Clinical Therapist

Counselor / TherapistFull-Time

Compensation

Pay not listed

The week · per this posting · weekdays assumed

Ask the employer about the pay range, call expectations, weekend coverage and time off.

Posted 3mo ago

Job Description

Clinical Therapist

PINE HILLS CORRECTIONAL FACILITY

Miles City, MT

The Montana Department of Corrections (DOC) is creating a safer Montana through Accountability, Rehabilitation and Empowerment. If you want to work making positive changes in your community, the Montana Department of Corrections is the place for you!

The Rehabilitation and Enterprise Division ensures the physical and mental well-being of inmates, delivers educational and vocational opportunities within prisons, and oversees community facilities dedicated to successfully reintegrating offenders into Montana communities. Join the team responsible for building better tomorrows today!

Pine Hills Correctional Facility (PHCF) is the state correctional treatment facility for adolescents and young adults committed to the Department of Corrections by the court. PHCF provides clinical, nursing, education, recreation, group living, and other services to treat the emotional, social and educational needs.

As a Clinical Therapist working within a secure facility, you will play a pivotal role in addressing the complex mental health and behavioral needs of an incarcerated population. Your work will directly support institutional safety by reducing crisis incidents, improving emotional regulation, and fostering pro-social behavior among residents.

Through the delivery of evidence-based and trauma-informed therapeutic services, you will help individuals confront the underlying factors contributing to criminal behavior, including trauma, substance use, and chronic mental illness. Your interventions will promote accountability, enhance coping skills, and support long-term behavior change within a highly structured environment.

Operating as part of a multidisciplinary team alongside security staff, medical providers, and case managers, you will help create a safer and more rehabilitative facility culture. Your ability to balance clinical care with security protocols, maintain strong professional boundaries, and build trust in a correctional setting will be essential to your success.

The impact of your work extends beyond the facility walls. By preparing individuals for eventual reentry, you will help reduce recidivism, strengthen community outcomes, and contribute to the long-term safety and well-being of communities across Montana.

Qualifications

The knowledge, skills and abilities for this position are typically acquired through a combination of education and experience equivalent to:

  • Master’s degree in social work, psychology or counseling
  • Must be licensed or able to be licensed as a LCSW or LCPC by the State of Montana.
  • A person with a candidates license must be fully licensed within one year of hire date.
  • Those with candidacy licenses are encouraged to apply.
  • Alternative combinations of education and experience will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

Benefits

Your service is rewarded with competitive compensation and generous State of Montana Benefits.

State of Montana employment may qualify for student loan forgiveness under the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program.

Application Instructions

Only online applications are accepted. By applying online, you are able to receive updates and monitor the status of your application.

To initiate an application and be considered, you must attach your resume, cover letter, and mark the attachments as a “Relevant File”. In your cover letter, state why you are applying for the position and anything that makes you uniquely qualified. Applications missing required documentation may not be considered.

Successful Applicants Will Be Subject To

  • Criminal history check
  • Child/patient/offender abuse registries
  • Reference checks

Medicaid Fraud Background Check

The Department of Corrections participates in E-Verify to confirm employment eligibility. After accepting a job offer and completing form I-9, your information will be submitted to the Department of Homeland Security and Social Security Administration for verification. For more information about E-Verify, please visit the E-Verify website found here, e-verify.gov.

Notices

Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA) - Any person who has 1) engaged in sexual abuse in a prison, jail, lockup, community confinement facility, juvenile facility, or other institution; 2) been convicted of engaging in or attempting to engage in sexual activity in the community facilitated by force, overt or implied threats of force, or coercion, or if the victim did not consent or was unable to consent or refuse; or 3) been civilly or administratively adjudicated to have engaged in activity as described in the latter, are not qualified for this position.

Tobacco Free - The use of all tobacco products, including smokeless tobacco products and tobacco substitutes is prohibited in Department of Corrections buildings. In secure care facilities possession of tobacco products is prohibited.

Key Responsibilities

The Clinical Therapist will provide evidence-based and trauma-informed therapeutic services to address the mental health and behavioral needs of incarcerated adolescents and young adults. They will work within a multidisciplinary team to promote accountability, reduce crisis incidents, and support long-term behavior change for successful community reentry.

Qualifications

Education
Professional certificate or licensure
Experience
2+ years of experience

Key Skills

Clinical therapyTrauma-informed careMental health assessmentBehavioral interventionCrisis managementSubstance use counselingMultidisciplinary collaborationCase managementCorrectional facility operationsEvidence-based practice

Work-Life Balance Analysis

WeekdayDoc's proprietary algorithm rates Clinical Therapist at Montana Department of Corrections a 7.2 out of 10 for work-life balance — classified as very good. This places the position in the top 25% in Mental Health Therapy (Counseling) — ranked against 7,479 active Mental Health Therapy (Counseling) listings on WeekdayDoc.

Counselor Career Context

Of the 50 active Mental Health Therapy listings this role was benchmarked against, 54% are remote, 26% have no call, 68% require no weekends.

Mental Health Therapy pay on WeekdayDoc is down 2.9% vs. the prior quarter (through Oct 2026).

Mental Health Therapy by the numbers
MeasureThis jobMarket
Work-life score7.2 / 10 · top 25% in mental health therapy (counseling)ranked against 7,479 Mental Health Therapy (Counseling) listingslisting-based score, 0–10
Listed paynot listedMental Health Therapy median $75k (middle half $64k–$86k)307 comparable listings, Nov 2026
Cost of livingMontana index 94.6US average = 100BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)
Mental Health Therapy listings in Montana25 active7,476 nationallylive on WeekdayDoc, Nov 2026
Work settingon-sitepeers: 54% remote · 26% no call · 68% no weekends50 benchmarked listings
Sign-on & loan repaymentloan repaymentUS counselor listings (all specialties): 13% state a sign-on bonus (median $3k) · 13% offer loan repayment1,000 active listings, Nov 2026
New Mental Health Therapy listings2,512 in the last 30 days1,354 the 30 days before (+86%)U.S., first seen on WeekdayDoc, Nov 2026
Mental Health Therapy pay trend−2.9% vs prior quarter—through Oct 2026
Sources: WeekdayDoc live listing index (7,479 Mental Health Therapy (Counseling) listings), BEA Regional Price Parities (2024); as of Nov 2026. Same values as the Weekday Verdict and Market Insights on this page.

Top Counselor Jobs

45 matches · ranked by pay

Salary Distribution

29 jobs
12
<$75k
9
$75k-95k
4
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4
$115k-135k

Annual compensation range

Benefits & Perks

27 jobs
401k / retirement match
81%
CME allowance
63%
Sign-on bonus
33%
Loan repayment
19% this job
PSLF eligible
7% this job

Share of similar jobs offering each benefit

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Work-life snapshot

median 6.0this job 7.2
Better work-life than 80% of Mental Health Therapy (Counseling) listings

Listing-based score, 0–10, across 7,479 comparable listings. Shaded area = the share scoring below this one.

  • On-site
Montana Department of Corrections logo

About Montana Department of Corrections

Law Enforcement
Helena, Montana
51-200 employees

Benefits & Perks

Competitive compensation
Generous State of Montana Benefits
Student loan forgiveness (PSLF eligible)

Living in Miles City

Typical 3-bedroom home value
$266k
State income tax
Up to 6.8%
Sources & methodology

Sources: Zillow home values (Sep 2026).

City-level figures. Not a cost-of-living guarantee.