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Avera Health
Sioux Falls, South Dakota

Outpatient Therapist

CounselorNo nightsFull-Time

Listed compensation

$61k-$101k

Listing transparency3 of 6 stated

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

Employment & setting
Full-Time
Call expectations
Not specified
Weekends
Not specified
Posted 1mo ago

Job Description

Location

Avera Behavioral Health Sioux Falls

Worker Type

Regular

Work Shift

Day Shift (United States of America)

Pay Range

The pay range for this position is listed below. Actual pay rate dependent upon experience.

$60,840.00 - $100,880.00

Position Highlights

This position is eligible for an $8,000 sign on bonus!

Student Loan Repayment: This position may be eligible for Avera’s Student Loan Repayment Program, which helps you pay off your loans and save money. Each month an extra payment of $167 (up to $10,000) from Avera will help pay down your principal balance faster.

Provider will work 40 hours during the Sioux Falls School District academic calendar year, and 1 day a week during the summer. This position will require provider to work in a school setting full time, high school or middle school environment, providing mental health therapy, chemical dependency assessments and individual and group work.

Provider will be required to enrolled in the Addiction Counselor Trainee program within 30 days of hire if not already a certified or licensed in Addiction Counselor.

You Belong at Avera

Be part of a multidisciplinary team built with compassion and the goal of Moving Health Forward for you and our patients. Work where you matter.

A Brief Overview

Assists in coordinating, planning, implementing and facilitating programs and counseling services on an outpatient basis. The Outpatient Therapist's responsibilities may include several of the following areas: individual, group and family counseling, crisis services/evaluation, tele-therapy services, and current and future groups/programs. All of these areas may involve providing assessments, facilitating treatment and crisis intervention of clientele affected by mental health or dual diagnoses issues. Providing community/education services will be a part of this position and some travel is occasionally required.

What you will do

Coordinates a clinical treatment program for the diagnosis, treatment or referral of clients/patients presenting moderate to severe social adjustment problems.

Adheres to policies which assure the confidentiality of client communications. Provides for a multi-disciplinary, holistic approach to the treatment of clients, coordinating same with appropriate hospital departments.

Conducts individual, family, or group therapy sessions in accordance with accepted principles of the National Association of Social Workers.

Assesses progress of clients/patients and modify or extend treatment program accordingly. Coordinates care of clients/patients with referring physician or agency.

Documents therapy in accordance with hospital policies and procedures on medical records.

Intervenes as a crisis counselor in situations requiring immediate psychological treatment such as substance abuse, suicide attempts, psychotic episodes and other instances as outlined in hospital policy.

Refers client or patient to outside agencies where appropriate.

Communicates with family members/significant others in order to further the effectiveness of client/patient treatment and progress.

Coordinates client/patient billing and modify treatment program in accordance with insurance coverage, plan provisions, and individual ability to pay.

Provides educational programs on a variety of psychological topics to hospital/community groups as requested.

Essential Qualifications

The individual must be able to work the hours specified. To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential job function satisfactorily including having visual acuity adequate to perform position duties and the ability to communicate effectively with others, hear, understand and distinguish speech and other sounds. These requirements and those listed above are representative of the knowledge, skills, and abilities required to perform the essential job functions. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential job functions, as long as the accommodations do not cause undue hardship to the employer.

Required Education, License/Certification, or Work Experience:

Master's

Licensed Professional Counselor - Mental Health (LPC-MH) - Licensing Board An active license in the state of practice Upon Hire or

Clinical Social Worker - Practitioner in Private Practice (CSW-PIP) - Licensing Board An active license in the state of practice Upon Hire or

Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) - Licensing Board An active license in the state of practice Upon Hire

Preferred Education, License/Certification, or Work Experience:

Addiction Counselor Trainee (ACT) - Licensing Board An active license in the state of practice and

Certified Addiction Counselor (CAC) - Licensing Board An active license in the state of practice or

Licensed Addiction Counselor (LAC) - Board of Addiction and Prevention Professionals An active license in the state of practice

4-6 years Related experience and/or training

Clinical experience facilitating group therapy sessions and providing individuals counseling services

Experience working with clients having dual diagnoses issues (addictive disorders in conjunction with mental health conditions)

Clinical experience with couples and/or family therapy

Expectations and Standards

Commitment to the daily application of Avera’s mission, vision, core values, and social principles to serve patients, their families, and our community.

