No salary listed — similar Counselor roles pay ~$84k (median of 13 jobs)

7.2/10 work-life score · Top 25% in Mental Health Therapy (Counseling) — ranked against 7,538 active roles in this specialty

Lutheran Social Service logo
Lutheran Social Service
Sioux Falls, South Dakota

Family Therapist -Juvenile Counseling Services

Counselor Top 25% in Mental Health Therapy (Counseling)No weekendsFull-Time
Posted 2mo ago

About the Role

M-F. No weekends. $600 hiring bonus. PSLF eligible. 401k match. Help at-risk youth and families. Sioux Falls or Rapid City.

Join Lutheran Social Service as a Family Therapist -Juvenile Counseling Services in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. LSS Behavioral Health-JJRI program seeks a Family Therapist with a heart for youth and families. If you would like to be part of a dynamic team that makes a difference in the community, we invite you to apply.

Key Responsibilities

  • Provide Functional Family Therapy (FFT) services to at-risk youth and their families.
  • Strengthen family communication, reduce conflict, and promote healthy, supportive home environment.
  • Help youth recognize harmful thinking patterns and improving decision-making skills and developing positive coping strategies.
  • Supports emotional well-being, trauma recovery, and behavior change through evidence-based therapeutic practices.

Benefits & Compensation

  • Signing bonus offered.
  • Student loan repayment assistance.
  • PSLF eligible (Public Service Loan Forgiveness).

Work Schedule

  • Full-Time position.

This position offers student loan benefits. Work with Lutheran Social Service in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.

Requirements

Requires a Master's degree in Counseling, Social Work, or a related Human Services field, though final-stage interns are accepted. Candidates must be at least 21 years old with a valid driver's license and pass comprehensive background checks.

Qualifications

Education
Master's degree (postgraduate degree)

Key Skills

Functional Family TherapyCrisis InterventionCase DocumentationTreatment PlanningTrauma RecoveryBehavioral ChangeClinical AssessmentFamily CommunicationCoping StrategiesEvidence-Based Practice

Work-Life Balance Analysis

WeekdayDoc's proprietary algorithm rates Family Therapist -Juvenile Counseling Services at Lutheran Social Service 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 7,538 active Mental Health Therapy (Counseling) listings on WeekdayDoc. Contributing factors include no weekend requirements.

Positions in this range offer a solid balance between clinical responsibility and personal time. Most providers report manageable workloads with adequate recovery time.

Mental Health Therapy — Counselor Career Context

In South Dakota, Mental Health Therapy listings on WeekdayDoc pay a median of ~$90k across 19 listings, vs ~$77k nationally (8,020 listings).

Mental Health Therapy pay on WeekdayDoc is up 7.7% vs. the prior quarter (through Aug 2026).

South Dakota's cost-of-living index is 89.0 (US average = 100) — South Dakota ranks #4 of 50 for clinician purchasing power. 58.2% of South Dakota clinicians report burnout symptoms in WeekdayDoc's Burnout Index (2026-01 data).

Location & Logistics

South Dakota has no state income tax, which can significantly increase take-home pay compared to high-tax states.

Position Insights

AI ANALYSIS

This role scores 7.2/10 on work-life balance for Counselor roles.

Career trajectory: This position offers advancement within 2-3 years. The compensation analysis shows this employer pays...

Benefits analysis: Compared to 13 similar roles, this listing's benefits package ranks...

Top Counselor Jobs

40 matches · ranked by pay

Salary Distribution39 jobs · 31 employers

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11
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10
$140k-170k

Annual compensation range

Benefits & Perks31 jobs

401k / retirement match
87% this job
CME allowance
45%
Loan repayment
23% this job
Sign-on bonus
19% this job
PSLF eligible
13% this job

Share of similar jobs offering each benefit

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Lutheran Social Service logo

About Lutheran Social Service

Individual and Family Services
Sioux Falls, SD
201-500 employees

Benefits & Perks

$600 hiring bonus
PTO frontload up to 24 hours
8 Paid Holidays
401(k) 3% match
Health Insurance (Wellmark BCBS)
Dental and Vision plans
Employer paid life insurance
Career development opportunities