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Rio Rancho, New Mexico

Behavioral Health Counselor 2 (BHC2)

CounselorNo weekendsFull-Time

Listed compensation

$93k-$131k

The week · per this posting · weekdays assumed

Ask the employer about the work setting, call expectations, nights and shift pattern and time off.

Posted 1mo ago · Verified live

Job Description

  • Job Location: Bernalillo, NM 87004
  • Position Type: Full Time
  • Salary Range: $93,309.00 - $130,645.00 Salary
  • Job Shift: Day
  • Job Category: Health & Social

Position Summary The Behavioral Health Counselor (BHC2) works with an interdisciplinary team to meet the needs of persons of all ages whose lives are disrupted or complicated by trauma, mental illness, behavioral disturbances, substance use issues, interpersonal challenges, and/or the inability to function or maintain in the community.

The BHC2 provides both initial and ongoing assessment and care of clients in all stages of acuity for the community. The BHC2 will provide individual, family, and group counseling in the following settings: Outpatient, Intensive Outpatient, In-Home, Transitional Living, and In-Community.

The BHC2 will assist in curriculum and program development as needed. The BHC2 will also serve to coordinate care for clients needing referrals internally and externally to the Pueblo.

Our philosophy is built on the principles of integrity, fairness, collaboration, communication, and recognition for performance excellence.

Meeting all performance standards leads to attracting and retaining a qualified workforce, provides opportunities for qualified team members, and contributes towards the ongoing success of the Pueblo of Sandia today and in the future. Essential Duties and

Responsibilities

Policies and procedures - Maintain established departmental policies and procedures, objectives, and quality assurance programs Professional development - Enhance professional growth and development through participation in educational programs, reading current literature, attending in-services, meetings and workshops.

Provides comprehensive emergency client evaluations whenever necessary, at the Sandia Health Center and in the community. Provides outpatient counseling, and de-escalation, brief interventions, crisis stabilization and case management to community members.

Provides in-person interventions, telehealth, phone triage, and support to clients in need of crisis and case management services. Attends departmental huddles and uses daily management systems as well as community meetings for proper coordination of care and team communication.

Provides in-person interventions, telehealth, phone triage, and support to clients in need of behavioral health intervention and follow up. Develops and maintains recovery- oriented therapeutic relationships with individuals in crisis through ongoing assessment and stabilization efforts.

Collaborates with interdisciplinary team to develop person-centered, trauma informed, strengths-based safety planning. Makes referral arrangements with emergency personnel or resources to provide next step care for clients and families.

Assesses client’s behavioral health and substance use status and provides evidence-based intervention strategies. Provides suicide and risk assessment and abatement, intervention to include Certificate for Evaluation as needed as part of the interdisciplinary team.

Collaborates with all members of the multi-disciplinary team to coordinate care. Documents all patient contacts, client compliance, coordination of care, and other information in the electronic health record system. Provides community outreach and education. Provides flexibility and accommodation as needed.

Ability to provide rapid clinical psychosocial assessments and treatment/management. Demonstrates cultural sensitivity and competency in age specific behaviors. Serves as an information resource to clinical team. Collaborates with peers/staff to develop client treatment strategies and formulate diagnoses.

Participates in job-related training sessions and seminars. Maintains prompt and regular attendance. Transports and/or arranges for client transportation as needed.

Ensures all documentation requirements and billing procedures are completed and submitted in a timely manner to ensure accurate and timely reimbursement of agency services. Ensures that all Tribal, State, Federal, and accreditation oversight regulations are strictly adhered to.

Ability to ensure the security and confidentiality of client information and records in a manner consistent with professional codes of ethics, and hospital policies and procedures. Perform miscellaneous job-related duties as assigned.

Punctual and regular attendance is an essential responsibility for all team members and are expected to report to work based upon the assigned schedule each day in accordance with the Attendance Policy for Pueblo of Sandia. Additional

Responsibilities

Organizational skills - Excellent administrative and organizational skills, clinical and research ethics are a must. Relationship-focused - The relationship between staff and others is respectful, trusting, empathetic, collaborative, and mutual.

