Demo

Chemical Dependency Counselor

State of South Dakota
Pierre, SD Full Time
POSTED ON 5/5/2026
AVAILABLE BEFORE 6/4/2026
PLEASE ATTACH THE ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS LISTED AT THE BOTTOM OF THIS PAGE

Job ID: 34572

Agency: Department of Corrections – Behavioral Health

Location:Pierre, SD

Salary: $23.00 to $32.00 per hour, depending on experience

Pay Grade: H

Closing Date: Open Until Filled

The South Dakota Department of Corrections is hiring! Join the DOC - view DOC Recruitment video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bI3Hwg99jTg&t=9s .

This is a Full-Time position with the Department of Corrections Behavioral Health team. For more information on the DOC, please visit https://doc.sd.gov .

This position provides substance use disorder services to the offender population, to include formal and informal behavioral health evaluations, diagnostic assessments, and clinical interventions.

  • This position is eligible for a $5,000 hiring incentive ****

*** Current and Previous State Employees do NOT qualify for the Hiring Incentive ***

*** Full state benefits and SDRS retirement ***

Why the Department of Corrections?

At The Department Of Corrections (DOC), We Have An Opportunity To Make a Difference. As a Department Of Corrections Employee, You Will Have a Chance To Experience

  • Creativity – We are always looking for innovative ideas to help us achieve improved outcomes.
  • Making a difference – You will have an opportunity to make a difference in the life of fellow South Dakotans.
  • Professional development – We provide valuable trainings to ensure well-trained staff that are competent, accountable, and empowered and will assist you in reaching your career goals.
  • Teamwork – In a team-oriented approach, you will have the ability to work cooperatively with others in a friendly work environment to achieve shared goals.

Who We Want

  • a highly motivated and experienced person with a passion for serving the public and displays a high level of effort and commitment towards completing assignments and goals;
  • a compassionate individual who listens attentively to others and clearly conveys information and ideas;
  • a dependable and organized individual who effectively plans and organizes work activities;
  • a person who is dedicated and who will represent the DOC with integrity and enthusiasm;
  • an individual who works cooperatively with others and promotes a friendly work climate in order to achieve shared goals.

Knowledge Of

The Ideal Candidate Will Have:

  • social, behavioral, psychological, and physical effects of substance use disorders;
  • individual and group counseling techniques;
  • community resources for the treatment and rehabilitation of client with substance use disorders;
  • criminal thinking patterns and corrective thinking process;
  • co-occurring disorders.

Skill To

  • effectively communicate and motivate treatment-resistant clients;
  • effective time management;
  • be organized.

Ability To

  • elicit and identify criteria required to diagnosis substance use disorders;
  • gather, interpret, report, and use information concerning clients;
  • establish and maintain effective interpersonal counseling relationships with clients;
  • formulate treatment plans and make recommendations on client care;
  • perform treatment needs assessments and treatment planning;
  • facilitate groups and prepare discharge summaries;
  • engage in consultation and make appropriate referrals when outside of scope of practice;
  • work in a correctional facility;
  • adhere to the security of such correctional facility.

What You Will Do

Responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

  • direct involvement in screening, assessment, diagnosis, and treatment planning;
  • provide group and individual counseling and psychoeducational services;
  • monitors offender treatment and maintains documentation to assure compliance with standards and to assure continuity of care;
  • provides clinical direction to non-clinical staff in behavioral health care and treatment of offenders.
  • assures continuity of care for offenders by making appropriate referral and providing necessary information and documentation for receiving units, facilities, or agencies;
  • documents electronically in an accurate and timely manner to provide comprehensive offender behavioral health records;
  • communicates and responds to complaints, problems, transfers, classifications, and offender behavioral management issues;
  • responsible for maintaining standards of the program or work unit through compliance with all applicable professional, departmental, organizational and unit standards;
  • promotes and is accountable for the safety and security of the clinical and correctional environment through conscientious observations, and sensitive item contraband control.
  • informs supervisor of any violations of safety and security through the report writing process, attends training programs as assigned, including self-defense course to ensure self-protection skills.

Preferred Qualifications

  • A bachelor's degree in alcohol and drug abuse studies, counseling, psychology or related field is preferred.
  • Valid certification from the State of South Dakota as a Licensed Addiction Counselor (LAC) or Certified Addiction Counselor (CAC) is preferred, but would consider Addiction Counselor Trainee (ACT), based on education and work experience.

Conditions Of Employment

The SD DOC is committed to a work environment free from illegal drugs and alcohol. All job offers are contingent upon successful completion of a background investigation, urine drug screen and the candidate's ability to perform the essential functions of the position.