Promote Avera’s values of compassion, hospitality, and stewardship.

Uphold Avera’s standards of Communication, Attitude, Responsiveness, and Engagement (CARE) with enthusiasm and sincerity.

Maintain confidentiality.

Work effectively in a team environment, coordinating work flow with other team members and ensuring a productive and efficient environment.

Comply with safety principles, laws, regulations, and standards associated with, but not limited to, CMS, The Joint Commission, DHHS, and OSHA if applicable.

Benefits You Need & Then Some

Avera is proud to offer a wide range of benefits to qualifying part-time and full-time employees. We support you with opportunities to help live balanced, healthy lives. Benefits are designed to meet needs of today and into the future.

  • PTO available day 1 for eligible hires.
  • Up to 5% employer matching contribution for retirement
  • Career development guided by hands-on training and mentorship

Avera is an Equal Opportunity Employer - Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, Veteran Status, or other categories protected by law. If you are an individual with a disability and would like to request an accommodation for help with your online application, please call 1-605-504-4444 or send an email to talent@avera.org.

Key Responsibilities

The therapist coordinates, plans, and facilitates outpatient mental health and chemical dependency services, including individual, group, and family counseling. They also perform crisis interventions, conduct assessments, and provide educational programs to the community.

Requirements

Candidates must hold a Master's degree and possess an active license as an LPC-MH, CSW-PIP, or LMFT in the state of practice. Experience with dual diagnosis and facilitating group therapy is preferred, along with the ability to work within a school environment.

Qualifications

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

Key Skills

Chemical dependency assessmentIndividual counselingDual diagnosis treatmentClinical documentationTreatment planningPsychological assessmentCase managementEducational programmingConfidentiality compliance

Counselor Career Context

Of the 50 active Mental Health Therapy listings this role was benchmarked against, 46% are remote, 38% have no call, 64% require no weekends.

Mental Health Therapy pay on WeekdayDoc is up 6.4% vs. the prior quarter (through Aug 2026).

The cost-of-living index for South Dakota is 88.6 (US average = 100; BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)), so the posted ~$81k midpoint carries the purchasing power of roughly $91k in an average-cost state. 58.2% of South Dakota clinicians report burnout symptoms in WeekdayDoc's Burnout Index (2026-01 data).

Location & Logistics

South Dakota has no state income tax, which can significantly increase take-home pay compared to high-tax states. At the posted ~$81k midpoint, that is roughly $3k–$6k a year versus a typical 4–7% state rate.

Top Counselor Jobs

26 matches · ranked by pay

Salary Distribution26 jobs · 17 employers

6
<$80k
4
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3
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10
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3
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Annual compensation range

Benefits & Perks25 jobs · 17 employers

401k / retirement match
96% this job
Loan repayment
32% this job
CME allowance
32%
Sign-on bonus
20% this job
PSLF eligible
16%

Share of similar jobs offering each benefit

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+ 24 more · ranked by pay

Work-life snapshot

5.1/ 10
Listing-based score
  • No nights

Living in Sioux Falls

Typical 3-bedroom home value
$304k
Typical market rent
$1,302/mo
Residents’ average commute
17 min
State income tax
None
Sources & methodology

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

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

Avera Health logo

About Avera Health

Non-profit Organizations
South Dakota

Benefits & Perks

$8,000 sign on bonus
Student Loan Repayment Program (up to $10,000)
PTO available day 1
Up to 5% employer matching contribution for retirement
Career development guided by hands-on training and mentorship