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Brightpoint
Chicago, Illinois

Therapist – Adoption Support & Preservation (Unlicensed)

CounselorIncludes callIncludes weekendsFull-Time

Listed compensation

$63k-$64k

The week · per this posting · weekdays assumed

Ask the employer about the work setting, nights and shift pattern and time off.

Posted 1mo ago · Verified live

Job Description

Brightpoint invites you to join our team of mission-driven staff who share a common vision: an equitable world where all children and families thrive in strong communities. As a leader in the human services sector for 140 years, we aim to advance the well-being of children by investing in families and strengthening communities through data-informed, collaborative, and preventative solutions.

Opportunities for growth. Therapists and Counselors are supported in obtaining and maintaining clinical licensure through in-house clinical supervision and reimbursement for licensure fees.

We also offer opportunities for advanced trainings in your field, which may include Play Therapy, Child Parent Psychotherapy, Nurturing Parent Program, Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, and other trainings, depending on your unique interests, as well as opportunities to collaborate with other community partners to expand your professional network and increase your access to supplemental resources to benefit the kids and families you’re serving.

Work/Life balance. We know you can’t pour from an empty cup. We encourage a healthy work/life balance by keeping schedules flexible and caseloads low, with a focus on quality of engagement and services over quantity of billable hours.

We offer a generous paid leave package that includes up to two weeks of paid vacation in the first year (increasing over your tenure to more than five weeks per year), plus two weeks of paid sick time, two additional floating holidays, eleven paid holidays, and a paid winter break between Christmas and New Year's each year.

As an Adoption Support & Preservation Therapist, you will provide in-home, community-based, and in-office services to families with children who have been adopted or for whom guardianship has been awarded through the Illinois Department of Children & Family Services. In your work, you will offer a range of trauma-informed, attachment-focused services, including individual, family, and group therapy, case management, advocacy, and crisis intervention, partner with families to develop a plan for clinical interventions targeting individualized, collaboratively developed treatment plan goals, coordinate services with other relevant providers, both within the agency and externally, and develop appropriate referral plans, complete thorough and timely documentation, including assessment and service notes, using a web-based client services platform, and help plan and facilitate community-based events where program participants and their families can engage in fun activities.

Additionally, Therapists complete agency-paid trainings in program-specific modalities, including Attachment Regulation and Competency (ARC) and National Adoption competency Mental Health Training Initiative (NTI).

Candidate Qualifications

  • Master’s Degree in Social Work, Counseling, Psychology or a closely related clinical field, required.
  • Eligible for clinical licensure in the state of Illinois (LCSW, LCPC or LMFT) and will obtain, and maintain, clinical Illinois license within 24 months of employment required.
  • Obtains and maintains any applicable certifications based on program model and/or required by program funder, which may include Domestic Violence training, Trauma-Based Relational Intervention, Play Therapy, or other modalities within one year of employment required.
  • Experience with an evidence-based or evidence-informed treatment modality, such as Theraplay, the ARC framework, or other trauma-informed practice strongly preferred.
  • Valid driver's license, insurance, and a reliable vehicle required.
  • The ability to communicate effectively in both English and Spanish strongly preferred.

Job Details

  • Compensation: Salary Range $62,515-$64,000; Offers are commensurate with experience and bilingual candidates may receive additional financial compensation. The salary range provided represents our current estimate for this role at the time of posting and is subject to change. The final salary will be determined based on a range of factors, including but not limited to, a candidate's relevant experience, education, qualifications, skills, certifications, and alignment with organizational needs. We are dedicated to fair and equitable compensation practices and are committed to fostering a diverse workforce while providing equal opportunities for all candidates.
  • Benefits: Medical/dental/vision insurance, 3+ weeks paid time off in the first year including the week between Christmas and New Year’s Day (PTO increases with tenure); 11 paid holidays, supplemental insurance options, 401(k) with match (more benefits details here ).
  • Schedule & On-Call: Full-time, salaried. This position participates in an on-call rotation, which includes after-hours, weekend, and holiday coverage.

Therapists must also be available to work a minimum of two evenings per week to meet the needs of children and families.

  • Location & Service Delivery: ASAP services are provided in a variety of settings, including clients’ homes, community-based locations, and the office. Telehealth services are an option but is not the primary means of providing services to families.
  • We don’t just hire talent—we grow it: Emerging Leaders will have access to leadership development opportunities and one-on-one mentorship.
  • Student Loan Forgiveness: Brightpoint is an approved agency for Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF).

Key Responsibilities

Provide trauma-informed, attachment-focused therapeutic services including individual, family, and group therapy to adopted children and their families. Coordinate care with providers, manage documentation, and facilitate community-based events to support family engagement.

Requirements

Requires a Master’s degree in Social Work, Counseling, Psychology, or a related field and eligibility for Illinois clinical licensure. Candidates must possess a valid driver's license and the ability to work a flexible schedule including evenings and on-call rotations.

Qualifications

Education
Professional certificate or licensure

Key Skills

Individual therapyFamily therapyTrauma-informed careAttachment-focused therapyClinical documentationTreatment planningCollaborationCommunication

Work-Life Balance Analysis

WeekdayDoc's proprietary algorithm rates Therapist – Adoption Support & Preservation (Unlicensed) at Brightpoint a 6.0 out of 10 for work-life balance — classified as good. This places the position in the top 35% of all Mental Health Therapy counselor listings evaluated on our platform.

Counselor Career Context

In Illinois, the Mental Health Therapy weighted monthly median benchmark on WeekdayDoc is ~$67k (225 salary observations; 602 listings), vs ~$76k nationally (1,447 salary observations; 3,678 listings). Monthly aggregates cover 2025-12-01 through 2026-10-01; these are not the modal's selected comparable-job medians.

Of the 50 active Mental Health Therapy listings this role was benchmarked against, 48% are remote, 26% have no call, 68% require no weekends.

Mental Health Therapy pay on WeekdayDoc is down 1.2% vs. the prior quarter (through Sep 2026).

The cost-of-living index for Illinois is 100.0 (US average = 100; BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)), so the posted ~$63k midpoint carries the purchasing power of roughly $63k in an average-cost state. 62.6% of Illinois clinicians report burnout symptoms in WeekdayDoc's Burnout Index (2026-01 data).

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Salary Distribution40 jobs · 33 employers

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Annual compensation range

Benefits & Perks37 jobs · 33 employers

401k / retirement match
84% this job
CME allowance
38%
Sign-on bonus
32%
Loan repayment
22% this job
PSLF eligible
11% this job

Share of similar jobs offering each benefit

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Work-life snapshot

median 6.2this job 6.0
Better work-life than 50% of Mental Health Therapy (Counseling) listings

Listing-based score, 0–10, across 8,029 comparable listings. Shaded area = the share scoring below this one.

  • Includes call
  • Includes weekends

Living in Chicago

Typical 3-bedroom home value
$356k≈ 5.7× annual pay
Typical market rent
$2,342/mo≈ 45% of gross pay
Residents’ average commute
33 min
State income tax
Up to 5%
Sources & methodology

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

Ratios use this listing’s gross annual pay. Not a cost-of-living guarantee.

Brightpoint logo

About Brightpoint

Individual and Family Services
Chicago, Illinois
201-500 employees

Benefits & Perks

Medical/Dental/Vision Insurance
401(k) with Match
PSLF Eligible
Paid Time Off
11 Paid Holidays
Clinical Supervision
Licensure Fee Reimbursement
Professional Development