Sentara Health logo
Sentara Health
Harrisonburg, Virginia

Behavioral Health Therapist Licensed - PERS

Counselor / TherapistFull-Time

Listed compensation

$76k-$114k

The week · per this posting · weekdays assumed

Ask the employer about the work setting, call expectations, weekend coverage and time off.

Posted 3mo ago

Job Description

City/State

Harrisonburg, VA

Work Shift

Third (Nights)

Overview

Sentara Health is now hiring a Licensed Behavioral Health Therapist. This position will be a part of the Psychiatric Emergency Response team that assess patients in the Sentara Emergency Departments who present with behavioral/mental health concerns and will provide recommendations for treatment.

Education

  • Master’s Degree – Social Work, Counseling, or other related field – (Required)
  • Certification/Licensure
  • Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) or Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) - (Required)

Experience

  • At least 1 years of outpatient or inpatient experience (Preferred)
  • Crisis experience (Preferred)
  • Excellent clinical skills, documentation, and communication skills
  • Duties/Responsibilities

Assesses the social, psychological, cultural, environmental, and financial situation, as well as disposition needs, for each assigned patient.

Collaborates with patients, families, healthcare team members, and community agencies to develop and implement plans to address identified needs.

  • Evaluates effectiveness of developed plans and initiates change as needed..
  • Benefits: Caring For Your Family and Your Career
  • Medical, Dental, Vision plans
  • Adoption, Fertility and Surrogacy Reimbursement up to $10,000
  • Paid Time Off and Sick Leave
  • Paid Parental & Family Caregiver Leave
  • Emergency Backup Care
  • Long-Term, Short-Term Disability, and Critical Illness plans
  • Life Insurance
  • 401k/403B with Employer Match
  • Tuition Assistance – $5,250/year and discounted educational opportunities through Guild Education
  • Student Debt Pay Down – $10,000
  • Reimbursement for certifications and free access to complete CEUs and professional development
  • Pet Insurance
  • Legal Resources Plan
  • Colleagues may have the opportunity to earn an annual discretionary bonus if established system and employee eligibility criteria is met

Sentara RMH Medical Center, a Magnet designated hospital located in Harrisonburg VA, serves a seven-county area with a population of 218,000 residents, employing 2600 locals. The 238-bed community hospital has been serving Harrisonburg, Rockingham County and surrounding areas since 1912, then partnered with the Sentara Health System in May of 2011. Sentara RMH features the RMH Hahn Cancer Center, a state-of-the-art center equipped with the latest cancer fighting technologies available in the nation administrating more than 18,000 cancer treatments. With 1800 delivered babies, 60,000 emergency patients and 21,000 surgical procedures, Sentara has a position for you. We improve health every day, come be a part of the community.

Our Caring Workplace Environment

  • A Caring Commitment serving our community for 100+ years
  • Free and convenient parking
  • Collaboration and shared governance
  • CMS 5-Star and Magnet designated hospital
  • EAP – 24 x 7

Sentara Health is an equal opportunity employer and prides itself on the diversity and inclusiveness of its close to an almost 30,000-member workforce. Diversity, inclusion, and belonging is a guiding principle of the organization to ensure its workforce reflects the communities it serves.

In support of our mission “to improve health every day,” this is a tobacco-free environment.

For positions that are available as remote work, Sentara Health employs associates in the following states:

Alabama, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Kansas, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Minnesota, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.

Key Responsibilities

The therapist assesses the social, psychological, and disposition needs of patients presenting with behavioral health concerns in the emergency department. They collaborate with healthcare teams and families to develop, implement, and evaluate effective treatment plans.

Requirements

Candidates must hold a Master's degree in Social Work, Counseling, or a related field and possess an active LPC or LCSW license. At least one year of clinical experience in an inpatient or outpatient setting is preferred.

Qualifications

Education
Master's degree (postgraduate degree)

Key Skills

Behavioral health assessmentCrisis interventionClinical documentationTreatment planningPsychiatric evaluationPatient advocacy

Psychiatry — Counselor Career Context

The cost-of-living index for Virginia is 101.1 (US average = 100; BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)), so the posted ~$95k midpoint carries the purchasing power of roughly $94k in an average-cost state. 61.1% of Virginia clinicians report burnout symptoms in WeekdayDoc's Burnout Index (2026-01 data).

Of the 50 active Psychiatry listings this role was benchmarked against, 62% are remote, 22% have no call, 40% require no weekends.

What does the Psychiatry market look like in Virginia?
MeasureThis jobMarket
Work-life score7.2 / 10 · top 25% in psychiatry (counseling)ranked against 45 Psychiatry (Counseling) listingslisting-based score, 0–10
Cost-of-living adjusted pay~$94k in purchasing powerVirginia index 101.1 (US = 100)BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)
Work settingon-sitepeers: 62% remote · 22% no call · 40% no weekends50 benchmarked listings
Sign-on & loan repaymentnot statedVirginia counselor listings (all specialties): 16% state a sign-on bonus (median $2k) · 12% offer loan repayment415 active listings, Nov 2026
New Psychiatry listings1,317 in the last 30 days923 the 30 days before (+43%)U.S., first seen on WeekdayDoc, Nov 2026
Psychiatry pay trend−16.8% vs prior quarter—through Oct 2026
Sentara Health#5 of 22 for payTop Employers work-life index
Sources: WeekdayDoc live listing index (45 Psychiatry (Counseling) listings), Top Employers work-life index, 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 Behavioral Health Therapist Licensed - PERS at Sentara Health a 7.2 out of 10 for work-life balance — classified as very good. This places the position in the top 25% in Psychiatry (Counseling) — ranked against 45 active Psychiatry (Counseling) listings on WeekdayDoc.

Top Counselor Jobs

39 matches · ranked by pay

Salary Distribution

39 jobs · 28 employers
7
<$85k
18
$85k-110k
7
$110k-135k
6
$135k-160k
1
$168k

Annual compensation range

Benefits & Perks

34 jobs · 28 employers
401k / retirement match
94% this job
Sign-on bonus
35%
CME allowance
35% this job
Loan repayment
21%

Share of similar jobs offering each benefit

#1

Inpatient Clinical Director (LCSW, LMFT, LPCC) - Mental Health 105

Telecare · Redwood City, California

$136k-$168k
#2

Dental Therapist

InterDent Service · Salem, Oregon

From $155k
#3

Behavioral Health Therapist 4 Outpatient Behavioral Health

$93k-$151k
#4

Bilingual School Based Behavioral Therapist (English/Spanish)

$83k-$149k
+ 37 more · ranked by pay

Work-life snapshot

median 3.0this job 7.2
Better work-life than 90% of Psychiatry (Counseling) listings

Listing-based score, 0–10, across 45 comparable listings. Shaded area = the share scoring below this one.

Sentara Health logo

About Sentara Health

Hospitals and Health Care
Virginia Beach, Virginia
10,000+ employees

Benefits & Perks

Medical, Dental, Vision plans
Adoption, Fertility and Surrogacy Reimbursement up to $10,000
Paid Time Off and Sick Leave
Paid Parental & Family Caregiver Leave
Emergency Backup Care
Long-Term, Short-Term Disability, and Critical Illness plans
Life Insurance
401k/403B with Employer Match

Living in Harrisonburg

Typical 3-bedroom home value
$333k≈ 4.4× annual pay
Typical market rent
$1,720/mo≈ 27% of gross pay
Residents’ average commute
17 min
Metro price indexU.S. average = 100
94.9
State income tax
Up to 5.8%
Sources & methodology

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

BEA 2024 · Harrisonburg, VA metro prices. Housing figures are city-level.

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