Residential Mental Health Counselor
Listed compensation
$19-$23/hr
The week · per this posting
Schedule not stated in this posting — no days, weekends, call or nights given.
Ask the employer about call expectations, weekend coverage, nights and shift pattern and time off.
Job Description
- Grow with us!
- Mental Health Counselor
- (Per Diem)
- Walden Behavioral Care
- Dedham, MA
Walden Behavioral Care is one of the only rapidly-growing, leading national specialty healthcare systems dedicated to serving all genders and offering the full continuum of care for people with all types of eating disorders. We currently have 14-locations on the East Coast in Connecticut, Massachusetts and Georgia.
Over the past 15 years, utilizing our state-of-the art evidence based, personalized approach to care, we have helped over 20,000 people on their road to recovery. Headquartered in Massachusetts we have over 450 employees who are dedicated to helping people with eating disorders get the help they need and deserve. Learn more at waldenbehavioralcare.com or waldeneatingdisorders.com.
The Mental Health Counselor provides direct patient care to adolescents and adults under the supervision of clinical staff and program director. Our program is a 24-hour level of care facility.
Pay:$19.00-$23.00/hour depending on education and experience
Total Rewards
Discover a rewarding career with us and enjoy an array of comprehensive benefits! We prioritize your success and well-being, providing:
- Competitive compensation
- Medical, dental, and vision insurance coverage (Benefits At a Glance)
- Retirement
- Company-paid life insurance, AD&D, and short-term disability
- Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
- Flexible Spending Account (FSA)
- Health Savings Account (HSA)
- Paid time off
- Professional development
- And many more!
At Walden we are committed to creating an inclusive and diverse workplace, where we celebrate our employees, our patients and the communities we work with. In recruiting for our team we welcome the unique contributions only you can bring in terms of your education, culture, opinions, experience and background. Join us and find out how you can make a difference today.
Responsibilities Include
Provide a safe and therapeutic milieu by monitoring residents and redirecting
Assist residents through the admission process, including bag searches, required paperwork, and orientating new patients to the unit.
Establish therapeutic relationships with residents and provide resident care within Walden policies, philosophies, and objectives.
- Observe residents and accurately and thoroughly document daily resident
- Supervise breakfast, lunch and snacks and provide re-direction to residents, as
- Precise preparation of adolescent snacks and
- Provide supervision and guidance in preparation of adult resident
- Participate in community meetings, group therapies, education and social activities on the
Help facilitate group therapy sessions, including but not limited to DBT, CBT, Body Image,
Communicate appropriately and effectively with residents’ treatment teams to ensure the highest quality of resident care.
Conduct daily resident weigh-
Complete Call Assignments as Designated by Clinical
Administer Columbia risk assessments, monitor resident safety, and complete safety documentation.
Models therapeutic eating habits with residents by eating provided programmatic meals and snacks aligned with company's nutrition philosophy to completion throughout shift.
Qualifications
Education
High School diploma, Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology or related field preferred
Licensure/Certification
CPR Certification
Knowledge
Must possess knowledge of psychiatric group process, therapeutic relationships processes, age specific growth and development, limit setting and behavior management, crisis management with aggressive behaviors.
Required Competencies
- Strong organizational and communication skills
- Attention to detail and ability to prioritize independently
- Ability to multi-task in a changing and fast paced mental health environment
- Ability to work in a highly collaborate, team environment
- Ability to communicate verbally and in writing.
#Walden
Key Responsibilities
The Mental Health Counselor provides direct patient care to adolescents and adults, including monitoring residents and facilitating group therapy sessions. They are responsible for documenting resident behavior, assisting with admissions, and ensuring a safe and therapeutic environment.
Qualifications
- Education
- Bachelor degree
Key Skills
Counselor Career Context
The cost-of-living index for Massachusetts is 105.8 (US average = 100; BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)), so the posted ~$44k midpoint carries the purchasing power of roughly $41k in an average-cost state. 63.2% of Massachusetts clinicians report burnout symptoms in WeekdayDoc's Burnout Index (2026-01 data).
Of the 46 active Mental Health Counseling listings this role was benchmarked against, 57% are remote, 11% have no call, 76% require no weekends.
| Measure | This job | Market |
|---|---|---|
| Listed pay | $40k–$48k | Mental Health Counseling median $52k (middle half $46k–$67k)23 comparable listings, Nov 2026 |
| Cost-of-living adjusted pay | ~$41k in purchasing power | Massachusetts index 105.8 (US = 100)BEA Regional Price Parities (2024) |
| Mental Health Counseling listings in Massachusetts | 85 active | 808 nationallylive on WeekdayDoc, Nov 2026 |
| Work setting | on-site | peers: 57% remote · 11% no call · 76% no weekends46 benchmarked listings |
| Sign-on & loan repayment | not stated | Massachusetts counselor listings (all specialties): 11% state a sign-on bonus (median $3k) · 16% offer loan repayment534 active listings, Nov 2026 |
| New Mental Health Counseling listings | 334 in the last 30 days | 220 the 30 days before (+52%)U.S., first seen on WeekdayDoc, Nov 2026 |
| Mental Health Counseling pay trend | −10.0% vs prior quarter | —through Oct 2026 |
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