropriate, and include individual counseling, group facilitation, case management, and coordination with community resources.

About Us:

NCS helps New Yorkers who have a history of homelessness, often compounded by mental illness or substance use, to achieve their highest level of independence.

We were established in 1982 by faith and community leaders on Manhattan’s Upper East Side who believed that homelessness is the responsibility of the entire community. More than 40 years later, we are still guided by the principle that neighbors should help neighbors.

Today, NCS offers an array of housing and supportive services, including counseling, substance use treatment, vocational and educational programs, and employment support, and we are poised for continued growth.

NCS provides New Yorkers who are homeless or at risk of homelessness with a home, a community, and access to the services that they need to thrive. To learn more about our work, please visit Neighborhood Coalition for Shelter (ncsinc.org).

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

Collaborate with the Program Director to maintain a safe, welcoming, and supportive environment for all program members.

Provide integrated treatment for members with co-occurring substance use and mental health disorders.

Conduct person-centered intake assessments and develop individualized recovery care plans.

Provide individual, group, and family counseling as appropriate.

Deliver services off-site in the community, including SBIRT screenings, referrals for Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT), housing, and behavioral health services.

Offer case management services with a holistic, trauma-informed, and harm reduction-focused approach.

Facilitate therapeutic and recreational groups that support emotional regulation, recovery, and social connection.

Participate…