Recovery oriented – Identify and build on strengths and empower clients to choose for themselves, recognizing that there are multiple pathways to recovery. Responsiveness - Position requires someone able to be thoughtful and responsive to multiple internal and external stakeholders.

Trauma informed care- Recovery support utilizes a strengths-based framework that emphasizes physical, psychological, and emotional safety and creates opportunities for survivors to rebuild a sense of control and empowerment.

Person/family centered - Services are always directed by the person and/or family participating in services and aligned with the specific hopes, goals, and preferences of the individual served and to respond to specific needs the individuals has identified Resourcefulness and flexibility - Requires resourcefulness, follow-through and flexibility.

Key Performance Indicators This position has Key Performance Indicators (KPI’s) identified as a measurement of success. KPI’s will be shared with all team members who work in this job title and feedback will be provided regarding the successful completion of the KPI’s as part of the performance review process.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities Possesses knowledge of specific substance use/psychiatric illnesses, procedures, and treatments. Ability to provide rapid clinical psychosocial assessments and treatment/management. Demonstrates cultural sensitivity and competency in age specific behaviors.

Knowledge of life span development. Knowledge of community resources. Ability to advocate/negotiate systems for patients. Ability to gather and analyze data, draw conclusions, and make recommendations. Ability to prioritize decisions based upon multiple criteria and identifiable standards.

Ability to maintain objectivity and confidentiality. Ability to use reliable personal transportation and a clean driving record. Experience working with diverse ethnic/racial populations and individuals from rural communities. Experience providing outreach and support. Experience engaging and collaborating with stakeholders.

Qualifications Education and Experience Required

High School Diploma or GED. Bachelor’s degree in related field. Master’s degree in counseling, social work, clinical psychology, or closely related field. Four (4) years proven experience in mental health, substance abuse or related field. Licensure in New Mexico as an LISW, LCSW, LMFT, or LPCC.

Beginner to intermediate experience with Microsoft Office products including Word and Outlook.

Experience in or the ability to learn how to use an Electronic Medical Record (EMR) system, which includes appointment scheduling, authorization, tracking, assessments, treatment plans, progress notes, and discharge summaries. Ability to be credentialed in New Mexico. Preferred: Experience with Native communities.

Trained in Matrix, CBT, DBT, Motivational Interviewing. Multi-lingual. Board Approved supervisor in New Mexico CEU Provider in New Mexico License/Certifications/Registrations Licensure in New Mexico as an LISW, LCSW, LMFT, LPCC or LPAT Active and unrestricted New Mexico driver’s license. Ability to become credentialed.

Must be able to successfully pass a stringent background investigation and character investigation in compliance with PL 101.630. Will require a pre-employment and random drug screening.

Physical Requirements/Working Conditions The following selected physical activities are required to perform the essential functions of this position Physical Requirement Description Balancing Maintaining body equilibrium to prevent falling and walking, standing, or crouching on narrow, slippery, or erratically moving surfaces.

This factor is important if the amount of balancing exceeds that needed for ordinary locomotion and maintenance of body equilibrium. Crouching Bending the body downward and forward by bending leg and spine.

Feeling Perceiving attributes of objects, such as size, shape, temperature, or texture by touching with skin, particularly that of fingertips. Finger Dexterity Picking, pinching, typing or otherwise working, primarily with fingers rather than with the whole hand as in handling.

Grasping Applying pressure to an object with the fingers and palm. Hearing Perceiving the nature of sounds at normal speaking levels with or without correction. Ability to receive detailed information through oral communication, and to make the discriminations in sound.

Kneeling Bending legs at knee to come to a rest on knee or knees. Lifting Raising objects from a lower to a higher position or moving objects horizontally from position-to-position. This factor is important if it occurs to a considerable degree and requires substantial use of upper extremities and back muscles.

