Program Therapist
Listed compensation
$84k-$90k
The week · per this posting · Monday – Friday
Ask the employer about nights and shift pattern and time off.
Job Description
Center for Discovery
At Discovery, we offer career opportunities nationwide in residential, day treatment, and intensive outpatient eating disorder treatment. Discovery is currently seeking Program Directors, Primary Therapists, Facility Managers, Counselors/Mental Health Specialists, Dietitians, Diet Techs, and Nurses. Discovery is specifically seeking individuals who consistently strive to provide exemplary care and are passionate about transforming the lives of others.
If you are interested in a challenging and rewarding career in the behavioral health field, the first step is to look for Open job positions that match your skills, qualifications and interest. Each posting includes a description and minimum required qualifications.
When we review candidate information, we are looking for the best matches for the position based on the qualifications listed in the job posting. If your skills and experience appear to match an open position, a recruitment services professional or hiring manager may contact you to further discuss your qualifications.
Position Summary
The Program Therapist works in a dynamic multidisciplinary team providing treatment services according to the Center for Discovery Clinical Model. Therapist responsibilities include ensuring patient safety, providing milieu interventions, leading psychoeducational and process-oriented therapy groups, facilitate clinical assessments, conduct therapy sessions, and other case management tasks, as assigned.
Essential Job Functions
- Ensures clinical documentation is completed timely throughout the course of treatment.
- Establish therapeutic rapport with patients and families/loved ones.
- Facilitates admission assessments and the admission process for new patients with professionalism, courtesy, and a welcoming attitude.
- Understands role in providing expeditious access to care for individuals seeking services.
- Participates in weekly treatment team and communicates weekly treatment goals with all team members.
- Completes appropriate number of therapy sessions weekly for patients, including family/support system sessions aligned with the patients’ level of care.
- RTC: two individual sessions and one family/support system session
- PHP: one individual session and one family/support system session
- IOP: one therapeutic session – individual or family/support system, as clinically indicated
- Facilitates process orientated and psychoeducation groups one to two times, daily.
- Required to sit at a meal and/or snack a minimum of once per week.
- Facilitates multi-family groups, family program, and/or family weekend.
- Provides utilization reviews to insurance companies, providing appropriate clinical information to obtain initial authorization and continuing stay authorization, as necessary.
- Assesses patients for suicidality and possibility of danger to self or others.
- May provide additional clinical support for other members of the clinical team in their absence.
- Communicates with the Utilization Review Department and Business Department regarding authorization and payment.
- Begins discharge planning on day of admission for all patients.
- Completes discharge session with patient to ensure coping skills, transition plan, and resources are understood and intact.
- Ensures discharge appointments are confirmed with patient and loved ones prior to discharge.
- Communicates with referral sources and outpatient providers for continuity of care upon admission, midpoint, and discharge.
- Facilitates patient transfers to higher level of care, as needed.
- Actively participates in clinical outreach and program tours, as needed.
- Effectively manages crises in sessions and the milieu.
- Completes other tasks, as requested or assigned.
RTC Only: Provides on-call support to facility at least 1x per month and returns all program phone calls within 20 minutes, while on call. Communicates appropriately with On Call Administrator or Regional Director regarding pertinent facility issues, while on call.
Knowledge, Education, and Experience
- Master’s or Doctorate degree in relevant field, required
- Holds active state license
- Two years of experience working in the mental health field, preferred
- One year of experience working with eating disorders, preferred
- Must possess a current driver’s license and be in good standing
- Employment Status: Full-Time
Schedule: Monday-Friday 8-4:30pm
Work Location: Onsite- Tacoma, WA
Compensation: Pay Range
- Associate Therapist: $80,168.40-$85,000
- Program Therapist: $84,000-$90,000
- Senior Therapist: $88,000-$95,000
Discovery Behavioral Health seeks to build a diverse staff that is reflective of the patients we serve and the communities where we work. DBH encourages multiple perspectives, experiences, and strives to hire and retain a diverse workforce.
We are proud to be an EEO employer M/F/D/V. We maintain a drug-free workplace and perform pre-employment substance abuse testing. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, race, color, religion, sex, or national origin.
Key Responsibilities
The Program Therapist provides clinical treatment services, including conducting therapy sessions, facilitating psychoeducational groups, and managing patient safety within a multidisciplinary team. They are also responsible for clinical documentation, discharge planning, and coordinating care with families and insurance providers.
Requirements
Candidates must hold a Master’s or Doctorate degree in a relevant field and possess an active state license. At least two years of experience in the mental health field is preferred, with specific experience in eating disorder treatment highly desired.
Qualifications
- Education
- Doctoral or professional degree (postgraduate degree)
- Experience
- 2+ years of experience
Key Skills
Work-Life Balance Analysis
WeekdayDoc's proprietary algorithm rates Program Therapist at Discovery Behavioral Health a 6.0 out of 10 for work-life balance — classified as good. This places the position in the top 35% of all Mental Health Therapy counselor listings evaluated on our platform. Contributing factors include no weekend requirements.
Counselor Career Context
Discovery Behavioral Health ranks #9 of 18 employers hiring Counselor on WeekdayDoc by average advertised pay.
Of the 50 active Mental Health Therapy listings this role was benchmarked against, 44% are remote, 34% have no call, 66% require no weekends.
Mental Health Therapy pay on WeekdayDoc is up 9.1% vs. the prior quarter (through Sep 2026).
The cost-of-living index for Washington is 107.0 (US average = 100; BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)), so the posted ~$87k midpoint carries the purchasing power of roughly $81k in an average-cost state. 59.8% of Washington clinicians report burnout symptoms in WeekdayDoc's Burnout Index (2026-01 data).
Location & Logistics
Washington has no state income tax, which can significantly increase take-home pay compared to high-tax states. At the posted ~$87k midpoint, that is roughly $3k–$6k a year versus a typical 4–7% state rate.
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