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Primary Health Care
Marshalltown, Iowa

Part Time Behavioral Health Therapist - Ames & Marshalltown

CounselorPart-Time

Compensation

Pay not disclosed

Listing transparency2 of 6 stated

Ask the employer about the pay range, call expectations and weekend coverage.

Employment & setting
Part-Time · on-site
Call expectations
Not specified
Weekends
Not specified
Posted 3h ago · Verified live

Job Description

As a Behavioral Health Practitioner (BHP) at PHC, you will collaborate with a multidisciplinary team of healthcare providers and care team support staff to address the mental and behavioral health needs of patients in a primary care clinic setting. You will provide assessment and behavioral interventions as well as brief-targeted and long-term therapy for children, adolescents, adults, and families. 

This position will work with PHC patients of Ames & Marshalltown clinics. This position is part-time, working 20 - 24 hours per week. Position schedule and work location options will be discussed with candidates. Telehealth services may be an option - candidates must reside in and provide services from the State of Iowa.  

Our team members are occasionally needed to cover other shifts or to work at other PHC clinics in Ames, Des Moines, and Marshalltown. Mileage reimbursement and/or an out of town travel bonus may apply. 

Bilingual language skills in Spanish and English are strongly preferred for this position. 

What You Will Do

1. Provides behavioral health care in accordance with established standards, regulations, and policies and procedures of PHC.  Collaborates with PHC healthcare and psychiatric providers, ensuring the delivery of comprehensive clinical services to primary care patients, targeting interventions to improve patient functioning, behavior and clinical outcomes. 

2. Provides brief and long term therapy to individuals and families in PHC clinics or via telehealth to support optimum mental, behavioral, emotional, and physical health. Provides assessment and diagnostic impressions, including identifying and evaluating health risk behaviors. Develops and updates treatment plans as appropriate.

3. Accepts referrals from internal healthcare providers and external sources. Responds to the referring provider’s concern or question, as appropriate, providing timely, focused feedback. 

4. Makes referrals for community mental health resources as appropriate. Collaborates with clinic staff to provide patients with referrals for appropriate specialty.

5. Maintains current and accurate documentation of services provided in accordance with standards set by PHC and grant requirements.  Provides maintenance of various management databases.

6. Provides clinical consultation and educational programs on behavioral health related topics to staff, students, consumers, and other agencies as requested. 

7. Follows and ensures compliance with all regulatory requirements including, but not limited to, risk management, health records/peer review, accreditation requirements and federal, state, and local regulations. 

Required Qualifications

  • Social Worker (LISW or LMSW), Mental Health Counselor (LMHC) or Marital and Family Therapist (LMFT) license recognized by the State of Iowa.
  • Master’s degree in Social Work, Marital and Family Therapy, Clinical Mental Health Counseling, or related field accepted for required license.
  • Experience with and working knowledge of third-party payers and associated regulations.
  • Must be obtained within 90 days of employment:
  • Basic Life Support for Healthcare Providers.
  • Mandatory Reporter Training for Child Abuse and Dependent Adult Abuse recognized by the State of Iowa.

Required Skills

  • Strong professional skills with ability to interact with others calmly and empathically along with de-escalating difficult situations.
  • Strong interpersonal skills with ability to work with diverse populations.
  • Strong problem-solving skills with analytical and critical thinking capability.
  • Strong verbal and written communication skills.
  • Strong customer service skills.
  • Basic computer proficiency, including use of email, word processing and spreadsheet applications, and electronic health records.
  • Excellent collaboration and team-oriented skills.
  • Good listening skills.
  • Organization, prioritization and time management skills.
  • Detail orientation with a high degree of accuracy.
  • Flexible and adaptive with ability to manage stress and maintain resilience.

We Take Care of Our People

Your related experience and skills determine your base pay within our pay range. In addition to base pay, PHC offers a comprehensive benefits package, including:

  • Generous PTO accrual
  • Eight paid holidays
  • License/certification fee reimbursement*
  • Paid time off for continuing education & continuing education reimbursement*
  • Tuition reimbursement program
  • 401k with company match
  • Medical, dental, vision
  • Life & disability insurance
  • Flexible spending & health savings accounts
  • Supplemental accident & critical illness insurance
  • Discounted pet insurance
  • PHC Pride rewards program

Visit https://phciowa.org/careers [https://phciowa.org/careers] for a summary of PHC’s benefits.

