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Pyramid Healthcare
Joppa, Maryland, United States

Assessment Counselor PRN

Counselor / TherapistIncludes callPer Diem

Listed compensation

$25-$30/hr

The week · per this posting

Ask the employer about the work setting, weekend coverage, nights and shift pattern and time off.

Posted 12m ago · Verified live

Job Description

Pyramid Healthcare is dedicated to offering the highest quality of care to those we serve. A focus on client-focused care establishes our family of brands as respected leaders in addiction treatment, mental health recovery and eating disorder treatment modalities.

Pyramid Healthcare offers comprehensive behavioral healthcare defined by supportive environments that offer patients the strength they need to overcome life’s challenges. We offer behavioral healthcare services – psychiatry, addiction recovery, mental disorder treatment, etc. – that allow clients at all stages of recovery or rehabilitation to reclaim health and well-being.

  • Location: Harford Facility
  • Address: 1015 Pulaski Highway, Joppa, MD 21085
  • Pay: $25hr -$30 hr
  • Schedule: PRN

Assessment Counselor

Pyramid Healthcare is seeking a dedicated Assessment Counselor to join our clinical team at our Harford County Inpatient Treatment Facility in Joppa, Maryland.

The Assessment Counselor will conduct comprehensive clinical and substance use assessments for individuals seeking behavioral healthcare services. This role is responsible for evaluating presenting concerns, determining appropriate levels of care, identifying immediate safety needs, and supporting timely admission and referral decisions.

Working closely with clients, families, referral sources, medical professionals, and the interdisciplinary treatment team, the Assessment Counselor will help ensure each individual receives appropriate, coordinated, and clinically informed care.

Why Join Pyramid Healthcare?

  • Collaborative and supportive clinical environment
  • Opportunities for professional growth and advancement
  • Ongoing training, supervision, and continuing education
  • Meaningful work supporting individuals and families
  • Opportunity to work alongside experienced behavioral health professionals
  • Comprehensive benefits package for eligible employees
  • Mission-driven culture focused on recovery and healing
  • What You’ll Do

As an Assessment Counselor, you will:

  • Conduct comprehensive substance use and mental health assessments.
  • Complete biopsychosocial evaluations, including behavioral, emotional, cognitive, spiritual, medical, and social needs.
  • Assess presenting problems, treatment history, current functioning, risk factors, and recovery supports.
  • Determine appropriate level of care and make clinically appropriate treatment recommendations.
  • Complete suicide risk, withdrawal, psychiatric, and crisis assessments as needed.
  • Identify co-occurring mental health conditions and other behavioral health concerns.
  • Conduct telephonic and face-to-face assessments with prospective clients.
  • Coordinate admissions, referrals, transfers, and placements with internal and external providers.
  • Collaborate with medical staff, clinical teams, referral sources, families, and community agencies.
  • Provide crisis intervention and support to individuals experiencing acute behavioral health concerns.
  • Explain program services, treatment expectations, admission requirements, and client rights.
  • Obtain and verify clinical, demographic, insurance, and medication information.
  • Maintain accurate, timely, and compliant documentation in the electronic health record.
  • Assist with insurance verification, authorization requests, and utilization review processes.
  • Support continuity of care by coordinating referrals and follow-up services.
  • Participate in treatment team meetings, case consultations, and clinical reviews as assigned.
  • Maintain confidentiality and professional boundaries in accordance with ethical and regulatory standards.
  • Complete required trainings and maintain compliance with company, licensing, and accreditation requirements.
  • Participate in on-call rotations and perform other duties as assigned.

