Southeast Community Health Systems logo
Southeast Community Health Systems
Independence, Louisiana

Behavioral Health Therapist

CounselorIncludes callIncludes weekendsFull-Time

Listed compensation

$55K - $75K

The week · per this posting · weekdays assumed

Ask the employer about the work setting, nights and shift pattern, benefits and time off.

Posted 3mo ago

Job Description

Please Note

THIS POSITION WILL BE ASSIGNED TO THE COMPANY'S ECSS PROGRAM

Position Summary

Behavioral Health Therapist (BHT) works on a multidisciplinary team to enhance the lives of individuals and their families living with severe mental health illness. BHT provides appropriate, evidence-based therapeutic services based upon comprehensive assessments of clients’ and families’ strengths, abilities, needs, and preferences. This is a community-based service position.

Essential Functions

Reasonable Accommodations Statement

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. Reasonable Accommodations may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Essential Functions

  • Assists clients in identifying strengths, needs, and realistic goals to develop a service plan.
  • Accurately identifies risk and responds appropriately, and provides consultation to peers regarding high-risk situations and appropriate interventions.
  • Effectively teaches social skills and household management skills.
  • Demonstrates advanced knowledge of behavioral health symptoms, diagnoses, interventions, and impact.
  • Collects and analyzes data to determine service efficacy, client needs, and program /staffing needs and provides reports to clinical director or administration as directed.
  • Maintains professional boundaries and operates within agency / ethical guidelines.
  • Knowledge of agency and community resources and referral processes.

Provides appropriate, evidence-based therapeutic services based upon comprehensive assessments of clients’ strengths, abilities, needs, and preferences.

Provides supportive services for clients and arranges for the provision of services from community resources based on the service plan.

Coordinates and ensures proper authorizations for services as necessary.

Coordinates ongoing service plan development and revision with clients to develop service plans that meet accreditation requirements.

Completes accurate clinical documentation according to policy and as needed to ensure reimbursement for services.

Performs regular evidence-based practice activities to assist clients with basic needs, referrals, service coordination, and skills training as necessary.

  • Attends supervision, program, and agency-wide meetings as indicated.
  • May assist with clinical consultation, clinical review, or auditing of clinical records.
  • Performs other duties as requested within scope of license.

Professional Requirements

  • Fully participates and cooperates with SCHS’ compliance program.
  • Meets dress code standards; appearance is neat and clean.
  • Maintains regulatory requirements.
  • Completes annual educational requirements.
  • Maintains patient confidentiality at all times.
  • Reports to work on time and as scheduled; excellent attendance record.
  • Wears identification when on duty; uses the computerized punch time system correctly.
  • Completes off site in-services as required and returns in a timely fashion.
  • Attends annual review and departmental in-services, as scheduled.
  • Attends scheduled staff meetings; reads and returns all monthly staff meeting minutes.
  • Represents the organization in a positive and professional manner.
  • Complies with all organizational policies regarding ethical business practices.
  • Communicates the mission, ethics and goals of the facility.

Requirements

SKILLS & ABILITIES

Education

  • Master or Doctorate Degree in social service field
  • License in good standing in Louisiana or Compact state to practice as either an LCSW, LMFT, or LPC

Computer Skills

Proficiency with Microsoft Office applications (Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint).

Other Requirements

  • Ability to communicate in English, both verbally and in writing.
  • Ability to communicate in different languages desired.
  • Excellent customer service skills
  • Ability to type 40 wpm desired
  • Possess a valid driver’s license
  • Be able to work on-call hours including weekends, holidays, and after hours
  • No restrictions or adverse actions that would disqualify for Medicaid or other billing

Key Responsibilities

Provide evidence-based therapeutic services and comprehensive assessments for individuals with severe mental illness within a multidisciplinary team. Coordinate service plans, manage clinical documentation, and connect clients with community resources.

Qualifications

Education
Doctoral or professional degree (postgraduate degree)
Experience
2+ years of experience

Key Skills

Evidence-Based TherapyClinical AssessmentCrisis InterventionCase ManagementSocial Skills TrainingService PlanningRisk Assessment

Counselor Career Context

Of the 50 active Mental Health Therapy listings this role was benchmarked against, 64% are remote, 26% have no call, 74% require no weekends.

The cost-of-living index for Louisiana is 88.2 (US average = 100; BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)), so the posted ~$65k midpoint carries the purchasing power of roughly $74k in an average-cost state. 60.8% of Louisiana clinicians report burnout symptoms in WeekdayDoc's Burnout Index (2026-01 data).

Mental Health Therapy by the numbers
MeasureThis jobMarket
Listed pay$55k–$75kMental Health Therapy median $73k (middle half $65k–$85k)331 comparable listings, Oct 2026
Cost-of-living adjusted pay~$74k in purchasing powerLouisiana index 88.2 (US = 100)BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)
Mental Health Therapy listings in Louisiana44 active7,906 nationallylive on WeekdayDoc, Oct 2026
Work settingon-sitepeers: 64% remote · 26% no call · 74% no weekends50 benchmarked listings
Sources: WeekdayDoc live listing index, BEA Regional Price Parities (2024); as of Oct 2026. Same values as the Weekday Verdict and Market Insights on this page.

Top Counselor Jobs

35 matches · ranked by pay

Salary Distribution

35 jobs · 17 employers
11
<$80k
1
$80k
2
$95k-110k
18
$110k-125k
3
$125k+

Annual compensation range

Benefits & Perks

30 jobs · 17 employers
401k / retirement match
97%
Sign-on bonus
30%
CME allowance
17%
Loan repayment
3%
PSLF eligible
3%

Share of similar jobs offering each benefit

#1

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InterDent Service · Salem, Oregon

From $155k
#2

Licensed Clinical Mental Health Therapist - LICSW/LPCC/LMFT

LifeStance Health · Saint Louis Park, Minnesota

$74k-$126k
#3

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

$92k-$125k
#4

Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMFT, LMHC, LCSW)

$115k-$120k
+ 33 more · ranked by pay

Work-life snapshot

median 6.0this job 3.0
Better work-life than 20% of Mental Health Therapy (Counseling) listings

Listing-based score, 0–10, across 7,851 comparable listings. Shaded area = the share scoring below this one.

  • Includes call
  • Includes weekends
Southeast Community Health Systems logo

About Southeast Community Health Systems

Hospitals and Health Care
Zachary, LA
51-200 employees

Living in Independence

Typical 3-bedroom home value
$221k≈ 4.0× annual pay
Median resident rent
$964/mo≈ 21% of gross pay
Residents’ average commute
27 min
Metro price indexU.S. average = 100
84.5
State income tax
Up to 4.3%
Sources & methodology

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

BEA 2024 · Hammond, LA metro prices. Housing figures are city-level.

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