Primary Therapist
Listed compensation
$85k-$97k
The week · per this posting
Ask the employer about the work setting, weekend coverage, nights and shift pattern and time off.
Job Description
Empower teens. Transform lives. Grow your career.
At Evolve Treatment Centers, we provide life-changing mental health and substance use treatment for adolescents ages 12–17. Our approach blends evidence-based practices with compassion, innovation, and a strong therapeutic alliance. We are currently seeking a Mental Health Therapist for our 6-bed residential treatment center in Sacramento, CA.
Evolve delivers cutting-edge residential, intensive outpatient (IOP), and partial hospitalization (PHP) programs designed to meet the unique needs of teens and their families. Our clinical model is rooted in:
- Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
- Motivational Interviewing (MI)
- Integrated with experiential therapies like Art, music, surf and equine
What You’ll Do
- Serve as the primary therapist for assigned clients and families
- Conduct weekly individual and family therapy sessions
- Facilitate 1–2 therapy groups/week and complete clinical documentation
- Complete Biopsychosocial & Risk Assessments, develop and monitor Treatment Plans
- Provide after-hours clinical support as part of a phone-based on-call rotation
- Communicate with Utilization Review team for insurance coverage and updates
- Guide clients and families through discharge planning and aftercare coordination
- Participate in weekly Treatment Team and psychiatry meetings
- Complete timely documentation in compliance with licensing/accreditation standards
- Assess and respond to clinical risk, safety planning, and mandated reporting
- Interpret Outcomes Program data to inform treatment planning
What We’re Looking For
- Associate licensure (AMFT, ACSW, APCC) or fully licensed (LMFT, LCSW, LPCC) in California
- Valid California Driver’s License
- Ability to pass LiveScan, criminal background check, and child abuse index clearance
- Willingness to support and interact with COVID-positive clients, if needed
- Passion for adolescent mental health and a team-oriented, flexible attitude
Perks & Benefits
- Competitive Salary ($85K–$90 for unlicensed and $92k-97k licensed)
- Medical, Dental, Vision Insurance
- PTO, Sick Days, Holidays, Religious Observance Leave
- Flexible Spending Account (FSA) & Health Savings Account (HSA)
- Retirement Planning Options
- Quarterly CEU opportunities + regular training & career development
- Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
- Free Chef-Prepared Meals on site
Join Us and Help Change Lives
For information on Evolve's privacy practices, see the Evolve California Personnel Privacy Notice located at https://evolvetreatment.com/personnel-privacy-notice/.
Key Responsibilities
Provide individual, family, and group therapy to assigned adolescent clients, complete assessments and treatment plans, and maintain timely clinical documentation. Coordinate with families, the treatment team, psychiatry, and utilization review; support risk response, discharge planning, and aftercare.
Requirements
Applicants must hold California associate-level licensure (AMFT, ACSW, or APCC) or full licensure (LMFT, LCSW, or LPCC), and have a valid California driver's license. They must pass background and child abuse index clearances and be willing to support adolescents with mental health and substance use needs, including COVID-positive clients if needed.
Qualifications
- Education
- Professional certificate or licensure
Key Skills
Counselor Career Context
Evolve Treatment Centers ranks #4 of 21 employers hiring Counselor on WeekdayDoc by average advertised pay.
Of the 50 active Mental Health Therapy listings this role was benchmarked against, 44% are remote, 14% have no call, 66% require no weekends.
Mental Health Therapy pay on WeekdayDoc is down 2.7% 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 ~$91k midpoint carries the purchasing power of roughly $82k in an average-cost state. 63.6% of California clinicians report burnout symptoms in WeekdayDoc's Burnout Index (2026-01 data).
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Annual compensation range
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Share of similar jobs offering each benefit
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LifeStance Health · Poway, California
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$115k-$135kLicensed Mental Health Therapist (LMFT, LCSW, LPCC)
$117k-$134kWork-life snapshot
Listing-based score, 0–10, across 7,853 comparable listings. Shaded area = the share scoring below this one.
- Includes call
Living in Sacramento
- Typical 3-bedroom home value
- $455k≈ 5.4× annual pay
- Typical market rent
- $2,056/mo≈ 29% of gross pay
- Residents’ average commute
- 25 min
- Metro price indexU.S. average = 100
- 106.7
- 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 · Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA metro prices. Housing figures are city-level.
Ratios use this listing’s gross annual pay. Not a cost-of-living guarantee.