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Encompass Community Services
Santa Cruz, California

Clinical Counselor- El Dorado Center

CounselorFull-Time

Listed compensation

Salary Range: $27.00/hr

The week · per this posting

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

Posted 9m ago · Verified live

Job Description

Job Details: Job Location: Santa Cruz, CA 95062, Salary Range: $27.00 - $27.00 Hourly, About The Program: EDC is a 16-bed co-ed community-based, short-term residential treatment program for individuals who may be stepping down from locked psychiatric care.

An intensive, structured residential program, EDC is an unlocked, home-like environment facilitating the healing process in preparation for transitioning back to community living.

Our staff provide individual and group counseling, crisis intervention, structured activities, community outings, and assistance with independent living skills and connecting to the community. A nurse is on staff and a county psychiatrist is available for medication monitoring and management.

About The Position

We currently have a full-time 40-hour week opening for a Clinical Counselor. Pay is $27.00 per hour. Job Responsibilities: Provides supportive individual and group counseling in accordance with funder requirements, agency policies and evidence-based practices.

Counseling services are based on best practices for mental health or substance use disorders and/or co-occurring disorders. Provides crisis counseling, group counseling, relapse prevention planning, case management, and discharge planning services as indicated.

Responsible for providing residential treatment curriculum in conjunction with other counseling staff, program and clinical mangers. Provides support to Residential Counselors as needed in maintaining client participation in curriculum.

Responsible for utilizing EBP’s: Motivational Interviewing, Trauma Informed Care, etc. for clients with co-occurring disorders. Participates in the appropriate documentation of group, case management and/or individual client services as required by program licensure.

Regularly engages in the “Team” approach for Clinicians, Counselors, and other treatment staff (e. g., LVN, NP), which includes a multi-disciplinary approach to treatment, communication, and coordination of client care.

Reports to work on-time, arranges for appropriate coverage of clinical caseload during planned and unplanned absences. Assures schedule is clearly communicated with Program Operations, Clinical Manager, and Lead Clinician.

Understands that excessive absences and an inconsistent presence at the assigned program site has an undue impact on successful program operations and client care.

Required Qualifications

High School Diploma or GED. At least one year experience in mental health residential programs Possess written and verbal skills to interact and communicate effectively with employees, supervisors, physicians, healthcare professionals, clients and their families.

Experience with collaborative and trauma informed communication styles when serving clients in a healthcare or treatment setting. Proficient computer skills and history of timely completion of work related tasks. Good oral and written communication skills with colleagues and clients.

Effective organizational and time management skills. Effective prioritization of daily work tasks. Effective experience problem solving and using critical thinking.

Must have a health examination including a screening for tuberculosis within 90 days prior to employment or within seven days after employment and at least annually thereafter. Ability to recognize the needs and concerns of diverse groups of people. Must be able to pass a criminal record clearance.

Preferred Qualifications

Bachelor’s degree in psychology or related field One (1) year experience of providing clinical support in a residential setting. Familiarity with Avatar Wages & Benefits: We prioritize the well-being of our team as much as the community we serve. Our comprehensive health benefits reflect this commitment.

We offer full-time employees medical and dental insurance plan that ensures peace of mind for themselves and their families. We go beyond traditional care by also offering our employees acupuncture and chiropractic, embracing a holistic approach to health that aligns with our values of care and compassion.

Our team’s future matters just as much as the present. That’s why we offer a 403(b) retirement plan, providing a foundation for a secure retirement. We also recognize the need for work-life balance, so Encompass offers a competitive package of 11 vacation days, 15 additional paid holidays, and 12 sick days.

These benefits are thoughtfully pro-rated for part-time positions, affirming our commitment to fairness and flexibility.

About Us

At Encompass Community Services we provide our community with a wide range of services related to family & social well-being, behavioral health, housing and more. Every day through these services we work to make health, education and housing more equitable for all people in Santa Cruz County. For more than 50 years our work has touched generations by helping people have access to education, rebuild relationships, restore their health and regain dignity.

Qualifications

Key Responsibilities

The Clinical Counselor provides supportive individual and group counseling, crisis intervention, and case management within a residential treatment setting. They also collaborate with a multi-disciplinary team to coordinate client care and maintain residential treatment curriculum.

Requirements

Candidates must have a high school diploma or GED and at least one year of experience in mental health residential programs. Proficiency in trauma-informed care and effective communication skills are required, with a bachelor's degree in psychology preferred.

Qualifications

Education
Bachelor degree

Key Skills

Individual counselingMental health supportSubstance use disorder treatment

Counselor Career Context

Of the 50 active Mental Health Counseling listings this role was benchmarked against, 60% are remote, 20% have no call, 66% require no weekends.

Mental Health Counseling pay on WeekdayDoc is down 6.2% vs. the prior quarter (through Aug 2026).

The cost-of-living index for California is 110.7 (US average = 100; BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)), so the posted ~$56k midpoint carries the purchasing power of roughly $51k in an average-cost state. 63.6% of California clinicians report burnout symptoms in WeekdayDoc's Burnout Index (2026-01 data).

Top Counselor Jobs

38 matches · ranked by pay

Salary Distribution38 jobs · 28 employers

6
<$85k
14
$85k-105k
11
$105k-125k
6
$125k-145k
1
$170k

Annual compensation range

Benefits & Perks33 jobs · 28 employers

401k / retirement match
85% this job
CME allowance
39%
Sign-on bonus
30%
PSLF eligible
12%
Loan repayment
9%

Share of similar jobs offering each benefit

#1

Therapist

Tuolumne Me Wuk Indian Health Center · Tuolumne City, California

$113k-$170k
#2

Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor (LPCC)

LifeStance Health · Poway, California

$118k-$135k
#3

Licensed Clinical Therapist (LMFT, LCSW, LPCC)

$115k-$135k
#4

Licensed Mental Health Clinician (LMFT, LCSW, LPCC)

$117k-$134k
+ 36 more · ranked by pay

Work-life snapshot

median 6.0this job 3.9
Better work-life than 30% of Mental Health Counseling listings

Listing-based score, 0–10, across 638 comparable listings. Shaded area = the share scoring below this one.

Living in Santa Cruz

Typical 3-bedroom home value
$1.44M
Typical market rent
$3,532/mo
Residents’ average commute
23 min
Metro price indexU.S. average = 100
109.9
State income tax
Up to 13.3%
Sources & methodology

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

BEA 2024 · Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA metro prices. Housing figures are city-level.

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

Encompass Community Services logo

About Encompass Community Services

Individual and Family Services
Santa Cruz, CA
201-500 employees

Benefits & Perks

Medical Insurance
Dental Insurance
Acupuncture
Chiropractic
403(b) Retirement Plan
11 Vacation Days
15 Paid Holidays
12 Sick Days