Recreation Counselor
Listed compensation
$25-$34/hr
The week · per this posting
Ask the employer about the work setting, call expectations, weekend coverage and time off.
Job Description
Position: Recreation Counselor
The Recreation Counselor is responsible for all aspects of client recreational activities including planning, documenting and overseeing each function. The Recreation Counselor serves as a member of the interdisciplinary treatment team.
Essential Duties
- Provide supervised highly structured indoor recreational activities to residents.
- Provide supervised highly structured outdoor recreational activities to residents.
- Provide supervised, highly structured indoor recreation in weight room with residents.
- Plan and oversee special events with residents and their families.
- Provide supervisor with scheduled activities for residents in orientation, early treatment, middle treatment, and late treatment phases of the program.
- Provide daily group note indicating activities and resident participation.
- Complete and accurate reporting of incidents, resident elopements, and crisis intervention.
- Participation in supervision.
- Communicate all pertinent information/incidents/emergencies via SAC book/House manager.
- Supervise residents in self-medication.
- Perform other duties assigned as related to role.
Minimum Requirements
- CASAC-T, CASAC, or higher preferred.
- 1 year of experience working with clients with substance abuse disorders.
- 1 year of experience working with adolescents with co-occurring mental health problems.
- 1 year of experience working in an OASAS funded facility a plus.
Preferred Qualifications
- Commitment to providing quality services and outcome driven performance measures.
- Excellent organizational management skills with the ability to coach staff, manage, and develop high-performance clinicians, set and achieve program objectives.
- Strong networking and public relations skills with the ability to engage a wide range of stakeholders, populations, and cultures.
- Action-oriented, adaptable, and innovative approach to program planning.
- Ability to work effectively in collaboration with diverse groups of people.
Key Responsibilities
The Recreation Counselor plans, documents, and oversees all client recreational activities while serving as a member of the interdisciplinary treatment team. They are responsible for supervising residents during indoor and outdoor activities, managing special events, and ensuring accurate reporting of incidents and participation.
Requirements
Candidates should possess a CASAC-T, CASAC, or higher certification and have at least one year of experience working with adolescents with co-occurring mental health and substance abuse disorders. Experience in an OASAS-funded facility is considered a plus.
Qualifications
- Education
- Professional certificate or licensure
Key Skills
Recreation Therapy — Counselor Career Context
Outreach Development ranks #18 of 24 employers hiring Counselor on WeekdayDoc by average advertised pay.
Of the 50 active Counselor listings this role was benchmarked against, 34% are remote, 34% have no call, 68% require no weekends.
Counselor pay on WeekdayDoc is up 4.0% vs. the prior quarter (through Sep 2026).
The cost-of-living index for New York is 107.9 (US average = 100; BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)), so the posted ~$61k midpoint carries the purchasing power of roughly $57k in an average-cost state. 64.6% of New York clinicians report burnout symptoms in WeekdayDoc's Burnout Index (2026-01 data).
Top Counselor Jobs
43 matches · ranked by paySalary Distribution43 jobs · 36 employers
Annual compensation range
Benefits & Perks31 jobs
Share of similar jobs offering each benefit
Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT, LPC, LCSW)
LifeStance Health · Madison, Wisconsin
Remote Mental Health Counselor (LMFT, LCSW, LMHC)
Gotham Enterprises · Watertown, New York
NY Licensed DBT Therapist - DBT Master’s or Doctoral - Telehealth - Full-Time
$93k-$120kLicensed Mental Health Counselor (LMFT, LCSW, LMHC)
$115k-$120k