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Thresholds
Chicago, Illinois

School Therapist - Loren Juhl School

CounselorFull-Time

Listed compensation

$58k-$64k

The week · per this posting · weekdays assumed

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

Posted 5mo ago

Job Description

The School Therapist provides clinical services to students at Thresholds’ Therapeutic Day School, addressing barriers that limit a student from receiving the full benefit from their education experience. The School Therapist works in conjunction with the rest of the education staff to provide support with social, emotional, and psychological issues to help the students successfully complete their high school education. Come and join the team!

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

  • Provides weekly individual therapy services to students according to IEPs.
  • Participates in twice weekly education team meetings
  • Participates in the IEP process, gathering information to write therapeutic goals and a behavior intervention plan
  • Responds to crisis situations in the school and assists students in using coping skills so that they can successfully return to class. Manages emergencies and crises utilizing Therapeutic Crisis Intervention (TCI) skills.
  • Assists students in completing Life Space Interviews after an incident has occurred.
  • Collaborates and maintains communication with the students’ residential treatment team, when applicable.
  • Provides accurate and timely documentation and reports.
  • Assists teachers and principal with classroom activities/field trips as needed.

Education/Experience

  • Master’s degree in social work, counseling or related field REQUIRED
  • Type 73 preferred
  • LCSW or LCPC preferred
  • Prior experience working with young adults strongly preferred

Skills/Certifications/Requirements

  • Therapeutic Crisis Intervention Certification (training is provided by Thresholds)
  • Daily access to a personal vehicle
  • Current and valid driver’s license
  • Willingness to provide transportation to members of the program

Must Obtain and Maintain Liability Car Insurance Of

  • $100,000 per person bodily injury
  • $300,000 per accident
  • $100,000 property damage
  • Must be 23 years of age and must meet all insurance carrier’s requirements

What Sets Thresholds Apart

Competitive pay – Base rate: $27.64 - $30.53 per hour / $57,500 - $63,500 annually

Subject to increase based on education and experience

Generous PTO (9 federal holidays, 8 days of sick leave, 15-22 days personal and vacation) Dental insurance, vision insurance, choice of 4 medical insurance plans 403(b) retirement plan with 3% employer match Robust employee assistance program (EAP) Public service loan forgiveness Supervision for clinical licensure at no cost (LSW, LCSW, LPC, LCPC)

Thresholds is a mission-driven agency with a deep commitment to fostering an environment where all feel valued and respected, a place where every employee can be themselves, thrive, and support the agency’s mission. Click here to learn more.

One of the oldest and largest community mental health organizations in Illinois, we pride ourselves in being a Chicago Tribune Top Workplace and one of Chicago’s 101 Best & Brightest Companies to Work For, several years in a row.

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Key Responsibilities

The School Therapist provides individual clinical services and crisis intervention to students within a therapeutic day school setting. They collaborate with education staff to develop IEP goals and behavior plans to help students successfully complete high school.

Requirements

A Master's degree in social work, counseling, or a related field is required, with LCSW or LCPC preferred. Candidates must have a valid driver's license, personal vehicle, and meet specific auto insurance requirements.

Qualifications

Education
Master's degree (postgraduate degree)
Experience
2+ years of experience

Key Skills

IEP DevelopmentBehavior Intervention PlanningClinical DocumentationCase CollaborationStudent Support

Work-Life Balance Analysis

WeekdayDoc's proprietary algorithm rates School Therapist - Loren Juhl School at Thresholds a 7.9 out of 10 for work-life balance — classified as very good. This places the position in the top 25% in Mental Health Therapy (Counseling) — ranked against 8,026 active Mental Health Therapy (Counseling) listings on WeekdayDoc.

Counselor Career Context

Of the 50 active Mental Health Therapy listings this role was benchmarked against, 40% are remote, 24% have no call, 64% require no weekends.

The cost-of-living index for Illinois is 100.0 (US average = 100; BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)), so the posted ~$61k midpoint carries the purchasing power of roughly $61k in an average-cost state. 62.6% of Illinois clinicians report burnout symptoms in WeekdayDoc's Burnout Index (2026-01 data).

Top Counselor Jobs

35 matches · ranked by pay

Salary Distribution35 jobs · 28 employers

8
<$60k
6
$60k-70k
9
$70k-80k
5
$80k-90k
7
$90k+

Annual compensation range

Benefits & Perks33 jobs · 28 employers

401k / retirement match
82% this job
Sign-on bonus
45%
CME allowance
33%
Loan repayment
27% this job
PSLF eligible
21% this job

Share of similar jobs offering each benefit

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$82k-$109k
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Licensed Therapist (LCSW, LMHC, LMFT) $5k+ Signing Bonus!

LifeStance Health · South Bend, Indiana

$84k-$107k
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Substance Use Counselor

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Work-life snapshot

median 6.1this job 7.9
Better work-life than 90% of Mental Health Therapy (Counseling) listings

Listing-based score, 0–10, across 8,026 comparable listings. Shaded area = the share scoring below this one.

Living in Chicago

Typical 3-bedroom home value
$356k
Typical market rent
$2,342/mo
Residents’ average commute
33 min
State income tax
Up to 5%
Sources & methodology

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

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

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About Thresholds

Mental Health Care
Chicago, Illinois
1,001-5,000 employees

Benefits & Perks

9 federal holidays
8 days sick leave
15-22 days personal and vacation
Dental insurance
Vision insurance
Choice of 4 medical insurance plans
403(b) retirement plan with 3% employer match
Employee assistance program