Directions for Living logo
Directions for Living
Clearwater, Florida

Counselor Adult Outpatient Field (SPC)

LPC / LMHCFull-Time

Listed compensation

$80k–$85k

The week · per this posting · weekdays assumed

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

Posted 1mo ago

Job Description

Job Details:

Job Location: Clearwater Center - Clearwater, FL, Salary Range: Undisclosed, Salary is $80,000 + $5,000 if licensed We offer: Medical (100% employer paid for employees only), Dental, Vision, Life, Short Term and Long-Term Disability.

5 days of Paid Time Off 16 Paid Wellness Days and Holidays - Including the week of Christmas off! Do you envision working for a dynamic, mission-driven organization which supports the community while fostering an employee culture of appreciation and fun?

If your answer is yes, then an employment opportunity at Directions for Living may be a great fit for you! We offer an excellent salary and benefits package for all full-time employees, PTO and paid company holidays, 403b retirement, EAP, and year-round employee wellness and appreciation initiatives.

POSITION SUMMARY: This is a professional clinical position that provides brief treatment to eligible enrolled college-age students in a college campus setting. The counselor will be co-located and rotated between college campuses. Work involves the application of psychotherapeutic theories and practices.

The counselor will provide services via referrals received from SPC. Counselor is responsible to meet client facing client care requirements of 75%, which includes 1440 billable hours annually or a minimum of 30 billable hours per week.

Masters level or licensed clinician working with young adults in a college campus setting. Must be experienced working independently and autonomously. Will provide brief treatment to eligible enrolled college age students at St. Pete College.

This is a field based position with no opportunity for remote or work from home. Directions for Living is an essential services provider.

All Directions for Living employees must be willing and able to provide vital support and essential services to the people that we serve in the event of an emergency, pandemic or other disaster situation.

Qualifications

EDUCATION EXPERIENCE/REQUIREMENTS: Master's degree in Counseling, Psychology, Social Work, or related field required, LCSW, LMHC, LMFT, preferred. Knowledge of DSM-IV and ICD-9 diagnostic codes preferred. Basic knowledge of psychotropic medications.

Must have sufficient clinical knowledge to provide clinical intervention with adults. Must have a willingness to learn approaches with which staff are less familiar, as required. Must acquire knowledge of community resources.

EOE/ADA/DFW Smoke Free Campus IND123 info.flclearinghouse.com For the safety of all clients and team members, please remember that Directions for Living is a private business and weapons or firearms are not permitted in any of our facilities. If you carry a weapon, it must remain secured in your vehicle (ref: Fla. Stat. 790.251).

Key Responsibilities

The counselor provides brief psychotherapeutic treatment to college-age students at various campus locations. They are responsible for maintaining a 75% client-facing care requirement, which equates to at least 30 billable hours per week.

Requirements

A Master's degree in Counseling, Psychology, Social Work, or a related field is required, with professional licensure (LCSW, LMHC, LMFT) preferred. Candidates must possess clinical knowledge of diagnostic codes and psychotropic medications, along with the ability to work independently in a field-based setting.

Qualifications

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

Key Skills

Clinical counselingCrisis interventionCase managementDiagnostic codingPsychotropic medication knowledgeCommunity resource coordinationIndependent workYoung adult counseling

Counselor Career Context

In Florida, the Mental Health Counseling weighted monthly median benchmark on WeekdayDoc is ~$70k (37 salary observations; 144 listings), vs ~$77k nationally (594 salary observations; 2,478 listings). Monthly aggregates cover 2026-01-01 through 2026-11-01; these are not the modal's selected comparable-job medians.

The cost-of-living index for Florida is 103.4 (US average = 100; BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)), so the posted ~$83k midpoint carries the purchasing power of roughly $80k in an average-cost state. 58.1% of Florida clinicians report burnout symptoms in WeekdayDoc's Burnout Index (2026-01 data).

What does the Mental Health Counseling market look like in Florida?
MeasureThis jobMarket
Work-life score6.1 / 10 · above average in mental health counselingranked against 781 Mental Health Counseling listingslisting-based score, 0–10
Listed pay$80k–$85kMental Health Counseling median $70k (middle half $53k–$73k)13 comparable listings, Nov 2026
Florida vs national$70k median in Florida$77k nationally (−9%)37 state / 594 national salary observations
Cost-of-living adjusted pay~$80k in purchasing powerFlorida index 103.4 (US = 100)BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)
Mental Health Counseling listings in Florida38 active787 nationallylive on WeekdayDoc, Nov 2026
Work settingon-sitepeers: 36% remote · 34% no call · 58% no weekends50 benchmarked listings
Sign-on & loan repaymentnot statedFlorida counselor listings (all specialties): 6% state a sign-on bonus (median $4k) · 12% offer loan repayment565 active listings, Nov 2026
New Mental Health Counseling listings332 in the last 30 days216 the 30 days before (+54%)U.S., first seen on WeekdayDoc, Nov 2026
Mental Health Counseling pay trend−1.3% vs prior quarter—through Oct 2026
Sources: WeekdayDoc live listing index (781 Mental Health 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 Counselor Adult Outpatient Field (SPC) at Directions for Living a 6.1 out of 10 for work-life balance — classified as good. This places the position in the Above average in Mental Health Counseling — ranked against 781 active Mental Health Counseling listings on WeekdayDoc.

Location & Logistics

Florida has no state income tax, which can significantly increase take-home pay compared to high-tax states. At the posted ~$83k midpoint, that is roughly $3k–$6k a year versus a typical 4–7% state rate.

Top Counselor Jobs

36 matches · ranked by pay

Salary Distribution

36 jobs · 27 employers
13
<$65k
12
$65k-85k
7
$85k-105k
2
$120k
2
$125k+

Annual compensation range

Benefits & Perks

24 jobs
401k / retirement match
100% this job
Loan repayment
29%
CME allowance
29%
Sign-on bonus
25%
PSLF eligible
17%

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 Mental Health Counselor (LMFT, LCSW, LPC)

$115k-$120k
+ 34 more · ranked by pay

Work-life snapshot

median 6.0this job 6.1
Better work-life than 50% of Mental Health Counseling listings

Listing-based score, 0–10, across 781 comparable listings. Shaded area = the share scoring below this one.

Directions for Living logo

About Directions for Living

Mental Health Care
Clearwater, Florida
201-500 employees

Benefits & Perks

Medical (100% employer paid for employees only)
Dental
Vision
Life
Short Term and Long-Term Disability
5 days of Paid Time Off
16 Paid Wellness Days and Holidays
403b retirement

Living in Clearwater

Typical 3-bedroom home value
$422k≈ 5.3× annual pay
Typical market rent
$1,975/mo≈ 30% of gross pay
Residents’ average commute
23 min
Metro price indexU.S. average = 100
100.9
State income tax
None
Sources & methodology

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

BEA 2024 · Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL metro prices. Housing figures are city-level.

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