Mountainside Medical Center logo
Mountainside Medical Center
Montclair, New Jersey

Crisis Counselor

CounselorIncludes callPer Diem

Compensation

Pay not listed

The week · per this posting

Ask the employer about the pay range, the work setting, weekend coverage and time off.

Posted 1h ago · Verified live

Job Description

Join our team as a night-shift, PRN, OP Crisis Intervention Crisis Counselor in Montclair, NJ.

Why Join Us?

Thrive in a People-First Environment and Make Healthcare Better

Thrive: We empower our team with career growth opportunities and resources that support your wellness, education, and financial well-being.

People-First: We prioritize your well-being with a supportive, inclusive culture where you are valued and cared for.

Make Healthcare Better: We use advanced technology to support our team and enhance patient care.

Get to Know Your Team

Hackensack Meridian Mountainside Medical Center is an 820,000-square-foot facility that offers the latest medical programs, cutting-edge technology, and patient-focused care that includes 365 beds, 1,200+ employees, and a 27-bed Emergency Room/Fast Track Unit.

Responsibilities

The Crisis Counselor will work with patients to assess for levels of risk to self/others, identify behavioral health needs, and coordinate interventions and referrals appropriately based on case review and determination by a licensed provider.

  • Provide care to patients ranging in age from child (5 years) through geriatric (> 65 years).
  • Participate in interdisciplinary treatment planning, recordkeeping, consultation, and education for patients presenting to the Emergency Department/hospital with primary and/or secondary Behavioral Health needs.
  • Respond to requests by Emergency Department staff to evaluate patients either in person or virtually.

Provide Emergency Department, Post-Partum Consultations, Intake Assessments, Crisis Counseling Interventions, Case Management, and Coordination of External referrals to appropriate behavioral health levels of service.

Consult with on-site or on-call providers to review cases, provide the necessary information to assist in determining the most appropriate level of care, and coordinate admissions, transfers, and referrals accordingly.

Review and process external behavioral health referrals for inpatient admission or outpatient appointments through the crisis call center.

  • Obtain pre-authorizations for inpatient behavioral health admissions.
  • Accurately document all clinical assessments, interventions, pre-authorization information, and updates to EMR documentation in EPIC appropriately.
  • Adequately assess for and implement appropriate interventions to maintain patient safety on the unit.
  • Perform any and all other duties assigned.

Qualifications

Job Requirements

  • Bachelor’s Degree in psychology or a human service-related field.
  • 1 year of experience working in behavioral health.
  • Preferred Job Requirements
  • Mental Health Screener Certification.
  • Experience working in a crisis or hospital setting.
  • Knowledge of Epic is a plus.

Rate of pay is determined based on experience and education, and may include other pay components such as differentials and call pay based on role.

Qualifications

Education
Bachelor degree

Key Skills

Behavioral health assessmentClinical documentationEmergency department supportReferral coordinationEpic EMRRisk assessment

Behavioral Health — Counselor Career Context

Of the 50 active Counselor listings this role was benchmarked against, 50% are remote, 28% have no call, 58% require no weekends.

The cost-of-living index for New Jersey is 108.8 (US average = 100; BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)). 63.8% of New Jersey clinicians report burnout symptoms in WeekdayDoc's Burnout Index (2026-01 data).

Counselor pay on WeekdayDoc is up 1.9% vs. the prior quarter (through Sep 2026).

Top contract/1099 Counselor Jobs

47 matches · ranked by pay

Salary Distribution42 jobs · 34 employers

11
<$75k
13
$75k-95k
8
$95k-115k
9
$115k-135k
1
$135k

Annual compensation range

Benefits & Perks37 jobs · 34 employers

401k / retirement match
92%
CME allowance
35%
Sign-on bonus
30%
Loan repayment
16%
PSLF eligible
3%

Share of similar jobs offering each benefit

#1

Licensed Mental Health Counselor (Bilingual)Contract

Adelphi Staffing · White Plains, New York

$65/hr
#2

Licensed Mental Health Therapist (LMFT, LCSW, LPCC)

LifeStance Health · Modesto, California

$117k-$134k
#3

Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist

$62-$64/hr
#4

West Virginia Licensed Professional Counselor (Remote)

$60-$62/hr
+ 45 more · ranked by pay

Work-life snapshot

median 3.9this job 1.5
Below most Behavioral Health (Counseling) listings for work-life

Listing-based score, 0–10, across 338 comparable listings. Shaded area = the share scoring below this one.

  • Includes call

Living in Montclair

Typical 3-bedroom home value
$952k
Typical market rent
$3,044/mo
State income tax
Up to 10.8%
Sources & methodology

Sources: Zillow home values (Aug 2026), Zillow market rents (Aug 2026).

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

Mountainside Medical Center logo

About Mountainside Medical Center

Hospitals and Health Care
Montclair, New Jersey
201-500 employees

Benefits & Perks

Career growth opportunities
Wellness resources
Educational resources
Financial well-being support