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Encompass Community Services
Santa Cruz, California

Clinical Counselor- El Dorado Center

Counselor / TherapistFull-Time

Listed compensation

$27/hour

The week · per this posting · weekdays assumed

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

Posted 1mo ago · Verified live

Job Description

  • Job Location: El Dorado Center - Santa Cruz, CA
  • Salary Range: $27.00 - $27.00Hourly, About The Program: EDC is a 16-bed co-ed community-based, short-term residential treatment program for individuals who may be stepping down from locked psychiatric care. An intensive, structured residential program, EDC is an unlocked, home-like environment facilitating the healing process in preparation for transitioning back to community living. Our staff provide individual and group counseling, crisis intervention, structured activities, community outings, and assistance with independent living skills and connecting to the community. A nurse is on staff and a county psychiatrist is available for medication monitoring and management.

About The

  • Position: We currently have a full-time 40-hour week opening for a Clinical Counselor

Pay is $27.00 per hour. Job Responsibilities: Provides supportive individual and group counseling in accordance with funder requirements, agency policies and evidence-based practices. Counseling services are based on best practices for mental health or substance use disorders and/or co-occurring disorders.

Provides crisis counseling, group counseling, relapse prevention planning, case management, and discharge planning services as indicated. Responsible for providing residential treatment curriculum in conjunction with other counseling staff, program and clinical mangers.

Provides support to Residential Counselors as needed in maintaining client participation in curriculum. Responsible for utilizing EBP’s: Motivational Interviewing, Trauma Informed Care, etc. for clients with co-occurring disorders.

Participates in the appropriate documentation of group, case management and/or individual client services as required by program licensure.

Regularly engages in the “Team” approach for Clinicians, Counselors, and other treatment staff (e. g., LVN, NP), which includes a multi-disciplinary approach to treatment, communication, and coordination of client care.

Reports to work on-time, arranges for appropriate coverage of clinical caseload during planned and unplanned absences. Assures schedule is clearly communicated with Program Operations, Clinical Manager, and Lead Clinician.

Understands that excessive absences and an inconsistent presence at the assigned program site has an undue impact on successful program operations and client care.

Preferred Qualifications

Bachelor’s degree in psychology or related field One (1) year experience of providing clinical support in a residential setting. Familiarity with Avatar Wages & Benefits: We prioritize the well-being of our team as much as the community we serve. Our comprehensive health benefits reflect this commitment.

We offer full-time employees medical and dental insurance plan that ensures peace of mind for themselves and their families. We go beyond traditional care by also offering our employees acupuncture and chiropractic, embracing a holistic approach to health that aligns with our values of care and compassion.

Our team’s future matters just as much as the present. That’s why we offer a 403(b) retirement plan, providing a foundation for a secure retirement. We also recognize the need for work-life balance, so Encompass offers a competitive package of 11 vacation days, 15 additional paid holidays, and 12 sick days.

These benefits are thoughtfully pro-rated for part-time positions, affirming our commitment to fairness and flexibility.

Key Responsibilities

The Clinical Counselor provides supportive individual and group counseling, crisis intervention, and case management services within a residential treatment setting. They also collaborate with a multi-disciplinary team to develop treatment plans and ensure consistent client care.

Requirements

Candidates must have a high school diploma or GED and at least one year of experience in mental health residential programs. Proficiency in computer skills, effective communication, and the ability to pass a criminal record clearance are required.

Key Skills

Individual counselingMental health supportSubstance use disorder treatmentTime managementCritical thinkingProblem solvingCommunication skills

Mental Health — Counselor Career Context

In California, the Counselor weighted monthly median benchmark on WeekdayDoc is ~$81k (1,314 salary observations; 3,451 listings), vs ~$73k nationally (10,111 salary observations; 46,259 listings). Monthly aggregates cover 2025-12-01 through 2026-11-01; these are not the modal's selected comparable-job medians.

Of the 50 active Counselor listings this role was benchmarked against, 60% are remote, 32% have no call, 62% require no weekends.

Counselor by the numbers
MeasureThis jobMarket
Listed pay$45k–$56kCounselor median $69k (middle half $59k–$94k)49 comparable listings, Nov 2026
California vs national$81k median in California$73k nationally (+12%)1,314 state / 10,111 national salary observations
Cost-of-living adjusted pay~$46k in purchasing powerCalifornia index 110.7 (US = 100)BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)
All counselor listings in California1,039 active13,307 nationallylive on WeekdayDoc, Nov 2026
Work settingon-sitepeers: 60% remote · 32% no call · 62% no weekends50 benchmarked listings
Sign-on & loan repaymentnot statedCalifornia counselor listings (all specialties): 12% state a sign-on bonus (median $3k) · 9% offer loan repayment1,000 active listings, Nov 2026
Counselor pay trend (all specialties)−1.3% vs prior quarter—through Oct 2026
Sources: WeekdayDoc live listing index, BEA Regional Price Parities (2024); as of Nov 2026. Same values as the Weekday Verdict and Market Insights on this page. California figures use all counselors: too few California Mental Health postings state pay.

Top Counselor Jobs

42 matches · ranked by pay

Salary Distribution

42 jobs · 35 employers
8
<$85k
10
$85k-100k
12
$100k-115k
8
$115k-130k
4
$130k+

Annual compensation range

Benefits & Perks

34 jobs
401k / retirement match
100% this job
Sign-on bonus
38%
CME allowance
35%
Loan repayment
15%
PSLF eligible
9%

Share of similar jobs offering each benefit

#1

Dental Therapist

InterDent Service · Salem, Oregon

From $155k
#2

Licensed Mental Health Therapist

LifeStance Health · Lake Oswego, Oregon

$123k-$141k
#3

Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT)

$123k-$141k
#4

Mental Health Therapist

$131k
+ 40 more · ranked by pay

Work-life snapshot

median 6.0this job 3.9
Better work-life than 30% of Counseling listings

Listing-based score, 0–10, across 13,190 comparable listings. Shaded area = the share scoring below this one.

Encompass Community Services logo

About Encompass Community Services

Individual and Family Services
Santa Cruz, CA
201-500 employees

Benefits & Perks

Medical and dental insurance
Acupuncture and chiropractic
403(b) retirement plan
11 vacation days
15 paid holidays
12 sick days

Living in Santa Cruz

Typical 3-bedroom home value
$1.43M
Typical market rent
$3,418/mo
Residents’ average commute
23 min
Metro price indexU.S. average = 100
109.9
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 · Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA metro prices. Housing figures are city-level.

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