WakeMed Health & Hospitals logo
WakeMed Health & Hospitals
Cary, North Carolina

Mental Health Clinician I - Behavioral Health Services

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 58m ago · Verified live

Job Description

Provides mental health and substance use services in person or via telehealth. Conducts emergency psychiatric and substance use assessments, diagnoses using the DSM-5/ICD10 codes, and provides crisis intervention, supportive counseling, and social work interventions.

Evaluates safety, patient engagement, and support system effectiveness. Collaborates with a multidisciplinary team to determine and communicate disposition and level of care, including voluntary and involuntary commitments. Assists with diagnostic clarification, treatment recommendations, and risk mitigation.

Advises patients, families, and providers to enhance care continuity. Participates in hospital and community mental health initiatives. Conducts biopsychosocial assessments and develops individualized treatment plans with patient-specific goals.

Facilitates group therapy, creates safety plans, and ensures appropriate interventions. Tracks and manages involuntary commitments, including case tracking and representing the hospital in hearings. Maintains a working knowledge of relevant, behavioral health, medical and legal issues impacting hospital patients.

Documents assessments, dispositions, interactions, and conversations per department guidelines and standards. Must be able to work independently, prioritize tasks, and manage time efficiently.

Demonstrates a flexibility in accepting diverse work assignments, managing stress related to change and resolving conflicts effectively.

Department Description

Benefits/Highlights

  • Sign-On Bonus available for select positions
  • Competitive Benefits Package
  • Tuition Reimbursement
  • Public Service Loan Forgiveness

Free Onsite Parking

Serving the community since 1961, WakeMed Health & Hospitals is the leading provider of health services in Wake County. With a mission to improve the health and well-being of our community, we are committed to providing outstanding and compassionate care. For more information, visit wakemed.org.

EOE

Licensure

Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor Associate Or Licensed Clinical Social Worker Associate Or Licensed Marriage and Family Therapy Associate Required

Education

Master's Degree Counseling Or Psychology Or Marriage and Family Therapy Or Social Work Required

Experience

No Experience Required

Key Responsibilities

The clinician provides mental health and substance use services, including emergency assessments, crisis intervention, and the development of individualized treatment plans. They collaborate with a multidisciplinary team to manage patient care, facilitate group therapy, and handle involuntary commitment processes.

Requirements

Candidates must hold a Master's degree in Counseling, Psychology, Marriage and Family Therapy, or Social Work. Licensure as an Associate Clinical Mental Health Counselor, Associate Clinical Social Worker, or Associate Marriage and Family Therapist is required.

Qualifications

Education
Master's degree (postgraduate degree)

Key Skills

Mental health assessmentSubstance use counselingPsychiatric diagnosisICD-10Treatment planningSafety planningCase managementMultidisciplinary collaborationBiopsychosocial assessment

Counselor Career Context

Of the 50 active Mental Health Therapy listings this role was benchmarked against, 52% are remote, 28% have no call, 50% require no weekends.

The cost-of-living index for North Carolina is 94.3 (US average = 100; BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)). 59.2% of North Carolina clinicians report burnout symptoms in WeekdayDoc's Burnout Index (2026-01 data).

Mental Health Therapy by the numbers
MeasureThis jobMarket
Cost of livingNorth Carolina index 94.3US average = 100BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)
Mental Health Therapy listings in North Carolina270 active7,605 nationallylive on WeekdayDoc, Nov 2026
Work settingon-sitepeers: 52% remote · 28% no call · 50% no weekends50 benchmarked listings
Sign-on & loan repaymentloan repaymentNorth Carolina counselor listings (all specialties): 14% state a sign-on bonus (median $5k) · 15% offer loan repayment475 active listings, Nov 2026
New Mental Health Therapy listings2,551 in the last 30 days1,401 the 30 days before (+82%)U.S., first seen on WeekdayDoc, Nov 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.

Top Counselor Jobs

50 matches · ranked by pay

Salary Distribution

50 jobs · 40 employers
18
<$80k
19
$80k-100k
3
$100k-120k
8
$120k-140k
2
$141k

Annual compensation range

Benefits & Perks

41 jobs · 40 employers
401k / retirement match
88%
CME allowance
34%
Sign-on bonus
29% this job
Loan repayment
17% this job
PSLF eligible
7% this job

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

Mental Health Clinician (LCSW or LMFT), Suicide Risk and Assessment (ASSIST Program)

$59.42-$66.62/hr
#4

Remote Licensed Mental Health Therapist

$66/hr
+ 48 more · ranked by pay

Work-life snapshot

median 6.0this job 3.0
Better work-life than 20% of Mental Health Therapy (Counseling) listings

Listing-based score, 0–10, across 7,558 comparable listings. Shaded area = the share scoring below this one.

WakeMed Health & Hospitals logo

About WakeMed Health & Hospitals

Hospitals and Health Care
Raleigh, NC
5,001-10,000 employees

Benefits & Perks

Sign-On Bonus available for select positions
Competitive Benefits Package
Tuition Reimbursement
Public Service Loan Forgiveness
Free Onsite Parking

Living in Cary

Typical 3-bedroom home value
$484k
Typical market rent
$1,768/mo
Residents’ average commute
23 min
Metro price indexU.S. average = 100
98.2
State income tax
Up to 4.8%
Sources & methodology

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

BEA 2024 · Raleigh-Cary, NC metro prices. Housing figures are city-level.

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