Required Qualifications

  • Candidates must possess one of the following Maryland credentials:
  • Maryland Alcohol and Drug Trainee (ADT)
  • Licensed Graduate Professional Counselor (LGPC)
  • Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor (LCPC)
  • Licensed Graduate Alcohol and Drug Counselor (LGADC)
  • Licensed Clinical Alcohol and Drug Counselor (LCADC)
  • Licensed Master Social Worker (LMSW)
  • Licensed Certified Social Worker–Clinical (LCSW-C)

Active trainee status, certification, or professional licensure recognized by the Maryland Board of Professional Counselors and Therapists or the Maryland Board of Social Work Examiners

Preferred Qualifications

Experience or Specialized Training In

  • Substance use disorder assessments
  • Inpatient, residential, detoxification, or behavioral healthcare settings
  • Co-occurring mental health and substance use disorders
  • Crisis intervention and risk assessment
  • ASAM level-of-care criteria
  • Motivational Interviewing
  • Trauma-informed care
  • Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
  • Relapse prevention and recovery planning
  • Insurance authorization and utilization review
  • Electronic health record systems
  • Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

Successful Candidates Will Demonstrate

  • Strong clinical assessment and decision-making skills
  • Excellent verbal, written, and interpersonal communication
  • Ability to establish rapport quickly with individuals in crisis or early recovery
  • Knowledge of substance use disorders and behavioral health conditions
  • Ability to identify safety concerns and respond appropriately
  • Understanding of levels of care and treatment placement recommendations
  • Strong organization, documentation, and time-management skills
  • Ability to work effectively within a multidisciplinary team
  • Sound ethical judgment and commitment to confidentiality
  • Proficiency with electronic health records and clinical documentation
  • Ideal Candidate

We Are Seeking a Clinician Who

  • Is passionate about recovery and behavioral healthcare
  • Treats clients with compassion, dignity, and respect
  • Can gather sensitive information in a professional and nonjudgmental manner
  • Demonstrates sound clinical judgment and attention to detail
  • Thrives in a fast-paced inpatient environment
  • Is comfortable responding to crisis situations
  • Communicates effectively with clients, families, providers, and referral sources
  • Is committed to connecting individuals with appropriate and timely care

Work Environment

This position operates primarily in an inpatient behavioral healthcare setting and may involve working with individuals experiencing:

  • Substance use disorders
  • Co-occurring mental health conditions
  • Withdrawal and early recovery symptoms
  • Trauma-related concerns
  • Emotional and psychiatric challenges
  • Crisis situations

Suicidal or Other Safety-related Concerns

  • Employees may be exposed to communicable illnesses and emotionally sensitive situations while providing assessment and crisis-support services.
  • Employment Requirements
  • All candidates selected for employment must successfully complete:
  • Criminal background screening
  • Drug screening
  • License and credential verification

Any Required State-mandated Clearances

Employment is contingent upon meeting all applicable federal, state, regulatory, and accrediting-body requirements.

Ready to Make an Impact?

Join Pyramid Healthcare and help individuals access the right level of care at the right time. Apply today to become an Assessment Counselor at our Harford Inpatient Facility in Joppa, Maryland, and help connect individuals and families with the support they need to begin their recovery journey.

Pyramid CORE Values

We are committed and proud to live our CORE values and use them to inspire those around us. Our employees are expected to align with these values, behaviors, and standards.

We are held accountable for upholding these CORE Values: INTEGRITY is striving to be honest, transparent, and ethical when dealing with clients, staff, and the community. DEDICATION is demonstrating an unwavering commitment to always provide exceptional care and support to those we serve is needed daily.

COLLABORATION is a steadfast, team-focused approach; working together to achieve excellence. PASSION is genuine, compelling, and relentless desire to improve lives and support Pyramid Healthcare’s mission.

Total Rewards for Full-Time Positions

  • Medical, Dental, and Vision Insurance
  • Flexible Spending Accounts
  • Life Insurance
  • Paid Time Off
  • 401(k) with Company Match
  • Tuition Reimbursement
  • Employee Recognition Programs
  • Referral Bonus opportunities
  • And More!

Want to Know More?

To learn more about Pyramid Healthcare, and how you can achieve personal and professional growth, visit us at: bit. ly.

Pyramid Healthcare, Inc. is proud of its diverse workforce, and is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

Key Responsibilities

The Assessment Counselor conducts comprehensive clinical and substance use assessments to determine appropriate levels of care for individuals seeking behavioral healthcare. They also coordinate admissions, referrals, and transfers while providing crisis intervention and maintaining accurate clinical documentation.

