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Children's Wisconsin
Madison, Wisconsin

School Based Mental Health Therapist

CounselorFull-Time

Compensation

Pay not listed

The week · per this posting · weekdays assumed

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Posted 6mo ago · Verified live

Job Description

At Children’s Wisconsin, we believe kids deserve the best. Every child deserves a safe and loving home. When parents are unable to provide this on their own, intervention is needed to ensure these children are free of abuse and neglect.

We provide child well-being services to help children live in a safe and nurturing environment. We provide services to parents needing education and guidance to improve their parenting skills so their children can remain with them.

We also provide services to children who are placed with foster families until they can return home or become part of an adoptive family. Our experienced professionals provide the following services to families in Milwaukee County and at locations throughout Wisconsin.

Foster Care Treatment Foster Care Adoption Respite Care Child Advocacy Centers Family Case Management Family Finding We offer a wide variety of rewarding career opportunities and are seeking individuals dedicated to helping us achieve our vision of the healthiest kids in the country.

If you want to work for an organization that makes a difference for children and families, and encourages you to be at your best every day, please apply today. Please follow this link for a closer look at what it’s like to work at Children’s Wisconsin: instagram.com

We are hiring for school-based Mental Health Therapist positions in the Madison, Verona and Middleton-Cross Plains Area School Districts.

Job Summary Works as a core member of a multi-disciplinary, integrated care team that includes school psychologists, school counselors, social workers, teachers and other identified school and community partners.

Typical activities include mental health condition management, individual, family and group therapy and treatment planning, anticipatory guidance, and early intervention for common childhood MBH concerns in one or more school based clinic settings. Uses trauma-informed, evidence-based and inclusive practices.

Additional duties include consultation, education, and outreach to colleagues, trainees, family, and community members. Essential Functions Assesses, diagnoses and treats children with mental health/emotional challenges through individual, group, and/or family therapy modalities.

Engages the child, family and educational team in the creation of an integrated, individualized treatment plan and in the child’s ongoing care. Communicates and coordinates with this team regularly.

Introduces SBMH services to families referred to the program in a way that eliminates stigma and facilitates engagement and trust in MBH care. Consults with families, educators and care team members on client progress, behaviors, support needs and interventions.

Provides consultation, coaching and professional development to school-site educators and administrators on mental and behavioral health, social and emotional learning, evidenced-based behavioral approaches for classroom success, and other related topics, as requested.

May provide individual classroom consultation, speak at school assemblies or participate in project work that supports student wellness and success as well as teacher well-being and competency in MBH.

Collaborates with school partners to develop and maintain ongoing internal referral pathways, appropriate care triage and family and school team needs assessments.

Collects and provides multiple data points for reports, donors and funding sources and participates in other program specific projects and activities as requested. Participates in school related events, community engagement and other activities that support Children's mission and MBH strategy.

May provide Positive Parenting Program (Triple P) to families. May supervise training of graduate students/interns.

Education: Master's Degree in Social Work or related field, plus 3000 hours post Master’s experience required Experience: Experience working with children and families in a school or integrated health care setting. preferred Will consider therapists in training who have relevant experience and are working on their 3,000 hours towards licensure preferred Licenses and Certifications: + one of the following: - N/A License Social Worker Clinical (123) - State of Wisconsin License MFT-Marriage Family Therapy (124) - State of Wisconsin License LPC-Professional Counselor (125) - State of Wisconsin License Psychologist (57) - State of Wisconsin Our school-based Mental Health Therapists will work in Madison, Verona or Middleton-Cross Plains Area School Districts.

Location will be determined through the interview process. We will consider candidates who are interested in full-time or part-time positions and who are Therapists in Training. Children's Wisconsin is an equal opportunity / affirmative action employer.

We are committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment for all employees. We treat everyone with dignity, respect, and fairness.

We do not discriminate against any person on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, gender, gender identity and/or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or any other status or condition protected by the law.

Dedicated solely to the health and well-being of children We are the region's only independent healthcare system dedicated solely to the health and well-being of children.

In Milwaukee and throughout the state, we provide kids and their families a wide range of care and support - everything from routine care for ear aches or sore throats to life saving advances and treatment options.

Our academic partner, The Medical College of Wisconsin, brings many of the nation's most well-respected doctors to our team. Together we work to ensure that every child and family we serve receives nothing but the best.

Learn more about our affiliation with the Medical College of Wisconsin and the power of academic medicine. Please let us know a little about yourself so we can connect on future openings!

Key Responsibilities

The therapist will manage mental health conditions, conduct individual, family, and group therapy, and develop integrated treatment plans as part of a multi-disciplinary team within school-based settings. Key duties also involve consulting with and educating colleagues, families, and school staff on behavioral health topics and supporting student wellness initiatives.

Requirements

A Master's Degree in Social Work or a related field is required, along with 3000 hours of post-Master's experience, although therapists in training with relevant experience will be considered. Candidates must possess or be eligible for a State of Wisconsin license as a Social Worker, MFT, LPC, or Psychologist.

Qualifications

Education
Master's degree (postgraduate degree)
Experience
2+ years of experience

Key Skills

Individual TherapyTrauma-Informed PracticesEvidence-Based PracticesDiagnosisCare CoordinationStigma Elimination

Work-Life Balance Analysis

WeekdayDoc's proprietary algorithm rates School Based Mental Health Therapist at Children's Wisconsin a 7.2 out of 10 for work-life balance — classified as very good. This places the position in the top 25% in Mental Health Therapy (Counseling) — ranked against 8,035 active Mental Health Therapy (Counseling) listings on WeekdayDoc.

Counselor Career Context

Of the 50 active Mental Health Therapy listings this role was benchmarked against, 64% are remote, 34% have no call, 56% require no weekends.

The cost-of-living index for Wisconsin is 94.1 (US average = 100; BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)). 60.7% of Wisconsin clinicians report burnout symptoms in WeekdayDoc's Burnout Index (2026-01 data).

Top Counselor Jobs

35 matches · ranked by pay

Salary Distribution26 jobs

6
<$75k
4
$75k-95k
11
$95k-115k
5
$115k-135k

Annual compensation range

Benefits & Perks26 jobs

401k / retirement match
92%
CME allowance
35%
Sign-on bonus
27%
Loan repayment
4%
PSLF eligible
4%

Share of similar jobs offering each benefit

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#2

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LifeStance Health · Saint Louis Park, Minnesota

$74k-$126k
#3

Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT, LPC, LCSW)

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#4

Licensed Mental Health Therapist (LMFT, LMHC, LCSW)

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+ 33 more · ranked by pay

Work-life snapshot

median 6.1this job 7.2
Better work-life than 80% of Mental Health Therapy (Counseling) listings

Listing-based score, 0–10, across 8,035 comparable listings. Shaded area = the share scoring below this one.

Living in Madison

Typical 3-bedroom home value
$433k
Typical market rent
$1,616/mo
Residents’ average commute
19 min
Metro price indexU.S. average = 100
97.3
State income tax
Up to 7.7%
Sources & methodology

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

BEA 2024 · Madison, WI metro prices. Housing figures are city-level.

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