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UnitedHealth Group
Columbus, Ohio

Lead Behavioral Health Clinician

CounselorFull-Time

Listed compensation

$73k-$130k

The week · per this posting · weekdays assumed

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

Posted 1h ago · Verified live

Job Description

Affirmations Psychological Services, part of the Optum family of businesses, is seeking a Lead Clinical Therapist to join our team in Columbus, OH. As a member of the Optum Behavioral Care team, you’ll be an integral part of our vision to make healthcare better for everyone.

As a Lead Clinical Therapist, you will treat a wide variety of mental health conditions that reflect the needs of our diverse patient population. You will provide patients with behavioral and mental health treatments, including individual and group therapy, medication management, and intensive outpatient programs.

Primary Responsibilities

Conducting chart audits, reviewing documentation and note completion compliance and ensuring clinicians are set up for meeting metrics

  • Promoting clinical quality and safety culture and adherence to OBC and Optum policies
  • Foster collaborative culture within the team and OBC and provide culture building
  • Managing supplies and location needs
  • Facilitating case consultation and supervision
  • Work Allocation: 80%25 Clinical / 20%25 Administrative
  • We are committed to your well-being and growth, offering a comprehensive package of perks and benefits with varying eligibility based on role, including:
  • Competitive salary, flexible work models & paid time off (PTO) when you need it

Health and well-being benefits like health insurance, 401k matching, and other family support and wellness resources

Professional development with continuing education (CE) reimbursement and dedicated learning time to advance your career

You’ll be rewarded and recognized for your performance in an environment that will challenge you and give you clear direction on what it takes to succeed in your role as well as provide development for other roles you may be interested in.

Required Qualifications

  • Master’s degree in psychology, social work, or a related counseling field
  • Must have a clear, active and unrestricted license ([LMFT, LPCC, LISW) in the state of OH

Preferred Qualifications

  • 2+ years of professional experience post master’s degree providing behavioral health services
  • Experience providing direct psychotherapy services to individuals and families
  • Experience working with computers for professional communication and medical documentation - Excel, Outlook, Athena RMS (or other EHRs)
  • Proven ability to work both independently and collaboratively with equal effectiveness

Explore opportunities at Optum Behavioral Care. We’re revolutionizing behavioral health care delivery for individuals, clinicians and the entire health care system. Together, we are bringing high-end medical service, compassionate care and industry leading solutions to our most vulnerable patient populations.

Our holistic approach addresses the physical, mental and social needs of our patients wherever they may be - helping patients access and navigate care anytime and anywhere. We’re connecting care to create a seamless health journey for patients across care settings.

Join our team, it’s your chance to improve the lives of millions while Caring. Connecting. Growing together.

Pay is based on several factors including but not limited to local labor markets, education, work experience, certifications, etc. In addition to your salary, we offer benefits such as, a comprehensive benefits package, incentive and recognition programs, equity stock purchase and 401k contribution (all benefits are subject to eligibility requirements).

No matter where or when you begin a career with us, you’ll find a far-reaching choice of benefits and incentives. The salary for this role will range from $72,800 - $130,000 annually based on full-time employment. We comply with all minimum wage laws as applicable.

At UnitedHealth Group, our mission is to help people live healthier lives and make the health system work better for everyone. We believe everyone–of every race, gender, sexuality, age, location and income–deserves the opportunity to live their healthiest life.

Today, however, there are still far too many barriers to good health which are disproportionately experienced by people of color, historically marginalized groups and those with lower incomes.

We are committed to mitigating our impact on the environment and enabling and delivering equitable care that addresses health disparities and improves health outcomes — an enterprise priority reflected in our mission.

UnitedHealth Group is an Equal Employment Opportunity employer under applicable law and qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, national origin, religion, age, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, or protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by local, state, or federal laws, rules, or regulations.

UnitedHealth Group is a drug-free workplace. Candidates are required to pass a drug test before beginning employment.

Key Responsibilities

The Lead Clinical Therapist will provide direct behavioral and mental health treatments while overseeing clinical quality, documentation compliance, and team culture. The role involves a mix of 80% clinical patient care and 20% administrative duties, including case consultation and facility management.

Requirements

Candidates must hold a Master’s degree in psychology, social work, or a related counseling field and possess an active, unrestricted license (LMFT, LPCC, or LISW) in Ohio. At least two years of post-master’s professional experience in behavioral health services is preferred.

Qualifications

Experience
2+ years of experience

Key Skills

Clinical therapyMental health treatmentIndividual therapyChart auditingClinical documentationClinical supervisionTeam leadershipEHR managementCompliance management

Counselor Career Context

UnitedHealth Group holds silver-tier status on WeekdayDoc's Top Employers work-life index, composite score 76/100, 1,189 active listings.

In Ohio, the Mental Health Therapy weighted monthly median benchmark on WeekdayDoc is ~$65k (195 salary observations; 1,019 listings), vs ~$74k nationally (4,909 salary observations; 20,188 listings). Monthly aggregates cover 2025-12-01 through 2026-10-01; these are not the modal's selected comparable-job medians.

Of the 50 active Mental Health Therapy listings this role was benchmarked against, 28% are remote, 22% have no call, 72% require no weekends.

The cost-of-living index for Ohio is 92.8 (US average = 100; BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)), so the posted ~$101k midpoint carries the purchasing power of roughly $109k in an average-cost state. 61.3% of Ohio clinicians report burnout symptoms in WeekdayDoc's Burnout Index (2026-01 data).

Top Counselor Jobs

38 matches · ranked by pay

Salary Distribution38 jobs · 26 employers

17
<$75k
7
$75k-95k
8
$95k-115k
4
$115k-135k
2
$135k+

Annual compensation range

Benefits & Perks35 jobs · 26 employers

401k / retirement match
91% this job
CME allowance
46% this job
Sign-on bonus
34%
Loan repayment
34%
PSLF eligible
17%

Share of similar jobs offering each benefit

#1

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From $155k
#2

Outpatient Therapist (Licensed Psychologist or LICSW)

Allina Health · Edina, Minnesota

$125k-$140k
#3

Licensed Mental Health Therapist (LMFT, LCSW, LPCC)

$117k-$134k
#4

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

$92k-$125k
+ 36 more · ranked by pay

Work-life snapshot

median 6.2this job 4.8
Better work-life than 40% of Mental Health Therapy (Counseling) listings

Listing-based score, 0–10, across 8,095 comparable listings. Shaded area = the share scoring below this one.

Living in Columbus

Typical 3-bedroom home value
$263k≈ 3.6× annual pay
Typical market rent
$1,450/mo≈ 24% of gross pay
Residents’ average commute
22 min
Metro price indexU.S. average = 100
95.5
State income tax
Up to 4%
Sources & methodology

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

BEA 2024 · Columbus, OH metro prices. Housing figures are city-level.

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

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About UnitedHealth Group

Hospitals and Health Care
Eden Prairie , Minnesota
10,000+ employees

Benefits & Perks

Competitive salary
Flexible work models
Paid time off (PTO)
Health insurance
401k matching
Family support and wellness resources
Continuing education (CE) reimbursement
Dedicated learning time