JourneyPure at The River logo
JourneyPure at The River
Murfreesboro, Tennessee

Intake Counselor

Counselor / TherapistFull-Time

Compensation

Pay not listed

The week · per this posting · weekdays assumed

Ask the employer about the pay range, the work setting, call expectations and time off.

Posted 1mo ago · Verified live

Job Description

Intake Counselor

Our mission is to help people become healthy and stay healthy. Our high standards attract well-known behavioral health professionals from across the country. Their commitments to ethics and patient success are backed by the highest accreditation in the industry.

Position Summary

The Intake Counselor is responsible for guiding prospective and incoming patients through the admission process while ensuring a smooth, welcoming, and clinically appropriate transition into treatment. This position serves as an important first point of contact for patients and their loved ones and requires strong communication, organization, attention to detail, and the ability to work effectively in a fast-paced behavioral health environment.

Intake Counselors complete admission assessments and required documentation, verify patient demographic and insurance information, obtain necessary consents and releases, coordinate admission logistics, communicate with patients, families, referral sources, and internal departments, and ensure all required information is accurately documented in the electronic medical record. The Intake Counselor also works closely with the clinical and medical teams to support appropriate placement and continuity of care.

Benefits

  • 401(k) (After 90 days of continuous employment)
  • Paid Time Off (PTO)
  • Health, Dental, & Vision Insurance (Offered after 60 days of employment)
  • Competitive Compensation

Responsibilities

  • Welcome and assist patients and their families, guiding them through the admissions process
  • Conduct intake assessments and utilize evidence-based assessments as needed
  • Adhere to company Standards of Care to ensure proper care and accurate documentation
  • Document all significant events in client records clearly, concisely, and in a timely manner.
  • Participate in interdepartmental staff reports between medical and clinical departments.
  • Assist with admitting clients and provide program orientation to new clients in detox.
  • Provide education and therapeutic guidance to clients, including explanation of program schedules and activities.
  • Respond therapeutically to inappropriate client behaviors and maintain professional boundaries.
  • Report all client behaviors and activities to the nurse on duty.

Qualifications

  • Desired Bachelor's degree in Social Work, Counseling, Psychology, or a related field
  • Alternatively, at least 1 year of experience in behavioral health
  • Experience in substance abuse or mental health setting preferred.
  • Valid driver's license required.
  • Knowledge of chemical dependency, dual diagnosis treatment, and rehabilitation requirements.
  • Emotionally stable with strong coping skills; ability to relate to individuals in varying levels of distress

Schedule

  • Full-time position with flexible scheduling based on department needs

JourneyPure is an Equal Opportunity Employer

Qualifications

Education
Bachelor degree

Key Skills

Intake assessmentPatient communicationCrisis interventionSubstance abuse counselingMental health supportClinical coordinationInsurance verificationPatient orientation

Behavioral Health — Counselor Career Context

The cost-of-living index for Tennessee is 91.9 (US average = 100; BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)). 58.6% of Tennessee clinicians report burnout symptoms in WeekdayDoc's Burnout Index (2026-01 data).

Of the 50 active Behavioral Health listings this role was benchmarked against, 56% are remote, 28% have no call, 70% require no weekends.

What does the Behavioral Health market look like in Tennessee?
MeasureThis jobMarket
Listed paynot listedBehavioral Health median $73k (middle half $63k–$83k)306 comparable listings, Nov 2026
Cost of livingTennessee index 91.9US average = 100BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)
Behavioral Health listings in Tennessee5 active340 nationallylive on WeekdayDoc, Nov 2026
Work settingon-sitepeers: 56% remote · 28% no call · 70% no weekends50 benchmarked listings
Sign-on & loan repaymentnot statedTennessee counselor listings (all specialties): 11% state a sign-on bonus (median $5k) · 8% offer loan repayment255 active listings, Nov 2026
New Behavioral Health listings784 in the last 30 days539 the 30 days before (+45%)U.S., first seen on WeekdayDoc, Nov 2026
Behavioral Health pay trend−6.5% vs prior quarter—through Oct 2026
Sources: WeekdayDoc live listing index, BEA Regional Price Parities (2024); as of Nov 2026. Same values as the Weekday Verdict and Market Insights on this page.

Location & Logistics

Tennessee has no state income tax, which can significantly increase take-home pay compared to high-tax states.

Top Counselor Jobs

35 matches · ranked by pay

Salary Distribution

28 jobs · 26 employers
8
<$70k
6
$70k-95k
5
$95k-120k
9
$120k-145k

Annual compensation range

Benefits & Perks

26 jobs
401k / retirement match
85% this job
CME allowance
65%
Sign-on bonus
27%
Loan repayment
23%
PSLF eligible
8%

Share of similar jobs offering each benefit

#1

Licensed Mental Health Therapist

LifeStance Health · Lake Oswego, Oregon

$123k-$141k
#2

Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT)

LifeStance Health · West Linn, Oregon

$123k-$141k
#3

Remote Licensed Mental Health Therapist

$66/hr
#4

Remote Licensed Professional Therapist

$66/hr
+ 33 more · ranked by pay

Work-life snapshot

median 2.8this job 2.8
Better work-life than 50% of Behavioral Health (Counseling) listings

Listing-based score, 0–10, across 339 comparable listings. Shaded area = the share scoring below this one.

JourneyPure at The River logo

About JourneyPure at The River

Hospitals and Health Care
Nashville, Tennessee
201-500 employees

Benefits & Perks

401(k) after 90 days
Paid Time Off (PTO)
Health, Dental, & Vision Insurance after 60 days
Competitive Compensation

Living in Murfreesboro

Typical 3-bedroom home value
$389k
Typical market rent
$1,679/mo
Residents’ average commute
27 min
Metro price indexU.S. average = 100
96.3
State income tax
None
Sources & methodology

Sources: Zillow home values (Sep 2026), Zillow market rents (Sep 2026), U.S. Census ACS 2024 five-year.

BEA 2024 · Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN metro prices. Housing figures are city-level.

City-level figures. Not a cost-of-living guarantee.