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Recovery Centers of America
St. Charles, Illinois

Outpatient SUD Primary Therapist

CounselorFull-Time

Compensation

Pay not listed

The week · per this posting

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

Posted 3mo ago

Job Description

Position Overview: The Outpatient Therapist inspires, teaches and motivates clients to achieve meaningful recovery by leading technology-enabled group and individual therapy and psychoeducation sessions (PHP, IOP, GOP) in the assigned RCA Outpatient Day Treatment Program. Utilizing evidence-based, trauma informed and person-centered practices, and helping clients access appropriate ancillary support services, the Virtual Outpatient Therapist helps RCA clients to develop tools that support their recovery journey.

Specific Responsibilities

  • Completes intake Biopsychosocial Assessments, including all electronic forms required by RCA, MDPH and/or third-party payors
  • Evaluates clients' mental and physical health, addiction severity, and/or problem behavior and assess their readiness for treatment and articulates clinical rationale for recommended level of care
  • Works with clients to develop realistic and time limited treatment goals.

Completes treatment plans within required timeframe within PHP, IOP and GOP levels of care.

  • Reviews and recommends treatment options with clients, including their families, if willing
  • Utilizes recognized therapeutic modalities, such as CBT, DBT, 12-Step, psychoanalytic, motivational interviewing, and stages of change
  • Performs individual, group, couples and family therapy and education sessions
  • Is familiar with Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT) and has the ability to objectively discuss options with clients
  • Documents all work in the RCA Electronic Health Record, Avatar.
  • Performs basic case management tasks when necessary. Refer clients to outside resources, services and support groups
  • Performs Utilization Review tasks with third party payors if necessary
  • Assigns Urine Drug Screens and breathalyzer if necessary
  • Helps clients develop skills and behaviors necessary to recover from their addiction or modify their behavior
  • Works with clients to identify behaviors or situations that interfere with their recovery
  • Teaches families about addiction or behavior disorders and helps them develop strategies to cope with those problems
  • Performs any other job-related duties as assigned.

Education and Experience

  • Master's degree in Social Work, Education, Psychology, Mental Health Counseling or another related human services field required.
  • Appropriate state licensure (ex. LCP, LCSW, LADC-I, LADC-II, LMHC, LCSW, or LMFT) required.
  • Prior experience in a behavioral healthcare or substance abuse settings serving culturally diverse populations preferred.
  • Experience with Electronic Health Record (EHR) preferred.
  • Excellent verbal and written communication skills required.
  • Excellent organizational skills with the ability to prioritize workload and meet deadlines.
  • Must be able to work in a fast-paced environment with demonstrated ability to juggle multiple competing tasks and demands.
  • Exceptional analytical and problem-solving skills.
  • Proven ability to handle multiple projects under pressure.
  • Must have strong knowledge of a variety of computer software applications in word processing, spreadsheets, and presentations (MS Word, Excel, and PowerPoint).
  • Understanding of diverse cultures and gender specific issues and the ability to incorporate needs of gender and culturally diverse groups into the clinical interventions.
  • Understands need for and always maintains appropriate confidentiality when interacting with patients, residents, families, visitors, referral sources and all other contacts.
  • Exhibits excellent customer relation skills as evidenced by supportive and constructive communication with all contacts including coworkers, patients, residents, visitors, families and referral sources.
  • Knowledge of case management for dual diagnosis patients.

Competencies

  • Customer Service: Demonstrates concern for meeting internal and external customers' needs in a manner that provides satisfaction for the customer within the resources that can be made available.
  • Problem Solving: Identifies problems, involves others in seeking solutions, conducts appropriate analyses, searches for best solutions; responds quickly to new challenges.
  • Communication Proficiency: Comfortable using a broad range of communication styles, and ability to choose appropriate, effective ways to communicate to different audiences in diverse situations.
  • Project Management: Coordinates the diverse components of the project by balancing scope, time, cost and quality.

Work Environment: This job may operate in a remote environment or a professional office environment. This role routinely uses standard office equipment such as computers, phones, photocopiers, and filing cabinets. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.

Physical Demands: While performing the duties of this position, the employee is regularly required to talk or hear. The employee frequently is required to use hands to finger, handle or feel objects, tools or controls.

The employee is occasionally required to stand; walk; sit; reach with hands and arms; climb or balance; and stoop, kneel, crouch or crawl. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move objects up to 25 pounds.

Specific vision abilities required by this position include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision and the ability to adjust focus.

Travel: Travel to the assigned OP office will be necessary at times for monthly check-ins during the business day.

A former patient may not be hired at the same location where they were treated until a minimum of one year has elapsed since the completion of their treatment at that location. Former patients may be considered for employment at other RCA locations within a year after treatment. This consideration will be subject to the standard hiring process and must not compromise ethical standards, patient care, or the reputation of RCA.

Key Responsibilities

Lead technology-enabled group and individual therapy sessions for clients in outpatient substance use disorder programs. Perform intake assessments, develop treatment plans, and provide psychoeducation to clients and their families.

Requirements

Requires a Master's degree in a human services field and appropriate state licensure (e.g., LCSW, LMHC, LADC). Prior experience in behavioral healthcare or substance abuse settings is preferred.

Qualifications

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

Key Skills

Group TherapyTreatment PlanningElectronic Health RecordsTrauma-Informed CareCrisis InterventionMAT KnowledgeClinical Documentation

Counselor Career Context

Of the 50 active Mental Health Therapy listings this role was benchmarked against, 42% are remote, 24% have no call, 68% require no weekends.

The cost-of-living index for Illinois is 100.0 (US average = 100; BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)). 62.6% of Illinois clinicians report burnout symptoms in WeekdayDoc's Burnout Index (2026-01 data).

Top Counselor Jobs

50 matches · ranked by pay

Salary Distribution50 jobs · 36 employers

16
<$75k
12
$75k-90k
14
$90k-105k
6
$105k-120k
2
$120k

Annual compensation range

Benefits & Perks47 jobs · 36 employers

401k / retirement match
91%
CME allowance
55%
Sign-on bonus
40%
Loan repayment
28%
PSLF eligible
9%

Share of similar jobs offering each benefit

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Work-life snapshot

median 6.3this job 3.0
Better work-life than 20% of Mental Health Therapy (Counseling) listings

Listing-based score, 0–10, across 7,885 comparable listings. Shaded area = the share scoring below this one.

Living in St. Charles

Typical 3-bedroom home value
$411k
Typical market rent
$1,938/mo
Residents’ average commute
27 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.

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

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About Recovery Centers of America

Hospitals and Health Care
Devon, Pennsylvania
1,001-5,000 employees