*Applies to positions requiring clinical licensure or certification. 

Grow Your Career with PHC

We take pride in offering development and growth opportunities to our team. Some of our training opportunities include Emerging Leaders, Dental Assitant Trainee Program, & Medical Assistant Trainee Program. In the last year, over 30% of our open positions were filled through promotions or transfers. 

Join the PHC Community

|  PHC Talent Community [https://workforcenow.adp.com/mascsr/default/mdf/recruitment/recruitment.html?cid=1a81e9ec-0004-4bf2-aadc-f982de3a9509&ccId=19000101_000001&lang=en_US&selectedMenuKey=CurrentOpenings]  |  Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/primaryhealthcareiowa]  |  Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/phciowa/]  |  LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/primary-health-care-iowa/mycompany/verification/]  |  TikTok [https://www.tiktok.com/@phciowa?_t=8Wy7yQMltsI&_r=1&fbclid=IwAR3eYN31kfbNlQj1vmHoMlkGwCN5oZkmlwmxOs1OSAGcM7pdbykWuiulBqs] 

20 - 24 Hours Per Week

Key Responsibilities

The Behavioral Health Practitioner will collaborate with a multidisciplinary team to provide assessment, intervention, and therapy for patients in a primary care setting. Responsibilities include developing treatment plans, maintaining accurate clinical documentation, and providing consultations to staff and external agencies.

Requirements

Candidates must hold a valid Iowa license as an LISW, LMSW, LMHC, or LMFT and possess a Master's degree in a related field. Applicants are expected to have knowledge of third-party payer regulations and must obtain Basic Life Support and Mandatory Reporter training within 90 days.

Qualifications

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

Certifications

BLS

Key Skills

Behavioral health assessmentCrisis interventionTreatment planningStress management

Counselor Career Context

Primary Health Care holds silver-tier status on WeekdayDoc's Top Employers work-life index, composite score 77/100, 10 active listings.

Of the 50 active Mental Health Therapy listings this role was benchmarked against, 60% are remote, 22% have no call, 56% require no weekends.

Mental Health Therapy pay on WeekdayDoc is up 6.4% vs. the prior quarter (through Aug 2026).

The cost-of-living index for Iowa is 87.8 (US average = 100; BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)). 59.8% of Iowa clinicians report burnout symptoms in WeekdayDoc's Burnout Index (2026-01 data).

Top Counselor Jobs

40 matches · ranked by pay

Salary Distribution39 jobs · 35 employers

7
<$80k
9
$80k-105k
11
$105k-130k
12
$130k-155k

Annual compensation range

Benefits & Perks28 jobs

401k / retirement match
89% this job
CME allowance
46% this job
Loan repayment
25%
Sign-on bonus
18%
PSLF eligible
14%

Share of similar jobs offering each benefit

#1

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$60-$70/hr
#2

Employee Assistance Program Clinical Counselor (Shift: Sat-Wed 4:00 PM-12:30 AM EST)

CVS Health · Connecticut

$67k-$143k
#3

Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT)

$123k-$141k
#4

Licensed Mental Health Therapist

$123k-$141k
+ 38 more · ranked by pay

Work-life snapshot

1.5/ 10
Listing-based score
  • On-site

Living in Marshalltown

Typical 3-bedroom home value
$182k
Typical market rent
$1,024/mo
Residents’ average commute
17 min
State income tax
Up to 6%
Sources & methodology

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

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

Primary Health Care logo

About Primary Health Care

Hospitals and Health Care
Des Moines, IA
1,001-5,000 employees

Benefits & Perks

Generous PTO accrual
Eight paid holidays
License/certification fee reimbursement
Paid time off for continuing education & continuing education reimbursement
Tuition reimbursement program
401k with company match
Medical, dental, vision
Life & disability insurance