Hope Haven logo
Hope Haven
Charlotte, North Carolina

CHILDREN & FAMILIES COUNSELOR

Counselor / TherapistFull-Time

Listed compensation

$50K - $55K

The week · per this posting · weekdays assumed

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

Posted 3mo ago

Job Description

  • Job Location: 3815 N. TRYON STREET - CHARLOTTE, NC 28206
  • Position Type: Full Time
  • Salary Range: $50,000.00 - $55,000.00 Salary/year
  • Job Category: Nonprofit - Social ServicesJOB SUMMARY Children and Family Counselor plays a critical role in providing direct clinical services to adult families impacted by substance use disorder within Hope Haven's Family Program

This position is responsible for conducting clinical assessments, developing and implementing individualized treatment plans, and delivering individual, family, and group therapy to support family stability, child development, and long-term recovery.

The clinician will work closely with families, the multidisciplinary treatment team, schools, and community providers to ensure that children and their families receive clinically sound, evidence-based care.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities: Design, execute, and manage family- and child-centric programs and services. Collaborate with local agencies, schools, and community organizations to achieve program objectives.

Provide individual, family, and group therapy to residents and their children within the Family Program using evidence-based, trauma-informed treatment approaches. Conduct clinical assessments and develop individualized, measurable treatment plans for families.

Collaborate with the multidisciplinary treatment team, including case managers, medical staff, and Recovery Court partners, to coordinate clinical care for families. Assess and document clinical risk, including safety planning and crisis intervention for children and families as needed.

Conduct clinical needs assessments to identify and address the specific therapeutic needs of families and children. Facilitate psychoeducational groups and family therapy sessions addressing the impact of substance use disorder on family systems.

Provide clinical interventions that support positive child development and address the developmental impact of parental substance use disorder. Partner with schools, pediatric providers, and childcare staff to coordinate clinical care and educational support for children in the program.

Develop and provide clinically sound psychoeducational materials and resources for families in treatment. Cultivate clinical referral relationships with community stakeholders, including healthcare providers, schools, and behavioral health agencies.

Participate in treatment team meetings and case consultations to represent the clinical needs of children and families in the Family Program. Advocate for the clinical and developmental needs of the families within the treatment planning process.

Maintain timely, accurate, and Medicaid-compliant clinical documentation, including progress notes, treatment plans, and discharge summaries. Prepare clinical documentation and reports as required for funding sources, auditors, and internal quality assurance.

Ensure all clinical services comply with NC Medicaid Clinical Coverage Policies, applicable licensure board standards, and Hope Haven policies. Provide crisis intervention support, including immediate clinical assessment, safety planning, and strategic long-term treatment planning.

Qualifications

Qualifications: Education/Experience: Master's degree in social work, clinical mental health counseling, marriage and family therapy, or a closely related clinical field.

Provisional, associate, or under-supervision licensure required (e. g., LCSWA, LCMHCA, LMFTA) Full, independent clinical licensure in North Carolina is preferred (e. g., LCSW, LCMHC, LMFT, or LCAS).

At least 2 years of post-licensure clinical experience providing direct treatment services to children and families, ideally within a substance use disorder or residential treatment setting. Skills: Strong interpersonal and communication skills. Strong clinical assessment, diagnostic, and treatment planning skills.

Knowledge of family systems, child development, and trauma-informed, evidence-based treatment approaches. Strong interpersonal and communication skills. Exceptional organizational and time-management skills. Solid understanding of applicable local, state, and federal regulations and available resources. Physical Requirements: Keyboarding Walking/Sitting Lifting

Key Responsibilities

The counselor provides direct clinical services, including individual, family, and group therapy, to families impacted by substance use disorder. They are responsible for conducting clinical assessments, developing treatment plans, and collaborating with multidisciplinary teams to ensure evidence-based care.

Requirements

Candidates must hold a Master's degree in social work, clinical mental health counseling, or a related field, along with a provisional or associate clinical license. At least two years of post-licensure clinical experience in substance use or residential treatment settings is required.

Qualifications

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

Key Skills

Individual therapyTrauma-informed careSubstance use disorder treatmentCase managementPsychoeducationInterpersonal skills

Counselor Career Context

The cost-of-living index for North Carolina is 94.3 (US average = 100; BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)), so the posted ~$53k midpoint carries the purchasing power of roughly $56k in an average-cost state. 59.2% of North Carolina clinicians report burnout symptoms in WeekdayDoc's Burnout Index (2026-01 data).

Of the 50 active Counseling listings this role was benchmarked against, 32% are remote, 40% have no call, 62% require no weekends.

What does the Counseling market look like in North Carolina?
MeasureThis jobMarket
Work-life score7.2 / 10 · top 25% in counselingranked against 366 Counseling listingslisting-based score, 0–10
Listed pay$50k–$55kCounseling median $59k (middle half $55k–$62k)12 comparable listings, Nov 2026
Cost-of-living adjusted pay~$56k in purchasing powerNorth Carolina index 94.3 (US = 100)BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)
Counseling listings in North Carolina12 active365 nationallylive on WeekdayDoc, Nov 2026
Work settingon-sitepeers: 32% remote · 40% no call · 62% no weekends50 benchmarked listings
Sign-on & loan repaymentnot statedNorth Carolina counselor listings (all specialties): 14% state a sign-on bonus (median $5k) · 15% offer loan repayment468 active listings, Nov 2026
Counseling pay trend−9.6% vs prior quarter—through Oct 2026
Sources: WeekdayDoc live listing index (366 Counseling listings), BEA Regional Price Parities (2024); as of Nov 2026. Same values as the Weekday Verdict and Market Insights on this page.

Work-Life Balance Analysis

WeekdayDoc's proprietary algorithm rates CHILDREN & FAMILIES COUNSELOR at HOPE HAVEN a 7.2 out of 10 for work-life balance — classified as very good. This places the position in the top 25% in Counseling — ranked against 366 active Counseling listings on WeekdayDoc.

Top Counselor Jobs

32 matches · ranked by pay

Salary Distribution

32 jobs · 25 employers
15
<$75k
5
$75k-90k
8
$90k-105k
0
$105k-120k
4
$120k+

Annual compensation range

Benefits & Perks

26 jobs · 25 employers
401k / retirement match
88%
Sign-on bonus
35%
CME allowance
35%
PSLF eligible
15% this job
Loan repayment
8% this job

Share of similar jobs offering each benefit

#1

Licensed Clinical Mental Health Therapist - LICSW - LPCC - LMFT

LifeStance Health · Saint Louis Park, Minnesota

$74k-$126k
#2

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

LifeStance Health · Brookfield, Wisconsin

$92k-$125k
#3

Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMFT, LMHC, LCSW)

$115k-$120k
#4

Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor (LCMHC)

$115k-$120k
+ 30 more · ranked by pay

Work-life snapshot

median 6.1this job 7.2
Better work-life than 80% of Counseling listings

Listing-based score, 0–10, across 366 comparable listings. Shaded area = the share scoring below this one.

  • On-site
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About Hope Haven

Individual and Family Services
Charlotte, NC
51-200 employees

Living in Charlotte

Typical 3-bedroom home value
$352k≈ 7.0× annual pay
Typical market rent
$1,729/mo≈ 41% of gross pay
Residents’ average commute
25 min
Metro price indexU.S. average = 100
97.3
State income tax
Up to 4.8%
Sources & methodology

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

BEA 2024 · Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC metro prices. Housing figures are city-level.

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