Embark Behavioral Health logo
Embark Behavioral Health
Lake Ozark, Missouri

Lead Adventure Therapist

Counselor Top 25% in Mental Health Therapy (Counseling)Full-Time

Listed compensation

$70K - $80K

  • 80%better work-life than Mental Health Therapy (Counseling) peers
  • Relocationrelocation help · 2% of Mental Health Therapy listings offer it
  • +15%Mental Health Therapy listings, last 30 days

The week · per this posting

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

Posted 1mo ago

Job Description

  • Lead Adventure Therapist
  • Location: 130 Calo Lane, Lake Ozark, MO 65049 Salary: $70,000 to $80,000
  • Relocation Assistance Provided!

Ready to get out of the therapy room and make a meaningful impact through connection and engagement? If you're a clinician who enjoys building relationships, leading groups, collaborating with multidisciplinary teams, and creating engaging therapeutic experiences, this role offers the opportunity to support youth in a dynamic and highly interactive environment.

Here, therapy happens in motion: through group challenges, outdoor experiences, and animal-assisted work. You'll work side-by-side with our youth by helping them build trust, regulate, and breakthrough in ways traditional settings often can't reach.

At CALO, our mission is to heal generations through a holistic, family-driven model, and you will be at the heart of that work.

Apply today if you're looking for a highly engaging environment where no two days are the same. Ideal for clinicians who enjoy group work, program development, and building connections.

Responsibilities

Lead and facilitate therapeutic groups, experiential activities, and animal-assisted programming that support student growth and treatment goals.

Coordinate, organize, and oversee the day-to-day flow of adventure therapy and experiential programming to ensure a structured, engaging, and effective student experience.

Partner closely with Adventure Therapy Coordinators to develop, implement, and enhance programming, activities, and therapeutic experiences.

Build strong therapeutic relationships with students through mentorship, daily engagement, hands-on support, and meaningful shared experiences.

Integrate animal-assisted interventions, including work alongside CALO's canine companions, to promote connection, regulation, and growth.

Provide clinical support through assessments, treatment planning input, real-time coaching, and crisis intervention as needed.

Ensure timely documentation, family communication, regulatory compliance, and overall program quality while helping maintain a positive, relationship-focused treatment environment.

Qualifications

Master's degree in Counseling, Social Work, Psychology, Recreation Therapy, or a related behavioral health field.

Fully licensed clinicians (LPC, LCSW, LMFT, Psychologist) preferred; provisional licensure will be considered.

Recreational Therapy certification may be considered based on education, experience, and credentialing requirements.

Experience facilitating groups and working with adolescents in a therapeutic, residential, or experiential setting.

  • Interest in or experience with adventure-based, experiential, and animal-assisted interventions.
  • Strong leadership, organization, collaboration, and relationship-building skills.
  • Must be at least 24 years of age and able to pass required background and drug screenings.

Benefits

Medical, Dental & Vision Insurance – Multiple plan options including PPO and HDHPs with HSA eligibility and company contributions.

  • Paid Parental Leave – Up to 6 weeks fully paid for exempt employees and 4 weeks for non-exempt.
  • Life & Disability Coverage – Company-paid life, AD&D, and long-term disability; voluntary life and optional short-term disability available.
  • 401(k) with Company Match – Retirement savings with matching contributions after eligibility period.
  • PTO & Holidays – Competitive PTO accrual plans and paid holidays throughout the year.
  • Employee Assistance Program (EAP) – Free, confidential support for life’s challenges.

CALO is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer. We are committed to enriching the therapeutic and healing experience we offer through the diversity of our employees and community. We actively seek to recruit and support a broadly diverse staff who contribute to our excellence, diversity of viewpoints and experiences, and relevance in a global society.

CALO does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, gender identity, and sexual orientation), national origin, age, disability, genetic information, marital status, veteran status, or any other protected status under applicable laws. #ALLCALO #onsite #LI-KK1

Qualifications

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

Key Skills

Group facilitationClinical assessmentAnimal-assisted therapyAdolescent counseling

Work-Life Balance Analysis

WeekdayDoc's proprietary algorithm rates Lead Adventure Therapist at Embark Behavioral Health 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 7,933 active Mental Health Therapy (Counseling) listings on WeekdayDoc.

Counselor Career Context

Embark Behavioral Health ranks #6 of 20 employers hiring Counselor on WeekdayDoc by average advertised pay.

Of the 50 active Mental Health Therapy listings this role was benchmarked against, 34% are remote, 30% have no call, 74% require no weekends.

Mental Health Therapy pay on WeekdayDoc is up 2.2% vs. the prior quarter (through Aug 2026).

The cost-of-living index for Missouri is 90.8 (US average = 100; BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)), so the posted ~$75k midpoint carries the purchasing power of roughly $83k in an average-cost state. 60.1% of Missouri clinicians report burnout symptoms in WeekdayDoc's Burnout Index (2026-01 data).

Top Counselor Jobs

29 matches · ranked by pay

Salary Distribution29 jobs · 22 employers

10
<$70k
10
$70k-90k
3
$90k-110k
6
$110k-130k

Annual compensation range

Benefits & Perks25 jobs · 22 employers

401k / retirement match
88% this job
CME allowance
36%
Sign-on bonus
24%
PSLF eligible
16%
Loan repayment
12%

Share of similar jobs offering each benefit

#1

Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT)

Gotham Enterprises · Gastonia, North Carolina

$115k-$120k
#2

Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist (LMFT)

Gotham Enterprises · Centerton, Arkansas

$115k-$120k
#3

Licensed Mental Health Therapist (LMFT, LCSW, LPC)

$115k-$120k
#4

Licensed Clinical Therapist (LCSW, LPC, LMFT) Sign-on Bonus $5,000

$81k-$117k
+ 27 more · ranked by pay

Work-life snapshot

median 6.4this job 7.2
Better work-life than 80% of Mental Health Therapy (Counseling) listings

Listing-based score, 0–10, across 7,933 comparable listings. Shaded area = the share scoring below this one.

  • On-site

Living in Lake Ozark

Typical 3-bedroom home value
$342k≈ 4.9× annual pay
Median resident rent
$1,304/mo≈ 22% of gross pay
Residents’ average commute
22 min
State income tax
Up to 5.3%
Sources & methodology

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

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

Embark Behavioral Health logo

About Embark Behavioral Health

Mental Health Care
Chandler, Arizona
1,001-5,000 employees

Benefits & Perks

Medical, Dental & Vision Insurance
Paid Parental Leave
Life & Disability Coverage
401(k) with Company Match
PTO & Holidays
Employee Assistance Program
Relocation Assistance