Acenda Health logo
Acenda Health
Cape May, New Jersey

Program Therapist

Counselor / TherapistIncludes weekendsFull-Time

Listed compensation

$52k-$56k

The week · per this posting · weekdays assumed

Ask the employer about the work setting, call expectations, nights and shift pattern and time off.

Posted 57m ago · Verified live

Job Description

If you want to make a living by making a difference, join Acenda as an

Therapist

Program Overview

The goal of SBYS is to help youth successfully navigate their adolescent years, acquire the skills needed to obtain employment or continue their education, and graduate healthy and drug-free. The program implements prevention and intervention programs that are comprehensive, multifaceted, and build on the strengths of young people and assist them in achieving their educational and life goals.

Duties and Responsibilities

  • Participate in co-facilitating recreational activities such as hiking, kayaking, trips to museums and other educational or culturally enriching destinations to promote healthy youth development.
  • Conduct intakes, develop treatment plans, complete assessments and other relevant documentation within appropriate timelines for students who meet the criteria for a clinical level of treatment.
  • Provide education to students, family members, and faculty on topics including, but not limited to: life skills, pregnancy prevention, violence prevention, anger management, mental wellness, problem solving, decision making, nutrition, and STD/HIV prevention.
  • Provide crisis intervention and coordinate referrals with the screening department or substance use treatment when needed interventions are beyond the scope of SBYS
  • Interact with students during lunch time recreational activities in order to establish caring relationships.
  • Input contact data into New Jersey's Management and Information System to maintain current statistics and monitor contract required levels of service.
  • Advocate for students' needs and connect youth and families to community resources. Coordinate and work closely with the Guidance Department, Child Study Team, teachers, administration, and all other staff working to support a student's success.
  • Performs other related duties as assigned.

Required Skills/Competencies

  • Interpersonal Communication
  • Collaboration and Teamwork
  • Cultural Competence & Adaptation
  • Screening & Assessment
  • Care Planning & Care Coordination
  • Intervention
  • Systems Oriented Practice
  • Practice-Based Learning & Quality Improvement
  • Informatics

Education, Work Experience And/or Skills Requirements

  • Master’s degree in counseling, psychology, or related field and experience working with youth and families.
  • Must have and maintain a valid driver's license with an acceptable driving record
  • Must be able to exercise independent thinking and good judgment under all circumstances.
  • Must be able to analyze work, set goals, develop plans, and utilize time effectively and efficiently.

Physical Requirements

  • While performing the duties of this job, the employee is occasionally required to remain in a stationary position, often standing or sitting for prolonged periods.
  • Repeated motions that may include the wrists, hands and/or fingers
  • The employee must occasionally move about to accomplish tasks, adjust or move objects up to 20 pounds.
  • Must be able to communicate with others to exchange information
  • Ability to drive a vehicle

Additional Information

  • Base Rate: $52,000-$56,000 based on license
  • Sign-on Bonus: $1,000
  • Schedule: Days 9a-5p or 8:30a-4:30p, some nights and weekends

What We Provide

  • An Innovative culture that encourages you to grow and learn with the agency
  • Mission-driven core
  • Health, Vision and Dental coverage for you and your family
  • 401(k) with 100% employer match on the first 5% of comp
  • Generous time-off
  • Life Insurance
  • Flexible Spending Accounts
  • Employee Assistance Program
  • Year-end bonuses

Disclaimer

This job description may not be inclusive of all assigned duties, responsibilities, or aspects of the job described, and may be amended at any time at the sole discretion of the Employer. The workforce member is expected to adhere to all policies of Acenda.

  • Department/Program
  • School-Based Youth Services - Lower Cape May Regional High School (SBYSLCM)

Key Responsibilities

The Program Therapist will facilitate recreational and educational activities to promote healthy youth development and provide clinical interventions, including treatment planning and crisis support. They will also collaborate with school staff and community resources to advocate for student needs and maintain accurate service statistics.

Requirements

Candidates must hold a Master's degree in counseling, psychology, or a related field and possess experience working with youth and families. A valid driver's license and the ability to exercise independent judgment are also required.

Qualifications

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

Key Skills

Case managementAdvocacyMental wellness educationData entry

Counselor Career Context

Of the 50 active Mental Health Therapy listings this role was benchmarked against, 38% are remote, 40% have no call, 74% require no weekends.

Mental Health Therapy pay on WeekdayDoc is down 2.9% vs. the prior quarter (through Oct 2026).

Mental Health Therapy by the numbers
MeasureThis jobMarket
Listed pay$52k–$56kMental Health Therapy median $70k (middle half $60k–$75k)13 comparable listings, Nov 2026
Cost-of-living adjusted pay~$50k in purchasing powerNew Jersey index 108.8 (US = 100)BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)
Mental Health Therapy listings in New Jersey195 active7,906 nationallylive on WeekdayDoc, Nov 2026
Work settingon-sitepeers: 38% remote · 40% no call · 74% no weekends50 benchmarked listings
Sign-on & loan repayment$1k sign-onNew Jersey Counselor listings: 10% state a sign-on bonus (median $6k) · 5% offer loan repayment333 active listings, Nov 2026
New Mental Health Therapy listings2,509 in the last 30 days1,511 the 30 days before (+66%)U.S., first seen on WeekdayDoc, Nov 2026
Mental Health Therapy pay trend−2.9% 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.

Top Counselor Jobs

33 matches · ranked by pay

Salary Distribution

33 jobs · 23 employers
17
<$75k
8
$75k-90k
6
$90k-105k
2
$105k-120k

Annual compensation range

Benefits & Perks

20 jobs
401k / retirement match
90% this job
Sign-on bonus
40% this job
CME allowance
40%
Loan repayment
10%

Share of similar jobs offering each benefit

#1

Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC, LMFT, LCSW)

LifeStance Health · Brookfield, Wisconsin

$82k-$109k
#2

Licensed Counselor

Quinault Community Health & Quinault Wellness Cent · Aberdeen, Washington

$79k-$105k
#3

Military and Family Life Counselor - Adults or Children

$60k-$100k
#4

Military and Family Life Adult Counselor

$60k-$100k
+ 31 more · ranked by pay

Work-life snapshot

median 6.0this job 3.0
Better work-life than 20% of Mental Health Therapy (Counseling) listings

Listing-based score, 0–10, across 7,895 comparable listings. Shaded area = the share scoring below this one.

  • Includes weekends
Acenda Health logo

About Acenda Health

Non-profit Organizations
Glassboro, New Jersey
201-500 employees

Benefits & Perks

Health, vision, and dental coverage
401(k) with 100% employer match on first 5%
Generous time off
Life insurance
Flexible Spending Accounts
Employee Assistance Program
Year-end bonuses
$1,000 sign-on bonus

Living in Cape May

Typical 3-bedroom home value
$688k≈ 13.2× annual pay
Median resident rent
$1,013/mo≈ 23% of gross pay
Residents’ average commute
18 min
State income tax
Up to 10.8%
Sources & methodology

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

Ratios use this listing’s gross annual pay. Not a cost-of-living guarantee.