Alcohol and Drug Service Specialist

Salary : $77,509.12 - $92,930.24 Annually
Location : County of Santa Barbara - All locations, CA
Job Type: Full-time
Job Number: 26-0458-02
Department: Behavioral Wellness and County Health Departments
Opening Date: 11/09/2026
Closing Date: 11/30/2026 4:59 PM Pacific

Description

Alcohol & Drug Service Specialist

Job posting# 26-0458-02 (O)

SALARY

$37.26 - $44.68 Hourly

$77,509.12 - $92,930.24 Annually

Bilingual Allowance, when applicable
Are you committed to supporting individuals on their path to recovery and wellness? County of Santa Barbara is seeking skilled and compassionate Alcohol and Drug Counselors to join our team as an Alcohol and Drug Service Specialist.
We are accepting applications to fillone (1) Full-Time Alcohol and Drug Service Specialist for Behavioral Wellness. Behavioral Wellness has facilities in Santa Barbara, Lompoc, and Santa Maria, and applicants must be willing to travel to and work at all three facilities. To be considered, all applicants must check "All Locations" on the application agency wide question and supplemental questionnaire.
NOTE: We are also accepting applications to establish one employment list that will be used to fill current and future Full-Time, Part-Time, Extra Help and 1414* vacancies in multiple locations including Santa Barbara, Santa Maria, and LompocPlease select ALL departments and locations you would like to be considered for initial employment.
Visa Sponsorship: Please note this position is not eligible for visa sponsorship. Applicants must be authorized to work for ANY employer in the United States without the need for visa sponsorship by the start date of employment.
BENEFITS: The County of Santa Barbara offers generous benefits. Click on the Benefits Tab above or CLICK HERE to view more information.
In addition, applicants from other public sector employers may qualify for:

• Retirement reciprocity
• Time and service credit towards for an advanced vacation accrual rate

The County may provide reimbursement for reasonable relocation expenses, and, at the discretion of the CEO, can provide flexible relocation assistance, housing and student loan offsets, cash incentives, and/or vacation and sick leave pre-accruals in the interest of attracting the best talent to the organization.
NOTE: May be eligible for Public Service Student Loan Forgiveness Program, Perkins Loan Cancellation and/or National Health Service Corps Loan Repayment Program under the National Health Service Corps (NHSC).
THE POSITION: Under general direction, the Alcohol and Drug Services Specialist (ADSS)will work within a multidisciplinary team setting, providing Substance Use Disorder (SUD) treatment services to adults. The candidate conducts screenings, addiction assessments, and treatment referrals to people with alcohol and other drug-related problems and/or co-occurring mental health conditions; attend regular meetings and complete timely documentation of services provided in Electronic Health Record (EHR); and performs other duties as required.
THE DEPARTMENTS:

Behavioral Wellness (www.santabarbaracounty.gov/BWELL):

Alcohol and Drug Program: Behavioral Wellness is hiring for an Alcohol and Drug Services Specialist to provide services treatment services for the CalAIM Justice-Involved Re-Entry Initiative, including Behavioral Health Linkage services for incarcerated individuals and care coordination services for justice-involved individuals post-release. The ADSS works with an interdisciplinary team to serve justice-involved adults, conducting screenings, assessments and care coordination services for individuals requesting behavioral health services following release from incarceration. Work is provided in the office as well as in the community and in jail settings. The Behavioral Health Linkages (BHL) program is a collaborative, recovery-oriented approach involving clients, treatment team members, Jail Care Managers, and when appropriate, the jail healthcare provider, CDCR, and community-based organizations. BHL services are closely coordinated with specialty mental health programs and Drug Medi-Cal treatment programs to ensure coordinated treatment plans addressing individual needs.
County Health (www.santabarbaracounty.gov/CHD):

Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT) Program: The Alcohol and Drug Services Specialist role is embedded within the primary care clinic and will support the MAT program. This role focuses on assisting patients in recovery by regularly communicating with them, ensuring they attend appointments, connecting them to community recovery services, and providing ongoing support throughout the recovery process. The specialist will work closely with addiction medicine physicians, Registered Nurses, Medical Assistants, and administrative staff to coordinate care and support patients' recovery goals. The patient population includes historically underserved communities, including Mixteco-speaking, Spanish-speaking, agricultural/field worker populations, people experiencing homelessness, and justice-involved individuals. Bilingual skills in English/Spanish or English/Mixteco are highly preferred but not required. A strong background in substance use treatment is also preferred.
The IDEAL CANDIDATE will possess:

• Experience with co-occurring substance use disorder and mental health conditions;
• Experience in an integrated healthcare setting;
• Passion for serving uninsured, under-insured, justice-involved, and low-income populations;
• Have familiarity with providing AOD related screenings, assessments, and interventions.
• Have experience with case management provisions, including placement and referral services, evaluation for support services, plan development, and coordination of interagency services, including collaboration with clinical staff.
• Work well as part of a multi-disciplinary team.
• Be flexible and have good time management.
• Have excellent conflict resolution skills.
• Have experience facilitating treatment services including individual sessions, group sessions, discharge planning and recovery services
• Understanding of Recovery Models in mental health and substance use disorder treatment;
• Training and experience in empirically supported treatments applicable to various patients and conditions in medical settings, including medications for addiction treatment (MAT);
• Experience in structured quality improvement methods;
• Experience with Electronic Health Records;
• The ability to provide services in Spanish and/or a Mixtec dialect (desired but not required).

DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTICS: Alcohol and Drug Service Specialist is a journey-level professional classification. Selectees may be assigned to either program administration/prevention or treatment services assignments and may transfer between assignments. However, selectees for and transferees to treatment services positions are required to register for an approved Alcohol and Drug Counselor certification (pursuant to the California Department of Alcohol and Drug Programs' Counselor Certification standards) upon assignment and to obtain certification within five years of appointment.
Incumbents in this class work within a system of interdisciplinary departmental teams and/or contract service agencies providing assessment, prevention, intervention, treatment, and related ancillary support services via an integrated service delivery system to people with alcohol and other drug-related problems, mental illness, and/or co-occurring conditions.
Examples of Duties
Program Administration/Prevention Services:

• Develops, reviews, evaluates, and distributes educational materials to be used to increase individual, family, and community participation in local substance use programs and trainings; collects and evaluates data; organizes public awareness and involvement activities; and facilitates public meetings and conferences related to community alcohol and drug abuse.
• Conducts training and provides technical assistance to non-profits and public agencies regarding current practice in alcohol and other drug abuse prevention and treatment, including community mobilization, use of individual screening and assessment tools, issue advocacy, and treatment engagement and retention strategies.
• Carries out community planning processes including data collection and analysis, determination of capacity, preparation of issue plans, implementation of research-based strategies, and evaluation of outcomes.
• Monitors contract service providers to ensure compliance with federal, state, and County regulations and guidelines; evaluates appropriateness and quality of prevention and treatment services provided by comparing performance to contractor guidelines; provides information and assistance to service providers and others about contract requirements; keeps records and prepares reports evaluating contract compliance and program effectiveness.
• Assists in the development of internal/external grant proposals under the direction of the Behavioral Wellness Service Coordinator or Behavioral Wellness Program Manager; assists in the request for proposal process by collecting and evaluating data toward the submission, release, and receipt of proposals and by answering questions about the process.
• Reviews new local, state, and federal legislation and modifies programs to reflect related mandates as directed.
• Program administration/prevention services staff may perform treatment services duties as a temporary assignment in order to satisfy the training and experience requirements for Alcohol and Drug Counselor certification.

Treatment Services:

• Conducts pre-placement screenings and addiction assessments for people with alcohol and other drug-related problems and/or co-occurring mental illness conditions.
• Conducts trainings regarding current practice in substance use disorder treatment, including management of substance use by agency clientele, use of individual screening and assessment tools, client engagement and retention strategies, and treatment planning.
• Reviews client behaviors or indicators common to client success and premature failure; and recommends strength-based approaches that facilitate successful treatment outcomes.
• Refers clients to local treatment agencies and other related resources, follows-up to ensure treatment engagement, and participates in care coordination reviews.
• Evaluates the outcomes of client activity in- and post-treatment.
• Provides back-up coverage for other staff performing treatment services duties.
• May be assigned program administration services duties on a temporary basis.

Employment Standards
In order to be considered for this position, applicants must provide detailed information on their application to demonstrate how they meet the employment standards (minimum qualifications) listed below:

• Possession of a bachelor's degree in the health or social sciences or a closely related field AND two years of experience in an alcohol/or other drug abuse prevention or treatment services setting that included providing related services in at least two of the following areas: prevention, planning, education, intervention, screening, assessment, or administration; OR,
• Possession of a master's degree in the health or social sciences or a closely related field AND one year of experience in an alcohol/or other drug abuse prevention or treatment services setting that included providing related services in at least two of the following areas: prevention, planning, education, intervention, screening, assessment, or administration; OR,
• A combination of training, education, and experience that is equivalent to one of the employment standards listed above and that provides the required knowledge and abilities.

NOTE: International degrees must include documentation from an evaluation service that shows the U.S. education equivalency along with unofficial transcripts at the time of application submittal. A list of evaluation services may be found at http://www.naces.org/members.html
Certification: Applicants are not required to be registered to obtain Alcohol and Drug Counselor (AOD) certification at time of application; however, selectees for Treatment Services appointments must register to obtain AOD certification (pursuant to the California Department of Alcohol and Drug Programs' Counselor Certification standards) upon appointment and obtain certification within five years as a condition of continued employment.
NOTE: Alcohol and Drug Service Specialists assigned to Program Administration/Prevention Services are not required to obtain AOD certification; however, AOD certification may be required for promotional opportunities. Therefore, when feasible, Program Administration/Prevention Services incumbents will be allowed the opportunity to cross-train in Treatment Services in order to meet AOD certification training and experience requirement.
Driver's License: Possession of a valid California Class C Driver's License is required at the time of appointment.
Knowledge of: survey methods and data collection techniques; teaching methods related to health education and disease prevention; learning styles of individuals and groups from diverse cultural, economic, and ethnic backgrounds; community resources for alcohol and drug abuse prevention, intervention, or treatment; alcohol and drug abuse screening, assessment, or community planning tools and processes; grant writing procedures; and standard English usage and grammar.
Ability to: research, compile, anal