Mass General Brigham logo
Mass General Brigham
Salem, Massachusetts

Behavioral Health Counselor II

CounselorNo nightsPer Diem

Listed compensation

$32.47-$47.23/hr

The week · per this posting

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

Posted 1mo ago

Job Description

Site: North Shore Medical Center, Inc.

Mass General Brigham relies on a wide range of professionals, including doctors, nurses, business people, tech experts, researchers, and systems analysts to advance our mission. As a not-for-profit, we support patient care, research, teaching, and community service, striving to provide exceptional care.

We believe that high-performing teams drive groundbreaking medical discoveries and invite all applicants to join us and experience what it means to be part of Mass General Brigham.

Job Summary

Conduct comprehensive psychiatric and psychosocial assessments of patients presenting to the Emergency Department with mental health, behavioral health, and substance use concerns.

Assess risk related to suicide, self-harm, violence, psychosis, substance use, and other acute psychiatric symptoms.

Determine the appropriate level of care based on clinical presentation, safety, functional needs, available supports, and treatment history.

Develop individualized disposition plans, including inpatient psychiatric admission, crisis stabilization, partial hospitalization, intensive outpatient treatment, community-based services, outpatient treatment, or discharge to existing supports.

Facilitate psychiatric inpatient bed searches and coordinate referrals and admissions to appropriate levels of care.

Provide crisis intervention, supportive counseling, safety planning, and education to patients and families.

Collaborate with Emergency Department physicians, advanced practice providers, nurses, social workers, case managers, and other hospital departments to develop coordinated treatment plans.

Communicate with community providers, outpatient clinicians, residential programs, DMH, CBHCs, crisis teams, family members, guardians, and other involved supports to obtain collateral information and coordinate care.

Identify and address barriers to safe discharge, including housing instability, lack of community supports, treatment non-adherence, insurance limitations, transportation, and access to follow-up care.

Coordinate referrals to community-based behavioral health services and ensure appropriate follow-up after discharge.

Participate in multidisciplinary meetings and case consultations involving complex or high-utilizing patients.

Provide clinical consultation and recommendations regarding patients with complex psychiatric and behavioral health needs.

Complete timely and accurate clinical documentation, including psychiatric assessments, risk assessments, disposition recommendations, referrals, and care coordination activities.

Maintain knowledge of hospital policies, psychiatric admission criteria, emergency psychiatric procedures, community resources, and applicable state regulations.

Advocate for least restrictive and clinically appropriate treatment while maintaining patient and staff safety.

Qualifications

  • Per Diem position
  • Essential Functions (Key Roles & Responsibilities)
  • Develop and execute group counseling sessions.
  • Assisting Therapists in the discharge process.
  • Participate in staff meetings.
  • Train new staff as needed.
  • Individual counseling utilizing evidence-based treatments.
  • Understanding and maintaining the confidential nature of all client and program related activities.
  • Collaborate with IEP team members including consultation IEP services.
  • Evaluates children and adolescents to risk for harm to self or others and triggers to such.
  • Performs other duties as assigned
  • Complies with all policies and standards

Additional Job Details (if applicable)

Remote Type

Onsite

Work Location: 3 Dove Ave

Scheduled Weekly Hours

0

Employee Type

Per Diem

Work Shift

Day (United States of America)

Pay Range

$32.47 - $47.23/Hourly

Grade

7

At Mass General Brigham, we believe in recognizing and rewarding the unique value each team member brings to our organization.

Our approach to determining base pay is comprehensive, and any offer extended will take into account your skills, relevant experience if applicable, education, certifications and other essential factors.

The base pay information provided offers an estimate based on the minimum job qualifications; however, it does not encompass all elements contributing to your total compensation package.

In addition to competitive base pay, we offer comprehensive benefits, career advancement opportunities, differentials, premiums and bonuses as applicable and recognition programs designed to celebrate your contributions and support your professional growth.

We invite you to apply, and our Talent Acquisition team will provide an overview of your potential compensation and benefits package.

EEO Statement

3200 North Shore Medical Center, Inc. is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religious creed, national origin, sex, age, gender identity, disability, sexual orientation, military service, genetic information, and/or other status protected under law.

We will ensure that all individuals with a disability are provided a reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment.

To ensure reasonable accommodation for individuals protected by Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Vietnam Veteran’s Readjustment Act of 1974, and Title I of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, applicants who require accommodation in the job application process may contact Human Resources at (857)-282-7642.

Mass General Brigham Competency Framework

At Mass General Brigham, our competency framework defines what effective leadership “looks like” by specifying which behaviors are most critical for successful performance at each job level.

The framework is comprised of ten competencies (half People-Focused, half Performance-Focused) and are defined by observable and measurable skills and behaviors that contribute to workplace effectiveness and career success.

These competencies are used to evaluate performance, make hiring decisions, identify development needs, mobilize employees across our system, and establish a strong talent pipeline.

Key Responsibilities

Conduct comprehensive psychiatric and psychosocial assessments for patients in the Emergency Department to determine appropriate levels of care. Facilitate crisis intervention, develop individualized disposition plans, and coordinate referrals with community-based behavioral health services.

Qualifications

Experience
2+ years of experience

Key Skills

Psychiatric assessmentPsychosocial assessmentRisk assessmentSuicide risk assessmentCase managementTreatment planningSubstance use counseling

Behavioral Health — Counselor Career Context

Of the 50 active Counselor listings this role was benchmarked against, 52% are remote, 30% have no call, 64% require no weekends.

In Massachusetts, the Counselor weighted monthly median benchmark on WeekdayDoc is ~$78k (94 salary observations; 213 listings), vs ~$74k nationally (2,533 salary observations; 7,212 listings). Monthly aggregates cover 2025-12-01 through 2026-10-01; these are not the modal's selected comparable-job medians.

The cost-of-living index for Massachusetts is 105.8 (US average = 100; BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)). 63.2% of Massachusetts clinicians report burnout symptoms in WeekdayDoc's Burnout Index (2026-01 data).

Top contract/1099 Counselor Jobs

50 matches · ranked by pay

Salary Distribution25 jobs

9
<$75k
6
$75k-100k
2
$100k-125k
8
$125k-150k

Annual compensation range

Benefits & Perks33 jobs

401k / retirement match
79%
CME allowance
73%
Sign-on bonus
36%
Loan repayment
30%
PSLF eligible
21%

Share of similar jobs offering each benefit

#1

Part-time Therapist - MA/ (Remote)

Cartwheel · Cambridge, Massachusetts

$55-$90/hr
#2

Mental Health Therapist (Part-Time, W2)Contract

Two Chairs · Texas

$58.5-$85/hr
#3

Mental Health Therapist (Part-Time, W2)

$58.5-$85/hr
#4

Mental Health Therapist (Part-Time, W2)

$58.5-$85/hr
+ 48 more · ranked by pay

Work-life snapshot

median 3.0this job 5.1
Better work-life than 70% of Behavioral Health (Counseling) listings

Listing-based score, 0–10, across 339 comparable listings. Shaded area = the share scoring below this one.

  • No nights
  • On-site

Living in Salem

Typical 3-bedroom home value
$664k
Typical market rent
$2,658/mo
Residents’ average commute
29 min
Metro price indexU.S. average = 100
108.3
State income tax
Up to 5%
Sources & methodology

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

BEA 2024 · Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH metro prices. Housing figures are city-level.

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

Mass General Brigham logo

About Mass General Brigham

Hospitals and Health Care
Somerville, Massachusetts
10,000+ employees

Benefits & Perks

Comprehensive benefits
Career advancement opportunities
Differentials, premiums and bonuses as applicable
Recognition programs