Crisis Counselor
Listed compensation
$48k-$68k
The week · per this posting · weekdays assumed
Ask the employer about weekend coverage, nights and shift pattern and time off.
Job Description
Centerstone is among the nation’s leading nonprofit behavioral health systems with thousands of employees dedicated to delivering care that changes people’s lives. A dynamic, well-established organization, we offer rewarding opportunities to serve all ages in a variety of settings. Come talk to us about joining the Centerstone team!
Job Description
Job Description
Summary of Position
A Crisis Counselor provides emergency crisis intervention and consultation services to clients, families, community partners and referral sources.
This includes providing crisis assessments, crisis stabilization, and crisis intervention in a community settings, by telephone, and video to recipients in crisis and facilitating appropriate linkage and referral to on-going services.
Crisis Counselor are required to complete all required documentation, comply with contracts, grants, standards, regulations, and laws associated with this position in addition to working under the direction of the Crisis Coordinator or Crisis Manager when performing job tasks and providing services.
As part of Centerstone’s team-oriented philosophy, a Crisis Counselor is expected to actively participate in a variety of cross-functional teams and performance improvement initiatives.
Essential Duties
Completes job requirements with independent action and resourcefulness and seeks out additional duties during periods of downtime. Organizes time, effort, and use of resources to achieve desired outcomes.
Consistently returning phone calls and e-mails within 24 hours and updating voicemail/out of office e-mail, as well as consistently using a pleasant tone and having a helpful attitude.
Assist service recipient in making safety and discharge plans and provide follow up services as assigned.
Attend staff meetings, clinical staffing’s, and other internal meetings as assigned. Participates on committees as assigned, including quality assurance functions. Maintain appropriate communication with other employees and work as an effective team member.
Perform pre-screenings for both the state operated hospital and private psychiatric hospitals to determine the need for either voluntary or involuntary psychiatric hospital admissions.
Provide follow-up appointments when it is clinically appropriate to the service recipient and provide Brief Therapy until an appropriate referral has been completed for on-going treatment or no further services are indicated.
Provide crisis assessment of substance abusing individuals at the emergency room of a local community hospital, local police department, school, jail, or other neutral sites, and facilitate appropriate linkage and referral to on-going services.
Provide emergency mental health consultations with physicians, law enforcement officials, school officials, and other community and/or state agency representatives in an effort to resolve mental health crisis regarding residents in our service area.
Assist management when assigned by mentoring and working alongside new staff and/or interns to model and provide instruction on emergency processes, protocols, and services.
Facilitates crisis transportation through EMS or other professional transport services when needed to aid in resolving crisis situations and link with appropriate crisis resources.
Participates in on call crisis services to ensure 24/7 coverage in service areas.
Essential Knowledges and Skills
- Knowledge of community resources
- Knowledge of the criminal justice system as it affects adolescents
- Skill in customer service techniques
- Skill in written and oral communications
Qualifications
Education Level
Requires a Master’s Degree in social work, psychology, psychiatric nursing or other related human services field,
Years of Experience
Requires an in-depth knowledge of clinical theory and practice and symptomology of psychiatric illness.
Must successfully complete all required background screenings.
Requires utilizing electronic health records and/or other automated/electronic documentation systems and to have computer and keyboarding experience and skills or the ability to develop such skills within required timeframes in order to meet the level of proficiency set by the agency.
- Certification/Licensure
- Requires CPR certification.
- Valid driver’s license, and safe driving history.
Physical Requirements
- Standing – 20%
- Sitting – 80%
- Squatting – Occasional
- Kneeling – Occasional
- Bending – Occasional
- Driving – Occasional
- Lifting – Occasional
Disclaimer
The duties and responsibilities described in this document are not a comprehensive list and additional tasks may be assigned to the employee from time to time, or the scope of the job may change as necessitated by business demands.
Time Type
Full time
Pay Range
- $48,300.00--$67,700.00
- Delivering care that changes people's lives starts with our employees. Below are just some of the great benefits Centerstone employees enjoy:
- Medical, dental, and vision health coverage
- Flexible Spending and Health Savings Accounts
- 403b retirement plan with company match
- Paid time off and ten paid holidays
- AD&D Insurance, Life Insurance, and Long Term Disability (company paid)
- Employee Resource Groups
- Continuing education opportunities
Employee Assistance Program
Centerstone is an equal opportunity employer. Employment at Centerstone is based solely on a person's merit and qualifications directly related to professional competence. We treat all clients and colleagues with dignity and respect.
At Centerstone, we use our values as a guide for what we do. Respect, Expertise, Integrity and Empowerment are at the heart of every interaction at Centerstone, and particularly rooted in our Culture.
Our approach to culture is to create an environment that encourages, supports and celebrates the voices and experiences of our employees. We are committed to a culture of empowerment, respect, integrity and expertise that powers our innovation and connects us to each other, our clients and the communities we serve.
Centerstone is also committed to a strong culture of quality and safety, celebrating role-models who champion best practices for quality, clinical risk, and patient safety.
Key Responsibilities
The Crisis Counselor provides emergency crisis intervention, assessment, and stabilization services to clients in various community settings. They also facilitate appropriate referrals, maintain clinical documentation, and collaborate with community partners and law enforcement to resolve mental health crises.
Qualifications
- Experience
- 2+ years of experience
Key Skills
Counselor Career Context
In Illinois, the Mental Health Counseling weighted monthly median benchmark on WeekdayDoc is ~$67k (19 salary observations; 56 listings), vs ~$76k nationally (551 salary observations; 2,328 listings). Monthly aggregates cover 2026-01-01 through 2026-11-01; these are not the modal's selected comparable-job medians.
The cost-of-living index for Illinois is 100.0 (US average = 100; BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)), so the posted ~$58k midpoint carries the purchasing power of roughly $58k in an average-cost state. 62.6% of Illinois clinicians report burnout symptoms in WeekdayDoc's Burnout Index (2026-01 data).
| Measure | This job | Market |
|---|---|---|
| Illinois vs national | $67k median in Illinois | $76k nationally (−12%)19 state / 551 national salary observations |
| Cost-of-living adjusted pay | ~$58k in purchasing power | Illinois index 100.0 (US = 100)BEA Regional Price Parities (2024) |
| Mental Health Counseling listings in Illinois | 18 active | 771 nationallylive on WeekdayDoc, Nov 2026 |
| Work setting | on-site | peers: 52% remote · 28% no call · 64% no weekends50 benchmarked listings |
| Sign-on & loan repayment | not stated | Illinois Counselor listings: 14% state a sign-on bonus (median $3k) · 21% offer loan repayment587 active listings, Nov 2026 |
| New Mental Health Counseling listings | 329 in the last 30 days | 210 the 30 days before (+57%)U.S., first seen on WeekdayDoc, Nov 2026 |
| Mental Health Counseling pay trend | +5.7% vs prior quarter | —through Oct 2026 |
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