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University of Florida
Jacksonville, Florida

Counselor - Child Protection Team - Jax

CounselorFull-Time

Listed compensation

$60k-$70k

The week · per this posting · weekdays assumed

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

Posted 7mo ago

Job Description

Classification Title

Counselor - Child Protection Team - Jax

Job Description

Functions as a Therapist for the professional, multidisciplinary Child Protection Team and Sexual Abuse Treatment Program, organized to provide and coordinate services for victims of child abuse and neglect. Assesses need and provides therapy to children and families verified as victims of abuse following CPT assessment. The position requires knowledge in the areas of child abuse and neglect and family dynamics,

Skills

in the areas of assessing/case management, crisis intervention, trauma-based therapy, experience with the judicial system as advocate and expert witness, available community resources and making appropriate referrals. This position services the Jacksonville area program and includes Baker, Clay, Duval, and Nassau counties.

This position requires travel to other counties.

Provides direct therapy and counseling services to child victims, siblings of victims, and non-offending caregivers. Provides crisis intervention to families.

Coordinates intakes, evaluations, & interviews with children, family members to obtain psychosocial information for clinical evaluations. Develops and maintains relationships with staff and other agencies to provide coordination with needed services and support through advocacy, referral, and follow-up.

Develops behaviorally specific treatment plans for all family members involved in the program. Completes safety planning to prevent continued or future abuse

Attends case staffing and coordinates client services and community referrals.

Maintains client records, including documentation and tracking of treatment goals and objectives consistent with program requirements. Conducts training for the

Community

as assigned.

Provides depositions and court testimony as required.

Expected Salary

$60,000 to $70,000 annually depending on education and experience.

Minimum Requirements

Professionals with one of the following credentials are qualified to provide psychosocial

Counseling

Social worker with a master’s degree or a Ph.D. in social work from a Certified Social Work Education-accredited school of social work.

Registered nurse with advanced specialized counseling education and training as a clinical nurse specialist or certified psychiatric nurse.

Professional licensed to provide clinical, counseling, and psychotherapy services by the Florida Department of Health, Division of Medical Quality Assurance.

Counselor with a master’s degree in counseling.

Psychologist with a master’s or Ph.D. in psychology.

Master’s or doctoral level graduate student intern from an accredited school of social work or a psychology or counseling program, under the supervision of a licensed practitioner qualified to supervise such interns.

Psychosocial counseling professionals working with the Healthy Start population should have counseling education, training, and experience in women’s issues, maternal and child health issues, and grief and loss issues. This includes experience in child development, family dynamics, family violence and substance abuse intervention, medical or health promotion orientation, mental health, and a prevention theory approach to intervention.

Services can be provided by a designated clinic employee, a contracted counseling provider, or referral to a professional counseling agency/individual in the community.

Preferred Qualifications

Social Worker eligible for Florida licensure

Experience in Trauma focused care and planning.

Use of standardized assessment tools in determining a client’s current presenting problem(s) One year of clinical counseling experience, six months of which must be in providing treatment to sexually abused children and their families

Special Instructions to Applicants

This is a time-limited position. Time limited positions are based on circumstances, such as funding sources, which control the length of time for which the position is available.

Background Check is Required.

To be considered you must upload your Cover Letter, Resume/CV, and 3 References.

University of Florida College of Medicine – Jacksonville: Visit this link to watch the video.

Application must be submitted by 11:55 p. m. (ET) of the posting end date.

This requisition has been reposted. Previous applicants are still under consideration and need not reapply.

Health Assessment Required: Yes.

Key Responsibilities

This role functions as a Therapist for the Child Protection Team, providing and coordinating services for victims of child abuse and neglect, including direct therapy and crisis intervention for children, siblings, and non-offending caregivers. Responsibilities also include coordinating evaluations, developing treatment plans, maintaining client records, and providing court testimony as required.

Requirements

Qualified professionals must possess a master’s degree or Ph.D. in social work, psychology, or counseling, or be a registered nurse with specialized training, or hold a professional license for clinical services in Florida. Preferred qualifications include eligibility for Florida licensure, trauma-focused care experience, and one year of clinical counseling experience, with six months working with sexually abused children and their families.

Qualifications

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

Key Skills

Child Abuse AssessmentNeglect AssessmentJudicial System AdvocacyBehaviorally Specific Treatment PlanningClient Records Maintenance

Child Protection — Counselor Career Context

University of Florida ranks #18 of 18 employers hiring Counselor on WeekdayDoc by average advertised pay.

Of the 50 active Counselor listings this role was benchmarked against, 40% are remote, 36% have no call, 60% require no weekends.

Counselor pay on WeekdayDoc is up 2.5% vs. the prior quarter (through Sep 2026).

The cost-of-living index for Florida is 103.4 (US average = 100; BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)), so the posted ~$60k midpoint carries the purchasing power of roughly $58k in an average-cost state. 58.1% of Florida clinicians report burnout symptoms in WeekdayDoc's Burnout Index (2026-01 data).

Location & Logistics

Florida has no state income tax, which can significantly increase take-home pay compared to high-tax states. At the posted ~$60k midpoint, that is roughly $2k–$4k a year versus a typical 4–7% state rate.

Top Counselor Jobs

34 matches · ranked by pay

Salary Distribution34 jobs · 27 employers

16
<$75k
9
$75k-95k
3
$95k-115k
6
$115k-135k

Annual compensation range

Benefits & Perks23 jobs

401k / retirement match
91% this job
Sign-on bonus
43%
Loan repayment
26%
CME allowance
26%
PSLF eligible
17%

Share of similar jobs offering each benefit

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+ 32 more · ranked by pay

Work-life snapshot

median 6.1this job 1.5
Below most Counseling listings for work-life

Listing-based score, 0–10, across 13,631 comparable listings. Shaded area = the share scoring below this one.

Living in Jacksonville

Typical 3-bedroom home value
$271k≈ 4.5× annual pay
Typical market rent
$1,601/mo≈ 32% of gross pay
Residents’ average commute
24 min
Metro price indexU.S. average = 100
99.5
State income tax
None
Sources & methodology

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

BEA 2024 · Jacksonville, FL metro prices. Housing figures are city-level.

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