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Sierra Health and Wellness
Orangevale, California

Associate Therapist

Counselor / TherapistFull-Time

Listed compensation

$80k-$90k

The week · per this posting · weekdays assumed

Ask the employer about the work setting, call expectations, weekend coverage and time off.

Posted 41m ago · Verified live

Job Description

  • Job Location: Orangevale - Orangevale, CA
  • Position Type: Full Time
  • Education Level: Masters Degree
  • Salary Range: $80000.00 - $90000.00Salary/year
  • Job Shift: Any
  • Job Category: Clinical, Licensed Therapist or Associate Therapist Job Description: The Associate Therapist is responsible for treating, assessing, monitoring, and developing a comprehensive plan to meet the needs of clients while in treatment for chemical and alcohol abuse and dependency. The Associate Therapist is responsible for providing ongoing direct client care through weekly individual and group therapy, as well as responding to immediate clinical needs such as AMA prevention, crisis response, and milieu management. In addition, the Associate Therapist provides family therapy to clients who request this service and where clinically indicated. The Associate Therapist is a primary member and participant in weekly multidisciplinary treatment planning and works collaboratively with the certified SUD counselor to develop a comprehensive aftercare plan post-discharge. Documentation within the electronic healthcare record is required for all clinical interactions and relevant case management activities. The Associate Therapist may also provide ongoing clinical consultation and support for the certified SUD counselors. Essential Functions: Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform these essential functions. Performs professional mental health and substance use disorder services with clients in treatment for chemical and alcohol abuse and dependency. Provides individual, group, and family therapy services. Assesses and monitors client’s progress and behavior while in treatment. Participates in multidisciplinary treatment planning and aftercare planning. Participates in collaborative treatment with representatives of other agencies. Responds to clinical emergencies and acute client needs. Responds to client complaints in an efficient and timely manner. Records noteworthy events involving clinical services and client activities in the electronic medical record. Reviews client chart for completion of all paperwork with appropriate signatures; may complete weekly audits. Attends conferences, workshops, and training to maintain current awareness of mental health and SUD methodologies and issues. Maintains confidential information in accordance with legal standards and/or County regulations. Operates a personal computer and other office equipment. Communicates effectively with others in person and over the telephone. May be assigned some lead and special work coordination responsibilities. Competencies: Principles, procedures, techniques, trends of clinical and casework services, therapy, and treatment. Social aspects and characteristics of mental and emotional disturbances and substance use disorders. Principles of mental health and substance use disorder education. A wide variety of therapeutic and treatment approaches for persons with mental and emotional problems. Scope, availability, and activities of community resources, including other mental health and social service agencies. Current trends in mental hygiene, mental health, public health, and social services, including State and Federal programs in these areas. Expert communication skills and counseling abilities Commitment to the philosophy of recovery, continuity of the program, and to affirming the dignity and respect of all clients. Work Environment: Office and Health care setting with clients and other employees present. Working indoors primarily and outdoors occasionally. Working in close proximity to others. May walk on slippery and uneven walking surfaces. Excessive continuous noise at times. Typical office and group counseling environment. Mostly indoor office environment with windows and lights. Physical Demands: Prolonged periods sitting at a desk and working on a computer. Must be able to lift up to 15 pounds at times. Attending conferences or training session
  • Travel Required: Ability to travel to various office or facility locations

Affirmative Action/EEOC Statement: Sierra Health and Wellness is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Other Duties: Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change at any time with or without notice.

Qualifications

Required education and experience: Must obtain and maintain a registration number regulated by a state board (ASW, AMFT, APC) Must possess a master’s degree in social work, marriage and family therapy, or counseling. Have at minimum one-year experience in Drug and Alcohol counseling.

Very familiar with HIPAA/client confidentiality and personal rights. Must possess a current CPR and First Aid certification. Must possess a valid Driver’s License Preferred education and experience: Two to three years of experience in drug and alcohol counseling BA or MA degree in related field. Associate Salary: $80,000 - $90,000 Licensed Salary: $90,000 - $115,000 PM21

Key Responsibilities

Provide individual, group, and clinically indicated family therapy to clients receiving treatment for alcohol and substance use disorders, while assessing and monitoring their progress and responding to crises and other immediate clinical needs. Participate in multidisciplinary treatment and aftercare planning, document clinical services in the electronic health record, and collaborate with and support counselors and community agencies.

Requirements

Applicants must have a master's degree in social work, marriage and family therapy, or counseling; a state-board registration such as ASW, AMFT, or APC; and at least one year of drug and alcohol counseling experience. A current CPR and First Aid certification, valid driver's license, and familiarity with HIPAA, client confidentiality, and personal rights are also required.

Qualifications

Education
Master's degree (postgraduate degree)

Key Skills

Individual TherapyClinical AssessmentSubstance Use Disorder TreatmentMultidisciplinary CollaborationElectronic Health Record Documentation

Counselor Career Context

Of the 50 active Mental Health Therapy listings this role was benchmarked against, 50% are remote, 30% have no call, 68% require no weekends.

Mental Health Therapy pay on WeekdayDoc is down 1.8% vs. the prior quarter (through Oct 2026).

Mental Health Therapy by the numbers
MeasureThis jobMarket
Listed pay$80k–$90kMental Health Therapy median $89k (middle half $76k–$114k)39 comparable listings, Nov 2026
Cost-of-living adjusted pay~$77k in purchasing powerCalifornia index 110.7 (US = 100)BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)
Mental Health Therapy listings in California561 active7,533 nationallylive on WeekdayDoc, Nov 2026
Work settingon-sitepeers: 50% remote · 30% no call · 68% no weekends50 benchmarked listings
Sign-on & loan repaymentnot statedCalifornia counselor listings (all specialties): 12% state a sign-on bonus (median $2k) · 9% offer loan repayment1,000 active listings, Nov 2026
New Mental Health Therapy listings2,473 in the last 30 days1,367 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
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

37 matches · ranked by pay

Salary Distribution

37 jobs · 31 employers
8
<$85k
14
$85k-110k
11
$110k-135k
4
$135k-160k

Annual compensation range

Benefits & Perks

30 jobs
401k / retirement match
97%
CME allowance
40%
Sign-on bonus
37%
Loan repayment
20%
PSLF eligible
10%

Share of similar jobs offering each benefit

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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 7,820 comparable listings. Shaded area = the share scoring below this one.

Living in Orangevale

Typical 3-bedroom home value
$519k≈ 6.5× annual pay
Typical market rent
$2,220/mo≈ 33% of gross pay
Residents’ average commute
28 min
Metro price indexU.S. average = 100
106.7
State income tax
Up to 13.3%
Sources & methodology

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

BEA 2024 · Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA metro prices. Housing figures are city-level.

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