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Backpack Healthcare
Maryland · Hybrid

School Based Mental Health Therapist -Charles County

Counselor Top 25% in Mental Health Therapy (Counseling)Contract

Listed compensation

$45-$65/session

Confirm guaranteed pay, incentives and eligibility with the employer.

Employment & setting
Contract · hybrid
Call expectations
Not specified
Weekends
Not specified
Posted 1mo ago · Verified live

Job description

School-Based Mental Health Clinician
(Hybrid | Fee-for-Service)
Location: MD (Charles County) — school-based, hybrid
License Requirements: Active Maryland license (LCSW-C, LCPC, LCMFT, LMSW, LGPC, or LGMFT)
Compensation: This is a Fee-for-Service (W2) position. Fully licensed clinicians are paid $65/session hour; provisionally licensed clinicians are paid $45/session hour; administrative time is paid at $30/hour.
⏰ Schedule: Hybrid — minimum of 3 in-person school days per week (8 hrs/day), plus telehealth days for flexibility and continuity of care over school breaks and closures.
Who We Are:
We all walk around with an invisible backpack. It carries our emotional experiences, traumas, and unresolved feelings. Similar to a physical backpack, it can become heavy and burdensome when filled with too many items - We created Backpack Healthcare to help lighten the load.
At Backpack Healthcare, we’re reimagining mental health care for children, teens, and young adults. As a clinician-led, minority-owned company, our mission is simple: when clinicians thrive, kids thrive.
At Backpack Healthcare, we’re not just offering a job—we’re offering purpose, flexibility, and the chance to change lives every day. If you’re ready to be part of a collaborative, empowering, and innovative mental health movement, join our team and make a real impact by breaking barriers and healing young minds.
What You’ll Do:
Deliver individual, group, and/or family therapy services to students, both in-person at your assigned school site(s) and via our telehealth platform.
Maintain a defined in-person schedule at your assigned school(s), supplemented by telehealth sessions for continuity of care during school breaks and closures.
Conduct intake evaluations, risk assessments, and create individualized treatment plans.
Maintain accurate and timely clinical documentation in Backpack’s EHR system.
Collaborate with school staff, pediatricians, families, and the internal clinical team for wraparound care.
Support school teams in managing behavioral health challenges and crisis response.
Conduct wellness workshops in-person or virtually with caregivers, educators, and administrators.
Participate in individual and group supervision, if pre-licensed.
What We Are Looking For:
Master’s degree in Counseling, Social Work, Marriage and Family Therapy, or related field.
Active Maryland license (LCSW-C, LMSW, LCPC, LGPC, LCMFT, or LGMFT).
Minimum of 1 year of experience providing therapy to children and adolescents.
Familiarity with trauma-informed care, school systems, and cultural competence.
Strong interpersonal, organizational, and clinical documentation skills.
Passion for increasing access to mental health care in underserved youth populations.
How We Support You:
Growth & Education – CEU reimbursement, clinical supervision, and advancement opportunities
Supportive & Fun Team Culture – Be a part of a community of clinicians & operators
Competitive Benefits
Medical, Dental & Vision Insurance
401(k) + Company Match
Paid Holidays & PTO
Backpack Health is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We believe that the strength of our care depends on the diversity and wellbeing of our team. We celebrate differences in age, color, disability, ethnicity, gender identity or expression, national origin, physical and mental ability, race, religion, sexual orientation, veteran status, and other traits that make each person unique. We welcome and encourage diverse candidates to apply for any position for which they are qualified and to bring their unique perspectives, experiences, and talents to our team.

Key Responsibilities

Deliver individual, group, and family therapy services both in-person at school sites and via telehealth. Conduct intake evaluations, maintain clinical documentation, and collaborate with school staff and families to provide wraparound care.

Requirements

Requires a Master's degree in a mental health field and an active Maryland clinical license (LCSW-C, LCPC, LCMFT, LMSW, LGPC, or LGMFT). Candidates must have at least one year of experience working with children and adolescents.

Qualifications

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

Key Skills

Individual therapyGroup therapyTreatment planningInterpersonal skillsOrganizational skillsCollaboration

Work-Life Balance Analysis

WeekdayDoc's proprietary algorithm rates School Based Mental Health Therapist -Charles County at Backpack Healthcare a 7.7 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 7,782 active Mental Health Therapy (Counseling) listings on WeekdayDoc. Contributing factors include remote work flexibility.

Counselor Career Context

Backpack Healthcare holds silver-tier status on WeekdayDoc's Top Employers work-life index, composite score 72/100, 20 active listings.

Of the 50 active Mental Health Therapy listings this role was benchmarked against, 58% are remote, 10% have no call, 70% require no weekends — this position is remote.

Mental Health Therapy pay on WeekdayDoc is up 3.4% vs. the prior quarter (through Aug 2026).

The cost-of-living index for Maryland is 105.0 (US average = 100; BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)), so the posted ~$48k midpoint carries the purchasing power of roughly $45k in an average-cost state. 62.9% of Maryland clinicians report burnout symptoms in WeekdayDoc's Burnout Index (2026-01 data).

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Annual compensation range

Benefits & Perks36 jobs · 34 employers

401k / retirement match
89% this job
CME allowance
56% this job
Sign-on bonus
22%
Loan repayment
11%
PSLF eligible
3%

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Work-life snapshot

7.7/ 10
Listing-based score

Top 25% in Mental Health Therapy (Counseling)

A signal to investigate—not a guarantee about the workplace.

  • Hybrid
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About Backpack Healthcare

Mental Health Care
Elkridge, Maryland
51-200 employees

Benefits & Perks

CEU Reimbursement
Clinical Supervision
Medical Insurance
Dental Insurance
Vision Insurance
401(k) + Company Match
Paid Holidays
PTO