Mental Health Therapist
Listed compensation
$59k
The week · per this posting · weekdays assumed
Ask the employer about the work setting, call expectations, weekend coverage and time off.
Job Description
Contribute your substance use treatment skills and experience to make a positive change in your community!
The Center for Mental Wellbeing, Thresholds’ Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic (CCBHC) is a one-stop shop for mental health and substance use services based in Kankakee for families and individuals of all ages.
The Center is committed to providing care regardless of ability to pay, and cares for those who are underserved, low income, are insured, uninsured, or on Medicaid. We offer a sliding scale program that provides discounted services to individuals based on family size and income.
As the Substance Use Therapist, you will provide individual and group therapy in the clinic setting to community members with a profound need.
Every week, you will work with individuals with substance use disorders for brief outpatient therapy. Meet clients where they are in their recovery journey, using harm reduction practices to encourage clients in all stages of treatment from preparation to action and relapse prevention.
You will meet face-to-face with the client or guardian to assess needs, identify goals, and develop integrated treatment plans. Often this will look like individual therapy sessions, but you will also provide group therapy, facilitate therapeutic workshops, and encourage clients to attend mutual aid groups. You will also do case consultation and crisis intervention.
The culture at Thresholds is collaborative and supportive, providing you with the tools and resources you need for the best client care. Opportunities for training and professional development, including clinical supervision, will deepen your knowledge and expand your clinical skills in harm reduction, safer substance practices, trauma-informed care, and therapeutic modalities including CBT, DBT, ACT, WRAP, motivational interviewing, and Internal Family Systems.
To Succeed in This Role, You Need
- Passion for mental health and substance use advocacy
- Excellent communication and relationship-building skills
- Good writing skills
- Strong time management and organization
- Flexibility to work with different populations and needs (various ages, groups, couples, individuals)
- Competence with incorporating various modalities into practice
- Willingness to work 1-2 evenings each week
Requirements
- Master’s degree in Psychology, Counseling, Social Work, or related field
- Clinical licensure preferred (LCSW, LCPC, LMFT, LSW, LPC)
- CADC preferred
- Prior experience providing substance use treatment preferred
What Sets Thresholds Apart
- Competitive pay - Base salary: $59,100 annually
- Commensurate with licensure and experience
- Generous PTO (9 federal holidays, 8 days of sick leave, 15-22 days personal and vacation)
- Dental insurance, vision insurance, choice of 4 medical insurance plans
- 403(b) retirement plan with 3% employer match
- Robust employee assistance program (EAP)
- Mileage reimbursement
- Public service loan forgiveness
- Supervision for clinical licensure at no cost (LSW, LCSW, LPC, LCPC, CADC)
- Reimbursement for professional licensure and license renewal
Thresholds is a mission-driven agency with a deep commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion. We foster an environment where all feel valued and respected, a place where every employee can be themselves, thrive, and support the agency’s mission. Click here to learn more.
One of the oldest and largest community mental health organizations in Illinois, we pride ourselves in being a Chicago Tribune Top Workplace and one of Chicago’s 101 Best & Brightest Companies to Work For, several years in a row.
Key Responsibilities
The Substance Use Therapist will provide individual and group therapy sessions to community members while utilizing harm reduction practices. They are responsible for assessing client needs, developing integrated treatment plans, and facilitating therapeutic workshops.
Qualifications
- Education
- Professional certificate or licensure
Counselor Career Context
In Illinois, the Mental Health Therapy weighted monthly median benchmark on WeekdayDoc is ~$68k (348 salary observations; 1,055 listings), vs ~$74k nationally (5,791 salary observations; 23,259 listings). Monthly aggregates cover 2025-12-01 through 2026-11-01; these are not the modal's selected comparable-job medians.
Of the 50 active Mental Health Therapy listings this role was benchmarked against, 40% are remote, 26% have no call, 66% require no weekends.
| Measure | This job | Market |
|---|---|---|
| Listed pay | $59k | Mental Health Therapy median $61k (middle half $57k–$69k)10 comparable listings, Nov 2026 |
| Illinois vs national | $68k median in Illinois | $74k nationally (−8%)348 state / 5,791 national salary observations |
| Cost-of-living adjusted pay | ~$59k in purchasing power | Illinois index 100.0 (US = 100)BEA Regional Price Parities (2024) |
| Mental Health Therapy listings in Illinois | 331 active | 7,579 nationallylive on WeekdayDoc, Nov 2026 |
| Work setting | on-site | peers: 40% remote · 26% no call · 66% no weekends50 benchmarked listings |
| Sign-on & loan repayment | loan repayment | Illinois counselor listings (all specialties): 14% state a sign-on bonus (median $3k) · 19% offer loan repayment540 active listings, Nov 2026 |
| New Mental Health Therapy listings | 2,476 in the last 30 days | 1,365 the 30 days before (+81%)U.S., first seen on WeekdayDoc, Nov 2026 |
| Mental Health Therapy pay trend | −1.8% vs prior quarter | —through Oct 2026 |
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