(Up to 10 lbs.) Pulling Using upper extremities to exert force to draw, haul, or tug objects in a sustained motion. (Up to 10 lbs.) Pushing Using upper extremities to press against something with steady force to thrust forward, downward, or outward. (Up to 10 lbs.)

Reaching Extending hand(s) and arm(s) in any direction. Seeing The ability to perceive the nature of objects by the eye. Walking Job requirements include, in the pe

Key Responsibilities

The Behavioral Health Counselor provides comprehensive assessment, counseling, and crisis stabilization services to individuals and families in various community settings. They collaborate with an interdisciplinary team to develop person-centered treatment plans and ensure accurate documentation within the electronic health record system.

Requirements

Candidates must hold a Master's degree in counseling, social work, or clinical psychology and possess at least four years of experience in mental health or substance abuse. A valid New Mexico licensure as an LISW, LCSW, LMFT, or LPCC is required, along with the ability to pass a stringent background investigation.

Qualifications

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

Key Skills

Behavioral health counselingPsychosocial assessmentSuicide risk assessmentSubstance use interventionElectronic medical recordsInterdisciplinary collaborationTreatment planningClinical documentation

Behavioral Health — Counselor Career Context

Of the 50 active Behavioral Health listings this role was benchmarked against, 72% are remote, 30% have no call, 72% require no weekends.

The cost-of-living index for New Mexico is 92.2 (US average = 100; BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)), so the posted ~$112k midpoint carries the purchasing power of roughly $121k in an average-cost state. 61.4% of New Mexico clinicians report burnout symptoms in WeekdayDoc's Burnout Index (2026-01 data).

How many Behavioral Health jobs are remote?
MeasureThis jobMarket
Work-life score3.9 / 10 · above average in behavioral health (counseling)ranked against 359 Behavioral Health (Counseling) listingslisting-based score, 0–10
Cost-of-living adjusted pay~$121k in purchasing powerNew Mexico index 92.2 (US = 100)BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)
Work settingon-sitepeers: 72% remote · 30% no call · 72% no weekends50 benchmarked listings
Behavioral Health pay trend+9.7% vs prior quarter—through Sep 2026
Sources: WeekdayDoc live listing index (359 Behavioral Health (Counseling) listings), BEA Regional Price Parities (2024); as of Oct 2026. Same values as the Weekday Verdict and Market Insights on this page.

Top Counselor Jobs

35 matches · ranked by pay

Salary Distribution

35 jobs · 14 employers
9
<$90k
2
$90k-105k
10
$105k-120k
13
$120k-135k
1
$155k

Annual compensation range

Benefits & Perks

30 jobs · 14 employers
401k / retirement match
97% this job
Sign-on bonus
37%
CME allowance
17% this job
Loan repayment
3%
PSLF eligible
3%

Share of similar jobs offering each benefit

#1

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InterDent Service · Salem, Oregon

From $155k
#2

Licensed Clinical Mental Health Therapist - LICSW/LPCC/LMFT

LifeStance Health · Saint Louis Park, Minnesota

$74k-$126k
#3

Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT, LPC, LCSW)

$92k-$125k
#4

Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMFT, LMHC, LCSW)

$115k-$120k
+ 33 more · ranked by pay

Work-life snapshot

median 2.8this job 3.9
Better work-life than 60% of Behavioral Health (Counseling) listings

Listing-based score, 0–10, across 359 comparable listings. Shaded area = the share scoring below this one.

  • No weekends
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About Confidential Employer

Government Administration
51-200 employees

Benefits & Perks

Health Insurance
Dental
Vision
Retirement Plan
Paid Time Off
Professional Development

Living in Rio Rancho

Typical 3-bedroom home value
$343k≈ 3.7× annual pay
Typical market rent
$1,915/mo≈ 25% of gross pay
Residents’ average commute
30 min
Metro price indexU.S. average = 100
95.5
State income tax
Up to 5.9%
Sources & methodology

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

BEA 2024 · Albuquerque, NM metro prices. Housing figures are city-level.

Ratios use this listing’s gross annual pay. Not a cost-of-living guarantee.