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Vinfen
Lowell, Massachusetts

Per Diem CCS Mental Health Counselor

LPC / LMHCPer Diem

Listed compensation

$23 /Hr

The week · per this posting

Schedule not stated in this posting — no days, weekends, call or nights given.

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

Posted 3mo ago

Job Description

The Per Diem Counselor position provides support to persons served in a Vinfen Behavioral Health setting(s) and teaches skills to enhance independence and quality of life.

Assists with intake and orientation procedures with youth and their families or identified supports.

Responsible for a variety of daily tasks with persons served. This includes (re)habilitative interventions, behavioral interventions, and monitoring, scheduling appointments, monitoring progress, providing transportation, and other related tasks.

Acts as a role model and provides support to persons served. Assists in helping youth prepare to safely return to their identified community.

  • Assesses persons served physical and emotional status, and report changes to supervisor.
  • Ensures program site safety and maintenance, as necessary, at all times.

Oversees and participates in the daily living and cleaning of the program, with persons served. This includes, but is not limited to, cooking, meal planning, grocery shopping, and general housekeeping,

Complies with all corporate and divisional policies and procedures, including safe work practices, workers' compensation, universal precautions, and exposure control.

Completes various paperwork and logs including communication logs, community membership logs, chore schedules, timesheets, and application forms.

Performs crisis intervention, as needed. Accesses on-call resources, if needed.

Provides Program Director or Human Resources staff with current contact information, including working telephone number(s), email address, and mailing address.

Performs other related duties, as required.

Job Duties and Responsibilities

The essential job duties/responsibilities of the position include but are not limited to the information listed below:

  • Assists with intake and orientation procedures with youth and their families or identified supports.
  • Responsible for a variety of daily tasks with persons served. This includes (re)habilitative interventions, behavioral interventions, and monitoring, scheduling appointments, monitoring progress, providing transportation, and other related tasks.
  • Acts as a role model and provides support to persons served. Assists in helping youth prepare to safely return to their identified community.
  • Assesses persons served physical and emotional status, and report changes to supervisor.
  • Ensures program site safety and maintenance, as necessary, at all times.
  • Oversees and participates in the daily living and cleaning of the program, with persons served. This includes, but is not limited to, cooking, meal planning, grocery shopping, and general housekeeping,
  • Complies with all corporate and divisional policies and procedures, including safe work practices, workers’ compensation, universal precautions, and exposure control.
  • Completes various paperwork and logs including communication logs, community membership logs, chore schedules, timesheets, and application forms.
  • Performs crisis intervention, as needed. Accesses on-call resources, if needed.
  • Provides Program Director or Human Resources staff with current contact information, including working telephone number(s), email address, and mailing address.
  • Performs other related duties, as required.

About Vinfen

Why Vinfen? We are committed to you! We offer great training, great benefits, career growth and job security!

About Us

Established in 1977, Vinfen is a nonprofit, health and human services organization and a leading provider of community-based services to individuals with mental health conditions, intellectual and developmental disabilities, brain injuries, and behavioral health challenges.

Our services and advocacy promote the recovery, resiliency, habilitation, and self-determination of the people we serve.

Vinfen's 3,500 dedicated employees are experienced, highly-trained professionals who provide a full range of supportive living, health, educational, and clinical services in over 550 sites throughout Massachusetts and Connecticut. For more information about Vinfen, please visit vinfen.org.

My Job. My Community. My Vinfen.

Vinfen is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, protected veteran status, or disability status.

Qualifications

  • A high school diploma or equivalent is required.
  • One to two years of job-specific experience in the human services field preferred.

Preference given to bi-lingual/bi-cultural applicants and applicants with lived experience of psychiatric conditions.

Must be able to complete CPR and First Aid required within defined timelines. Vinfen provides CPR and First Aid training upon hire.

A valid driver's license must be presented at the time of employment. Incumbents must be at least 21 years of age, have maintained a valid US driver's license for at least 6 months, and must be able to pass a driver's screening background check

Knowledge and Skills

  • Knowledge and use of different communication styles
  • Knowledge of empowerment and self-advocacy techniques
  • Knowledge of required physical personal management skills.
  • Knowledge of required household management skills
  • Knowledge of crisis intervention techniques
  • Sensitivity to cultural, religious, racial, disability, and gender issues Ability to work in a professional and confidential capacity.
  • Ability to document interventions, as required.
  • Ability to work independently and as part of an interdisciplinary team.
  • Ability to balance competing priorities.
  • Ability to make independent judgments and decisions. Typical Requirements:
  • One to two years of job-specific experience in the human services field preferred.
  • Preference given to bi-lingual/bi-cultural applicants and applicants with lived experience of psychiatric conditions.

