Clinical Counselor, IYC
Listed compensation
$55k-$58k
The week · per this posting · weekdays assumed
Ask the employer about the work setting, call expectations, weekend coverage and time off.
Job Description
- Position Title: Clinical Counselor
- Location: Illinois Youth Center - Chicago, IL.
- Full-Time | Salary: $55K–$58K (based on experience & qualifications)
Position Overview
Youth Outreach Services (YOS) is seeking a dedicated and compassionate Clinical Counselor to provide mental health services to youth at the Illinois Youth Center (IYC) in Chicago, a secure juvenile correctional facility serving youth involved in the justice system. This role offers a unique opportunity to make a meaningful impact by supporting adolescents as they work toward rehabilitation, personal growth, and successful community reintegration.
The Clinical Counselor will work directly with youth in a structured correctional environment, providing counseling services that address behavioral health, trauma, emotional well-being, and treatment goals.
What You’ll Do
- Reporting to the Program Manager, the Clinical Counselor will:
- Provide individual, group, and family counseling services utilizing evidence-based therapeutic interventions.
- Complete assessments, develop treatment plans, and monitor client progress.
- Maintain timely and accurate clinical documentation.
- Partner with facility staff, families, schools, and community providers to support treatment goals and continuity of care.
- Facilitate psychoeducational and therapeutic groups.
- Support youth in developing coping skills, emotional regulation, and positive decision-making strategies.
- Participate in multidisciplinary team meetings and case consultations.
What We’re Looking For
- Master’s degree in counseling, Social Work, or a related field
- Preferred licensure: LPC, LSW, AMFT, or CADC
- Experience providing counseling services to adolescents or young adults.
- Experience working with justice-involved youth, trauma-informed care, behavioral health, residential treatment, or correctional settings is highly preferred.
- Strong clinical documentation, communication, and relationship-building skills.
What We Offer
Comprehensive Benefits Package: Health, Dental, Vision, Life Insurance, and Short/Long-Term Disability options.
- Retirement Plan: 403(b) with eligibility for Public Service Student Loan Forgiveness.
- Paid Time Off (PTO): Generous accruals to support work-life balance.
Additional Perks
Mileage reimbursement (specific to this position).
How to Apply
Please apply through our website by submitting your resume. Candidates will receive a brief questionnaire as part of the next step in the process.
YOS is an E-Verify participating employer.
At Youth Outreach Services, we’re committed to equity and inclusion. We proudly serve diverse communities and welcome professionals who reflect the youth we support.
Youth Outreach Services is a drug-free workplace and compliance with this policy is a condition of employment and continued employment.
Key Responsibilities
Provide individual, group, and family counseling to youth, including assessments, treatment plans, progress monitoring, and accurate clinical documentation. Facilitate therapeutic and psychoeducational groups, build coping and emotional regulation skills, and coordinate care with facility staff, families, schools, and community providers.
Requirements
A master’s degree in counseling, social work, or a related field is required, with licensure such as LPC, LSW, AMFT, or CADC preferred. Candidates should have counseling experience with adolescents or young adults; experience with justice-involved youth, trauma-informed care, behavioral health, residential treatment, or correctional settings is highly preferred.
Qualifications
- Education
- Professional certificate or licensure
- Experience
- 2+ years of experience
Key Skills
Counselor Career Context
In Illinois, the Counselor weighted monthly median benchmark on WeekdayDoc is ~$66k (602 salary observations; 1,936 listings), vs ~$73k nationally (10,111 salary observations; 46,259 listings). Monthly aggregates cover 2025-12-01 through 2026-11-01; 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 ~$57k midpoint carries the purchasing power of roughly $57k in an average-cost state. 62.6% of Illinois clinicians report burnout symptoms in WeekdayDoc's Burnout Index (2026-01 data).
| Measure | This job | Market |
|---|---|---|
| Listed pay | $55k–$58k | Counselor median $58k (middle half $51k–$73k)32 comparable listings, Nov 2026 |
| Illinois vs national | $66k median in Illinois | $73k nationally (−9%)602 state / 10,111 national salary observations |
| Cost-of-living adjusted pay | ~$57k in purchasing power | Illinois index 100.0 (US = 100)BEA Regional Price Parities (2024) |
| Clinical Counseling listings in Illinois | 7 active | —live on WeekdayDoc, Nov 2026 |
| All counselor listings in Illinois | 556 active | 13,260 nationallylive on WeekdayDoc, Nov 2026 |
| Work setting | on-site | peers: 56% remote · 30% no call · 56% no weekends50 benchmarked listings |
| Sign-on & loan repayment | loan repayment | Illinois counselor listings (all specialties): 13% state a sign-on bonus (median $3k) · 19% offer loan repayment556 active listings, Nov 2026 |
| Counselor pay trend (all specialties) | −1.3% vs prior quarter | —through Oct 2026 |
| Youth Outreach Services | #21 of 23 for pay | Top Employers work-life index |
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