Required

Individuals selected for the position will have the opportunity to carry Oleoresin Capsicum (OC/pepper spray) if desired. If OC spray is carried, the staff carrying OC spay will be required to have direct (level 1) exposure during the training program. Individuals selected for the position must successfully complete a written and practical self-defense exam and successfully complete CPR to AHA guidelines – this includes successful completion of the practical/hands on portion as well as the written exam. Selected individuals must possess the physical ability to successfully complete the practical self-defense exam, which involves the following:

  • lift arms above head and kick as high as own waist;
  • stabilize another person to accomplish a controlled take down;
  • use arms, palms of hands, shins, and feet to deliver blows;
  • withstand impact (slow speed or with a safety bag) on own body from strikes/blows;
  • rotate body 90 degrees with feet planted for striking with foot or using a defensive tactic;
  • get down on one or both knees and up again with multiple repetitions.

Additionally, TB (tuberculosis) screening is required of all new employees upon hire.

  • The South Dakota Women’s Prison is a National Health Services Corps (NHSC) approved site which can provide opportunities for student loan reimbursement.

Additional Requirements: To be considered, please attach your resume and three professional references.

This position is eligible for Veterans’ Preference per ARSD 55:10:02:08.

Successful applicant(s) will be required to undergo a background investigation. An arrest/conviction record will not necessarily bar employment. Successful applicant(s) will undergo an abuse and neglect screening. Offers of employment are conditional upon successful completion of a drug screening.

NCRC: If you possess a National Career Readiness Certificate, please submit the certificate with your application. For more information on how to acquire a National Career Readiness Certificate contact a South Dakota Department of Labor and Regulation Job Service Office. A certificate is not necessary to be considered.

The State of South Dakota does not sponsor work visas for new or existing employees. All persons hired will be required to verify identity and eligibility to work in the United States and complete an Employment Eligibility Verification, Form I-9. The State of South Dakota as an employer will be using E-Verify to complete employment eligibility verification upon hire.

The State of South Dakota offers $0 premium employee health insurance option plus eleven paid holidays, generous vacation and sick leave accrual, dental, vision, and other insurance options, and retirement benefits. You can view our benefits information here . This position is a member of Class A retirement under SDRS.

Must apply online: https://gen-stateofsouthdako-trn.inforcloudsuite.com/hcm/xmlhttp/shorturl.do?key=3CM

You must apply online, emailed resumes or submissions will not be accepted.

South Dakota Bureau of Human Resources

Telephone: 605.773.3148 Email: careers@state.sd.us

http://bhr.sd.gov/workforus

"An Equal Opportunity Employer"

Salary : $23 - $32

If your compensation planning software is too rigid to deploy winning incentive strategies, it’s time to find an adaptable solution. Compensation Planning
Enhance your organization's compensation strategy with salary data sets that HR and team managers can use to pay your staff right. Surveys & Data Sets

Sign up to receive alerts about other jobs with skills like those required for the Chemical Dependency Counselor.

Click the checkbox next to the jobs that you are interested in.

  • Behavioral Therapy Management Skill

    • Income Estimation: $55,611 - $73,900
    • Income Estimation: $57,294 - $65,776
  • Counseling Skill

    • Income Estimation: $53,811 - $69,251
    • Income Estimation: $55,611 - $73,900
Employees: Get a Salary Increase
View Core, Job Family, and Industry Job Skills and Competency Data for more than 15,000 Job Titles Skills Library

Job openings at State of South Dakota

  • State of South Dakota Rapid, SD
  • $2,000 New Hire Incentive & Eligible for Reimbursement of Interview and Moving Expenses Job ID: 35916 Agency: Unified Judicial System, Seventh Judicial Cir... more
  • Just Posted

  • State of South Dakota Yankton, SD
  • PLEASE ATTACH THE ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS LISTED AT THE BOTTOM OF THIS PAGE Job ID: 35879 Agency: Department of Corrections - Clinical and Correctional Ser... more
  • Just Posted

  • State of South Dakota Sioux, SD
  • Job ID: 35840 Agency: Department of Social Services - Division of Child Protection Location:Sioux Falls, SD Salary: $20.58 Hourly, depending on qualificati... more
  • Just Posted

  • State of South Dakota Sioux, SD
  • PLEASE ATTACH THE ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS LISTED AT THE BOTTOM OF THIS PAGE Job ID: 35910 Agency: Department of Human Services - Office of the Secretary Lo... more
  • Just Posted


Not the job you're looking for? Here are some other Chemical Dependency Counselor jobs in the Pierre, SD area that may be a better fit.

  • State of South Dakota Pierre, SD
  • Job ID: 35613 Agency: Department of Human Services - Division of Rehabilitation Services Location: Aberdeen or Pierre, SD Salary: $25.27-$31.31 Hourly, dep... more
  • 14 Days Ago

  • IDS Health, Inc Aberdeen, SD
  • Join a supportive group practice offering clinicians the opportunity to build their own semi-private practice in Mitchell, SD, and nearby communities. Work... more
  • 10 Days Ago

AI Assistant is available now!

Feel free to start your new journey!