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Sanford Health
Thief River Falls, Minnesota

Associate Behavioral Health Counselor or Rehab Assistant

Counselor / TherapistFull-Time

Listed compensation

$16.5-$36/hr

The week · per this posting · weekdays assumed

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

Posted 51m ago · Verified live

Job Description

Sanford Health, the largest rural health system in the United States, is dedicated to transforming the health care experience and providing access to world-class health care in America’s heartland.

Work Shift

12 Hours - Night Shifts (United States of America)

Scheduled Weekly Hours

36

Compensation

Salary Range: $16.50 - $36.00 Associate Behavioral Health Counselor: $22.50 - $36.00 | Behavioral Health Rehab Assistant: $16.50 - $25.50

Union Position

  • No
  • Department Details

Summary

The Associate Behavioral Health Counselor requires a broad, yet solid, understanding of human behavior and theories of counseling. May work with a wide range of patient populations and presenting issues, requiring a foundation in a variety of treatment modalities. This role is a team-based role where responsibility for patient well-being is diffused among the treatment team and the overall responsibility lies with a clinical supervisor or admitting provider.

Job Description

The Associate Behavioral Health Counselor assesses patient needs, develops treatment plans, and implements treatment interventions specific to patient needs. Continually assesses patients' progress and revises treatment plans and interventions accordingly. Documents treatment sessions.

Provides patient progress updates to interdisciplinary team, as needed. May educate patient support members about patient issues and interventions. May refer for additional clinical services or to specialists, as needed. Must stay current on emerging issues in the profession.

The Associate Behavioral Health Counselor may work in a variety of settings, with duties varying by setting.

In a clinic setting (other than primary care), the Associate Behavioral Health Counselor conducts scheduled face-to-face counseling sessions designed to assess and improve patients' emotional, mental, and behavioral health.

In a hospital setting, the Associate Behavioral Health Counselor may have a broad scope of duties, depending upon assignment. Hospital assignments include psychiatric inpatient treatment and/or specific hospital units.

Psychiatric inpatient treatment duties include development, implementation, and evaluation of treatment plan, individual and family counseling, and consultation with all Mental Health Professionals. Hospital unit duties include crisis intervention, assessment, and referral.

In a community setting, the Associate Behavioral Health Counselor coordinates and provides treatment for patients with severe and persistent mental illness. This may include community-based interventions aimed at improving daily living skills, social skills, and self-regulation skills.

The community-based Associate Behavioral Health Counselor consults with a multi-disciplinary team to ensure treatment compliance.

In a residential setting, the Associate Behavioral Health Counselor coordinates and provides treatment for patients requiring a higher level of care than outpatient therapy; however, do not meet the criteria for psychiatric inpatient treatment.

Treatment occurs at the residential treatment facility and includes a broad range of duties: assessment and screening, individual and group counseling, development, implementation, and evaluation of treatment programs, and consultation and coordination with a multi-disciplinary team.

Qualifications

Associate Behavioral Health Counselor

Bachelor’s or Master’s Degree in behavioral sciences or related field preferred, and completion of a practicum or internship.

In Minnesota, must follow Minnesota State statute defining Mental Health Practitioner.

At least 4,000 hours of supervised experience in the delivery of services to persons with: mental illness, substance use disorders or emotional disturbances, traumatic brain injury or developmental disabilities,

OR,

Has at least 30 semester hours or 45 quarter hours in behavioral sciences or related fields and at least 2,000 hours of supervised work experience in the delivery of services to persons with: mental illness, substance use disorders or emotional disturbances, traumatic brain injury or developmental disabilities.

A valid driver's license is required.

Behavioral Health Rehab Assistant

Must meet state-specific requirements. Per Minnesota Statute, must hold a High School Diploma or GED and meet one of the following criteria:

  • Agreed to work exclusively overnight shifts; or
  • Completed 2,000 hours of work experience providing health and human services to individuals; or
  • Completed three years of personal life experience with mental illness within the previous 10 years; or
  • Completed three years of personal life experience as the primary caregiver to an adult with a mental illness, traumatic brain injury, substance use disorder, or developmental disability; or
  • Holds an Associate of Arts degree; or
  • Completed 15 semester or 23 quarter hours post-secondary education in behavioral science or related field

A valid driver's license is required.

Sanford is an EEO/AA Employer M/F/Disability/Vet.

If you are an individual with a disability and would like to request an accommodation for help with your online application, please call 1-877-949-5678 or send an email to talent@sanfordhealth.org.

Key Responsibilities

The role involves assessing patient needs, developing and implementing treatment plans, and providing interventions to improve emotional, mental, and behavioral health. The counselor or assistant works within an interdisciplinary team to document progress and provide crisis intervention or community-based support.

Qualifications

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

Key Skills

Treatment planningPatient assessmentMental health supportDocumentationInterdisciplinary collaborationSubstance use disorder supportSocial skills trainingPatient educationRehabilitation assistance

Behavioral Health — Counselor Career Context

The cost-of-living index for Minnesota is 98.6 (US average = 100; BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)), so the posted ~$55k midpoint carries the purchasing power of roughly $55k in an average-cost state. 63.4% of Minnesota clinicians report burnout symptoms in WeekdayDoc's Burnout Index (2026-01 data).

Of the 50 active Behavioral Health listings this role was benchmarked against, 56% are remote, 38% have no call, 58% require no weekends.

What does the Behavioral Health market look like in Minnesota?
MeasureThis jobMarket
Cost-of-living adjusted pay~$55k in purchasing powerMinnesota index 98.6 (US = 100)BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)
Behavioral Health listings in Minnesota7 active333 nationallylive on WeekdayDoc, Nov 2026
Work settingon-sitepeers: 56% remote · 38% no call · 58% no weekends50 benchmarked listings
Sign-on & loan repaymentnot statedMinnesota Counselor listings: 15% state a sign-on bonus (median $2k) · 28% offer loan repayment239 active listings, Nov 2026
New Behavioral Health listings833 in the last 30 days532 the 30 days before (+57%)U.S., first seen on WeekdayDoc, Nov 2026
Behavioral Health pay trend−6.5% 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

29 matches · ranked by pay

Salary Distribution

29 jobs · 21 employers
9
<$85k
9
$85k-105k
6
$105k-125k
5
$125k-145k

Annual compensation range

Benefits & Perks

23 jobs · 21 employers
401k / retirement match
91%
CME allowance
39%
Loan repayment
30%
Sign-on bonus
26%
PSLF eligible
13%

Share of similar jobs offering each benefit

#1

Licensed Mental Health Therapist

LifeStance Health · Lake Oswego, Oregon

$123k-$141k
#2

Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT)

LifeStance Health · West Linn, Oregon

$123k-$141k
#3

Licensed Mental Health Therapist (LMFT, LCSW, LPCC)

$117k-$134k
#4

Pelvic Health Therapist

$91k-$131k
+ 27 more · ranked by pay

Work-life snapshot

median 2.8this job 1.5
Below most Behavioral Health (Counseling) listings for work-life

Listing-based score, 0–10, across 340 comparable listings. Shaded area = the share scoring below this one.

Living in Thief River Falls

Median resident rent
$838/mo
Residents’ average commute
10 min
State income tax
Up to 9.8%
Sources & methodology

Sources: U.S. Census ACS 2024 five-year.

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