Sunshine Behavioral Health logo
Sunshine Behavioral Health
Dana Point, California

Primary Therapist - LCSW, LMFT - PRN

LMFTPer Diem

Listed compensation

$40-45/hr

The week · per this posting

Schedule not stated in this posting — no days, weekends, call or nights given.

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

Posted 3mo ago

Job Description

Schedule: per diem - as needed

The pay range for this position is $ 40-45 per hour, depending on experience and qualifications. Entry level candidates can expect to start at the lower end of the range. Candidates with substantial experience and expertise may qualify for compensation at the higher end of the range.

In addition to base pay, this position offers quarterly bonuses tied to key performance indicators (KPIs), a CEU incentive program, and access to our clinical incentive training program, which can be applied toward tuition reimbursement.

About Us

Chapters Capistrano is dedicated to helping people overcome their struggles with substance abuse and co-occurring mental health issues. Our centers are staffed with people with extensive experience in treating adults with substance use and mental health disorders. We believe in continuing to grow, innovate, and fostering a culture of learning and support.

Role Summary

The Therapist is responsible for providing individual and group therapy, assessing and monitoring client behavior while in treatment for chemical and alcohol abuse and dependency.

In collaboration with the Clinical Director, the Therapist is responsible for documenting client behavior, group participation and therapy, caring for clients, and coordinating treatment and discharge planning.

Therapists will also be providing crisis management, and education for the clients and family/significant others in therapeutic milieu setting.

Responsibilities

  • Provide individual and group therapy using variety of modalities: CBT, DBT, EFT, ACT, and MI.
  • Complete and maintain individual and group therapy notes and documentation.
  • Develop and maintain positive, collaborative relationships with clients, their families, colleagues, and external partners to support effective treatment.
  • Adapt therapy to meet the individual needs of clients based on their reactions and expressed needs..
  • Respond to emergencies and initiate action as required.

Preferred Qualifications

  • Experience working with individuals with substance use and co-occurring mental health disorders.
  • Ability to use motivational interviewing to reinforce client’s power to make change.
  • Possess knowledge of HIPAA.
  • Possess experience and/or education with crisis management.
  • The candidate will show skills and competency in working with clients, from undertaking clinical assessments, planning and delivery of care to review of effective methods of interventions, in order to shape continuing service provision which will meet the needs of individuals.
  • Preferred candidates should be able to work well within a team and independently, effective communication skills, time management, ability to problem solve, and strong professional boundaries.
  • The candidate will be sensitive to religious, ethnic, and cultural differences.
  • Knowledge of CBT, DBT, 12-step recovery, and other evidenced-based theories is a plus.

Minimum Requirements

  • Master’s degree in Behavioral Health Field
  • Therapist License: LCSW, LMFT
  • Current CPR and First Aid Certification or willing to obtain
  • Must successfully complete Background Check, Drug Screen, and TB Test

Physical Requirements

  • Light lifting, able to walk up and down stairs, and extended periods of time sitting.

Benefits

  • Quarterly Bonuses based on KPI’s
  • Retirement Plan

Requirements

Candidates must hold a Master's degree in a Behavioral Health field and a valid LCSW or LMFT license. Current CPR and First Aid certifications are required, along with the ability to pass a background check, drug screen, and TB test.

Qualifications

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

Key Skills

Individual TherapyClinical AssessmentTreatment PlanningHipaa ComplianceCase DocumentationInterpersonal Communication

Work-Life Balance Analysis

WeekdayDoc's proprietary algorithm rates Primary Therapist - LCSW, LMFT - PRN at Sunshine Behavioral Health a 7.2 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 7,479 active Mental Health Therapy (Counseling) listings on WeekdayDoc.

Counselor Career Context

Of the 50 active Mental Health Therapy listings this role was benchmarked against, 44% are remote, 32% have no call, 58% require no weekends.

The cost-of-living index for California is 110.7 (US average = 100; BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)). 63.6% of California clinicians report burnout symptoms in WeekdayDoc's Burnout Index (2026-01 data).

Mental Health Therapy by the numbers
MeasureThis jobMarket
Work-life score7.2 / 10 · top 25% in mental health therapy (counseling)ranked against 7,479 Mental Health Therapy (Counseling) listingslisting-based score, 0–10
Listed paynot listedMental Health Therapy median $56k (middle half $48k–$83k)48 comparable listings, Nov 2026
Cost of livingCalifornia index 110.7US average = 100BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)
Mental Health Therapy listings in California576 active7,478 nationallylive on WeekdayDoc, Nov 2026
Work settingon-sitepeers: 44% remote · 32% no call · 58% no weekends50 benchmarked listings
Sign-on & loan repaymentsign-on bonusCalifornia counselor listings (all specialties): 12% state a sign-on bonus (median $3k) · 9% offer loan repayment1,000 active listings, Nov 2026
New Mental Health Therapy listings2,512 in the last 30 days1,354 the 30 days before (+86%)U.S., first seen on WeekdayDoc, Nov 2026
Sources: WeekdayDoc live listing index (7,479 Mental Health Therapy (Counseling) listings), BEA Regional Price Parities (2024); as of Nov 2026. Same values as the Weekday Verdict and Market Insights on this page.

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Salary Distribution

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11
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0
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Annual compensation range

Benefits & Perks

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401k / retirement match
84% this job
CME allowance
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Sign-on bonus
23% this job
Loan repayment
19%
PSLF eligible
3%

Share of similar jobs offering each benefit

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Work-life snapshot

median 6.0this job 7.2
Better work-life than 80% of Mental Health Therapy (Counseling) listings

Listing-based score, 0–10, across 7,479 comparable listings. Shaded area = the share scoring below this one.

Sunshine Behavioral Health logo

About Sunshine Behavioral Health

Medical Practices
San Juan Capistrano, California
51-200 employees

Benefits & Perks

Quarterly Bonuses
CEU Incentive Program
Tuition Reimbursement
Retirement Plan

Living in Dana Point

Typical 3-bedroom home value
$1.85M
Typical market rent
$4,323/mo
Residents’ average commute
30 min
Metro price indexU.S. average = 100
113.6
State income tax
Up to 13.3%
Sources & methodology

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

BEA 2024 · Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA metro prices. Housing figures are city-level.

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