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Outreach Development
Brentwood, New York

Recreation Counselor

CounselorFull-Time

Listed compensation

$25-$34/hr

The week · per this posting

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

Posted 1h ago · Verified live

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

Recreational PlanningSubstance Abuse CounselingAdolescent CareMental Health SupportDocumentationEvent PlanningStaff SupervisionInterdisciplinary CollaborationMedication Supervision

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 pay

Salary Distribution43 jobs · 36 employers

14
<$80k
17
$80k-95k
7
$95k-110k
4
$110k-125k
1
$125k

Annual compensation range

Benefits & Perks31 jobs

401k / retirement match
84%
CME allowance
32%
Sign-on bonus
23%
PSLF eligible
13%
Loan repayment
3%

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Work-life snapshot

median 6.3this job 3.0
Better work-life than 20% of Counseling listings

Listing-based score, 0–10, across 13,439 comparable listings. Shaded area = the share scoring below this one.

Living in Brentwood

Typical 3-bedroom home value
$621k
State income tax
Up to 10.9%
Sources & methodology

Sources: Zillow home values (Aug 2026).

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