Requirements

Candidates must hold a valid Maryland credential such as ADT, LGPC, LCPC, LGADC, LCADC, LMSW, or LCSW-C. Experience in behavioral healthcare settings and proficiency in clinical assessment and documentation are highly preferred.

Qualifications

Education
Doctoral or professional degree (postgraduate degree)
Experience
2+ years of experience

Key Skills

Substance use disorder treatmentMental health assessmentBiopsychosocial evaluation

Behavioral Health — Counselor Career Context

In Maryland, the Counselor weighted monthly median benchmark on WeekdayDoc is ~$78k (436 salary observations; 1,238 listings), vs ~$73k nationally (10,111 salary observations; 46,259 listings). Monthly aggregates cover 2025-12-01 through 2026-11-01; these are not the modal's selected comparable-job medians.

The cost-of-living index for Maryland is 105.0 (US average = 100; BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)), so the posted ~$57k midpoint carries the purchasing power of roughly $54k in an average-cost state. 62.9% of Maryland clinicians report burnout symptoms in WeekdayDoc's Burnout Index (2026-01 data).

What does the Counselor market look like in Maryland?
MeasureThis jobMarket
Listed pay$52k–$62kCounselor median $71k (middle half $66k–$118k)12 comparable listings, Nov 2026
Maryland vs national$78k median in Maryland$73k nationally (+7%)436 state / 10,111 national salary observations
Cost-of-living adjusted pay~$54k in purchasing powerMaryland index 105.0 (US = 100)BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)
Behavioral Health listings in Maryland13 active—live on WeekdayDoc, Nov 2026
All counselor listings in Maryland393 active13,299 nationallylive on WeekdayDoc, Nov 2026
Work settingon-sitepeers: 60% remote · 28% no call · 66% no weekends50 benchmarked listings
Sign-on & loan repaymentnot statedMaryland counselor listings (all specialties): 12% state a sign-on bonus (median $5k) · 9% offer loan repayment393 active listings, Nov 2026
New Behavioral Health listings868 in the last 30 days483 the 30 days before (+80%)U.S., first seen on WeekdayDoc, Nov 2026
Counselor pay trend (all specialties)−1.3% 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. Maryland figures use all counselors: too few Maryland Behavioral Health postings state pay.

Top contract/1099 Counselor Jobs

50 matches · ranked by pay

Salary Distribution

16 jobs
6
<$55k
2
$55k-70k
5
$70k-85k
3
$92k

Annual compensation range

Benefits & Perks

21 jobs
401k / retirement match
67% this job
CME allowance
48% this job
Loan repayment
14%

Share of similar jobs offering each benefit

#1

Outpatient Therapist TF-CBT

Northeast Family Services · New Rochelle, New York

$70-$100/hr
#2

Outpatient Therapist TF-CBT

Northeast Family Services · Bronx, New York

$70-$100/hr
#3

Part Time Remote Group Therapist - California Licensed

$62-$96/hr
#4

Part Time Remote Group Therapist - Texas Licensed

$62-$96/hr
+ 48 more · ranked by pay

Work-life snapshot

median 2.8this job 2.8
Better work-life than 50% of Behavioral Health (Counseling) listings

Listing-based score, 0–10, across 342 comparable listings. Shaded area = the share scoring below this one.

  • Includes call
Pyramid Healthcare logo

About Pyramid Healthcare

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

Benefits & Perks

Medical, dental, and vision insurance (eligible employees)
Flexible spending accounts
Life insurance
Paid time off
401(k) with company match
Tuition reimbursement
Employee recognition programs
Referral bonus opportunities

Living in Joppa

Typical 3-bedroom home value
$347k
Typical market rent
$1,611/mo
Metro price indexU.S. average = 100
104.5
State income tax
Up to 5.8%
Sources & methodology

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

BEA 2024 · Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD metro prices. Housing figures are city-level.

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