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UHS
Summit, New Jersey

Program Therapist (LICENSED)/LSW/LCSW/LAC/LPC/LCADC- Per-Diem (Weekends and Holidays)

CounselorIncludes weekendsPer Diem

Listed compensation

$30-$40/hr

The week · per this posting

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

Posted 1h ago · Verified live

Job Description

Responsibilities

Summit Oaks Hospital, a 126 bed, private acute care hospital and chemical dependency treatment center, located in a picturesque suburban setting, fully accredited (by the Joint Commission), has been providing quality health care to adult, child and adolescent northeastern USA residents, since 1902. Summit Oaks has repeatedly been recognized in U.S. News & World Report, as one of the nation's best behavioral health hospitals.

Our busy Inpatient Department is seeking a highly motivated and licensed clinician to join our therapeutic team.

The Program Therapist (Per-Diem) performs social services functions that will assist patients in meeting their bio-psychosocial needs while allowing them to achieve through therapeutic treatment their optimal level of emotional health.

Program Therapists provide basic consultation, teaching, complete specialized social work services for patients/families receiving care, crisis intervention, short-term therapy, and provide information and referrals as needed. This is a full time, five days a week position with a requirement of one weekend/month.

Universal Health Services, Inc. (UHS), Summit Oaks Hospital's parent company, is one of the nation's largest and most respected health care management companies, operating through its subsidiary acute care hospitals, behavioral health facilities and ambulatory centers nationwide.

Founded in 1978, UHS subsidiaries now have more than 81,00 0employees. The UHS business strategy is to build or purchase health care properties in rapidly growing markets and create a strong franchise based on exceptional service and effective cost control.

Our success comes from our responsive management style and a service philosophy based on integrity, competence and compassion.

UHS is not accepting unsolicited assistance from search firms for this employment opportunity. Please, no phone calls or emails. All resumes submitted by search firms to any employee at UHS via email, the Internet or in any form and/or method without a valid written search agreement in place for this position will be deemed the sole property of UHS. No fee will be paid in the event the candidate is hired by UHS as a result of the referral or through other means.

EEO Statement

All UHS subsidiaries are committed to providing an environment of mutual respect where equal employment opportunities are available to all applicants and teammates. UHS subsidiaries are equal opportunity employers and as such, openly support and fully commit to recruitment, selection, placement, promotion and compensation of individuals without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex (including pregnancy, gender identity, and sexual orientation), genetic information, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.

We believe that diversity and inclusion among our teammates is critical to our success.

Notice

At UHS and all our subsidiaries, our Human Resources departments and recruiters are here to help prospective candidates by matching skillset and experience with the best possible career path at UHS and our subsidiaries. We take pride in creating a highly efficient and best in class candidate experience.

During the recruitment process, no recruiter or employee will request financial or personal information (Social Security Number, credit card or bank information, etc.) from you via email.

The recruiters will not email you from a public webmail client like Hotmail, Gmail, Yahoo Mail, etc. If you are suspicious of a job posting or job-related email mentioning UHS or its subsidiaries, let us know by contacting us at: uhs.alertline.com or 1-800-852-3449.

Qualifications

Education

Master's Degree from an accredited college or university, in Social Work or a clinical related mental health field.

Experience

A minimum of two (2) years experience in a psychiatric health care facility, with direct experience in family and group therapies, crisis intervention, and treatment skills preferred; must have strong clinical assessment skills, preferred.

  • License: Program Therapist possesses a state license in their discipline. (LSW/LCSW/LAC/LPC/LCADC)
  • Additional Requirements: One weekend/month required.

Essential Duties

  • Formulate and conduct educational, therapeutic, and/or support groups.
  • Communicate effectively with patients, families, health care team members and community providers regarding patient status and progress.
  • Interact and communicate with community agencies in assessment of and service to patients.
  • Knowledge of family and group therapy techniques.
  • Knowledge of crisis intervention procedures.
  • Knowledge of therapeutic planning and techniques.
  • Conduct individual/couples/family counseling when indicated.
  • Evaluate and document effectiveness of interventions and patient responses.
  • Contribute to the effective functioning of the patient’s program and other facility-wide activities.

Participate in, and effectively contributes to, patient care conferences, treatment planning meetings and/or treatment planning rounds.

Maintain knowledge of children’s stages of development and seek guidance from the nurse in charge when questions about the norms for behavior related to child development arise. performs other duties as assigned/required by this position.

Qualifications

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

Key Skills

Family therapyIndividual counselingCouples counselingBio-psychosocial assessmentMental health counselingPatient advocacyDocumentationTherapeutic techniquesReferral services

Social Work — Counselor Career Context

Of the 40 active Substance Use / Addiction Counselor listings this role was benchmarked against, 55% are remote, 13% have no call, 85% require no weekends.

The cost-of-living index for New Jersey is 108.8 (US average = 100; BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)), so the posted ~$73k midpoint carries the purchasing power of roughly $67k in an average-cost state. 63.8% of New Jersey clinicians report burnout symptoms in WeekdayDoc's Burnout Index (2026-01 data).

Top contract/1099 Counselor Jobs

40 matches · ranked by pay

Salary Distribution18 jobs

9
<$60k
2
$60k-75k
4
$75k-90k
3
$90k-105k

Annual compensation range

Benefits & Perks23 jobs · 19 employers

401k / retirement match
96%
CME allowance
61%
Loan repayment
30%
PSLF eligible
30%
Sign-on bonus
13%

Share of similar jobs offering each benefit

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+ 38 more · ranked by pay

Work-life snapshot

median 6.1this job 3.0
Better work-life than 30% of Substance Use / Addiction Counselor listings

Listing-based score, 0–10, across 1,008 comparable listings. Shaded area = the share scoring below this one.

  • Includes weekends

Living in Summit

Typical 3-bedroom home value
$1.03M
Typical market rent
$3,047/mo
Residents’ average commute
34 min
State income tax
Up to 10.8%
Sources & methodology

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

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