Preferred /Required Education

A high school diploma or equivalent is required.

Driving Requirements

May be called on to drive for Vinfen using a Vinfen van. A valid driver’s license must be presented at the time of employment. Incumbents must be at least 21 years of age, have maintained a valid US driver’s license for at least one year, and must be able to pass a driver’s screening background check, which is subject to annual checks. If driving, must maintain a safe driving record. If using a personal vehicle, must possess and maintain adequate insurance.

Physical Effort

Ability to stand, walk, bend, kneel, stoop, crouch, crawl, climb as this is a very physically active position. Must be able to lift at least 25 pounds using proper lifting techniques or the use of a two-person lift. Ability to operate a computer and other office equipment such as a calculator, copier, and printer.

Ability to sit, reach, climb stairs, and maneuver through narrow spaces or hallways. Ability to assist clients with tasks of daily living. Ability to speak, hear, and communicate with clients, staff, and external representatives.

Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and ability to adjust focus.

For positions in day programs or group residences, the ability to assist in routine living activities including cleaning, meal preparation, vacuuming, and grocery shopping.

Required Certifications

CPR Required within two weeks of hire. First Aid Required within two weeks of hire. Safety Care required within 90 days of hire.

Pay Range

USD $23.00 - USD $23.00 /Hr.

Key Skills

Mental health counselingCase managementIntake proceduresDocumentationEmpowerment techniquesCommunication skillsInterdisciplinary teamworkSafety monitoring

Behavioral Health — Counselor Career Context

The cost-of-living index for Massachusetts is 105.8 (US average = 100; BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)). 63.2% of Massachusetts clinicians report burnout symptoms in WeekdayDoc's Burnout Index (2026-01 data).

Of the 46 active Behavioral Health listings this role was benchmarked against, 54% are remote, 11% have no call, 76% require no weekends.

What does the Behavioral Health market look like in Massachusetts?
MeasureThis jobMarket
Listed paynot listedBehavioral Health median $120k (middle half $120k–$120k)15 comparable listings, Nov 2026
Cost of livingMassachusetts index 105.8US average = 100BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)
Behavioral Health listings in Massachusetts23 active343 nationallylive on WeekdayDoc, Nov 2026
Work settingon-sitepeers: 54% remote · 11% no call · 76% no weekends46 benchmarked listings
Sign-on & loan repaymentnot statedMassachusetts counselor listings (all specialties): 11% state a sign-on bonus (median $3k) · 17% offer loan repayment524 active listings, Nov 2026
New Behavioral Health listings800 in the last 30 days501 the 30 days before (+60%)U.S., first seen on WeekdayDoc, Nov 2026
Behavioral Health pay trend−13.4% 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 contract/1099 Counselor Jobs

46 matches · ranked by pay

Salary Distribution

20 jobs
8
<$65k
5
$65k-85k
1
$104k
3
$114k
3
$125k+

Annual compensation range

Benefits & Perks

27 jobs
401k / retirement match
74%
CME allowance
59%
Loan repayment
19%
Sign-on bonus
15%
PSLF eligible
4%

Share of similar jobs offering each benefit

#1

Outpatient Therapist TF-CBT

Northeast Family Services · New Rochelle, New York

$70-$100/hr
#2

Outpatient Therapist TF-CBT

Northeast Family Services · Bronx, New York

$70-$100/hr
#3

Part Time Remote Group Therapist - Texas Licensed

$62-$96/hr
#4

Mental Health Therapist - Illinois (Part-Time)

$58.5-$85/hr
+ 44 more · ranked by pay

Work-life snapshot

median 2.8this job 2.8
Better work-life than 50% of Behavioral Health (Counseling) listings

Listing-based score, 0–10, across 337 comparable listings. Shaded area = the share scoring below this one.

Living in Lowell

Typical 3-bedroom home value
$526k
Typical market rent
$2,252/mo
Residents’ average commute
28 min
Metro price indexU.S. average = 100
108.3
State income tax
Up to 5%
Sources & methodology

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

BEA 2024 · Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH metro prices. Housing figures are city-level.

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