TCS Education System logo
TCS Education System
Chicago, Illinois

Mental Health Counselor

CounselorFull-Time

Listed compensation

$85k-$105k

The week · per this posting · weekdays assumed

Ask the employer about call expectations, weekend coverage, nights and shift pattern and time off.

Posted 1mo ago · Verified live

Job Description

Position Summary

The Mental Health Counselor provides counseling, crisis intervention, referral coordination, and wellness programming for The Illinois College of Osteopathic Medicine (IllinoisCOM) students. The Counselor serves as a trusted mental health resource for students, advises IllinoisCOM leadership on student wellness trends and concerns, and contributes to committees and initiatives that support student well-being and the learning environment.

  • This position requires full-time, in-person presence at the University’s Chicago campus.
  • Areas of Responsibility

Counseling and Clinical Services

Provide individual and group counseling services to IllinoisCOM students.

Evaluate student concerns and determine appropriate counseling, support, referral, or crisis intervention services.

Provide crisis assessment, intervention, and support for students experiencing acute mental health concerns or situations involving risk of harm to self or others.

Refer students to community providers and specialized services when appropriate and support continuity of care.

Coordinate access to counseling and mental health resources for students, including support during emergency situations.

Develop and deliver programs, workshops, and educational initiatives that support student wellness, successful adjustment to medical school, and the demands of medical education.

Maintain professional standards of confidentiality, ethics, and clinical practice in accordance with applicable laws, licensure requirements, and institutional policies.

Consultation and Institutional Service

Advise IllinoisCOM leadership regarding student wellness trends, emerging concerns, and opportunities to support student well-being.

Collaborate with faculty, staff, and institutional partners to support student well-being and facilitate access to resources and services.

Serve on committees, workgroups, and initiatives that support student wellness, student affairs, and the learning environment, including the Student Wellness Committee.

Program Assessment and Professional Practice

Assess counseling and wellness services to identify utilization trends, student needs, resource requirements, and opportunities for program development.

Administer and evaluate well-being assessment tools, as appropriate, and use findings to inform programming and services.

Maintain records, documentation, and reporting practices in accordance with applicable laws, ethical standards, licensure requirements, and institutional policies.

Maintain professional licensure and participate in continuing education and professional development activities.

Qualifications

Required

Master's degree in Counseling, Counselor Education, Social Work, Psychology, or a related field.

Current Illinois license in good standing that authorizes independent practice without supervision (e. g., LCPC, LCSW, licensed psychologist, or equivalent).

Experience providing counseling, crisis intervention, and mental health support services.

Preferred

Doctoral degree (Ph.D. or Psy.D.) in a relevant field.

  • Experience working in a medical school, higher education, healthcare, or comparable mental health environment.
  • Experience supporting graduate or professional students.
  • Experience developing and facilitating wellness programming and educational initiatives.

Experience counseling individuals experiencing academic stress, learning challenges, substance use concerns, career uncertainty, or other issues commonly encountered in higher education settings.

Compensation & Benefits

This opportunity is budgeted at $$85,000.00 - $105,000.00 base compensation. Additional compensation factors may impact total compensation. To learn more about our competitive benefits and additional rewards, including generous paid time-off, medical and dental insurance coverage, life and disability insurance, retirement plan with employer contribution, multiple flexible spending accounts, tuition reimbursement, click the link below.

thechicagoschool.edu

The Chicago School is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

Please note: For the protection of faculty, staff, students, and all who enter our facilities, The Chicago School strongly recommends that all employees are fully vaccinated for COVID-19 per CDC guidance.

Key Responsibilities

The Mental Health Counselor provides individual and group counseling, crisis intervention, and wellness programming for students at the Illinois College of Osteopathic Medicine. They also advise leadership on student wellness trends and collaborate with faculty to support the learning environment.

Qualifications

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

Key Skills

Clinical assessmentStudent advocacyEthical practiceCase managementRisk assessmentAcademic stress counselingIndividual counseling

Counselor Career Context

TCS Education System holds silver-tier status on WeekdayDoc's Top Employers work-life index, composite score 77/100, 9 active listings.

In Illinois, the Mental Health Counseling weighted monthly median benchmark on WeekdayDoc is ~$67k (16 salary observations; 56 listings), vs ~$77k nationally (525 salary observations; 2,044 listings). Monthly aggregates cover 2026-01-01 through 2026-10-01; 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 ~$95k midpoint carries the purchasing power of roughly $95k in an average-cost state. 62.6% of Illinois clinicians report burnout symptoms in WeekdayDoc's Burnout Index (2026-01 data).

Of the 50 active Mental Health Counseling listings this role was benchmarked against, 42% are remote, 32% have no call, 60% require no weekends.

Mental Health Counseling pay on WeekdayDoc is up 16.3% vs. the prior quarter (through Sep 2026).

Top Counselor Jobs

40 matches · ranked by pay

Salary Distribution40 jobs · 32 employers

19
<$75k
12
$75k-95k
3
$95k-115k
5
$115k-135k
1
$155k

Annual compensation range

Benefits & Perks35 jobs · 32 employers

401k / retirement match
83% this job
Sign-on bonus
46%
CME allowance
26% this job
Loan repayment
20%
PSLF eligible
17%

Share of similar jobs offering each benefit

#1

Dental Therapist

InterDent Service · Salem, Oregon

From $155k
#2

Clinical Therapist

Counseling Works · Naperville, Illinois

$104k-$127k
#3

Licensed Clinical Mental Health Therapist - LICSW/LPCC/LMFT

$74k-$126k
#4

Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT, LPC, LCSW)

$92k-$125k
+ 38 more · ranked by pay

Work-life snapshot

median 6.1this job 3.0
Better work-life than 20% of Mental Health Counseling listings

Listing-based score, 0–10, across 764 comparable listings. Shaded area = the share scoring below this one.

  • On-site

Living in Chicago

Typical 3-bedroom home value
$356k≈ 4.2× annual pay
Typical market rent
$2,342/mo≈ 33% of gross pay
Residents’ average commute
33 min
State income tax
Up to 5%
Sources & methodology

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

Ratios use this listing’s gross annual pay. Not a cost-of-living guarantee.

TCS Education System logo

About TCS Education System

Higher Education
NY
501-1,000 employees

Benefits & Perks

Generous paid time-off
Medical and dental insurance coverage
Life and disability insurance
Retirement plan with employer contribution
Multiple flexible spending accounts
Tuition reimbursement