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Brightpoint
Madison, Wisconsin

Family Counselor

CounselorIncludes callFull-Time

Listed compensation

$47K - $51K

The week · per this posting · weekdays assumed

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

Posted 6mo ago

Job Description

Brightpoint invites you to join our team of mission-driven staff who share a common vision: an equitable world where all children and families thrive in strong communities. As a leader in the human services sector for 140 years, we aim to advance the well-being of children by investing in families and strengthening communities through data-informed, collaborative, and preventative solutions.

The Family Counselor is a critical member of the Youth Services team, providing crisis intervention, follow-up crisis stabilization, and short-term counseling and case management services to youth, age 11-23, and their families.

The goal of the Youth Services program is to preserve and reunify families, to prevent placement of youth in the state child welfare or juvenile justice system due to runaway or lockout, and to prepare older youth for successful independent living.

As a Family Counselor, you will meet with clients and families in their homes and other community-based locations, providing individualized services aimed at strengthening relationships, addressing trauma, and building positive community connections.

The Family Counselor also coordinates services with other relevant providers and develop appropriate referral plans, completes thorough and timely documentation, including assessment and service notes, using a web-based client services platform, and provides after-hours support to remote field staff on an on-call rotation.

Core Responsibilities and Essential Job Functions

  • Provides crisis intervention and conflict resolution with youth and their families as necessary.
  • Provides individual and family counseling according to program model.
  • Provides comprehensive case management services to a caseload of clients which includes needs assessment, service planning, case coordination, service brokerage, linkages with community resources, and monitoring progress toward client(s) goals and objectives and makes recommendations for on-going services when necessary.
  • Establishes trusting, nurturing, therapeutic relationships with clients and their families.
  • Arranges and/or provides services needed to meet the immediate needs of client(s).
  • Assesses youth and family functioning for safety, risk and protective factors and determines appropriate interventions.
  • Formulates service plans and goals with client(s), obtains supervisory approval of the plan, and is responsible for the implementation of the plan.
  • Analyzes and evaluates progress in the service plan and modifies when necessary to meet the needs and goals of the client(s).
  • Provides psychoeducation, including positive parent-youth interactions, problem-solving, adolescent development and positive parenting.

Candidate Qualifications

  • Master's Degree in Social Work, Counseling, or a related field required OR a Bachelor's degree in a human services field plus at least two years' related experience working with children and families required.
  • Experience with high-risk youth and their families in crisis preferred.
  • Counseling experience or training preferred.
  • Ability to speak English and Spanish preferred.
  • Valid driver's license, insurance, and access to a reliable vehicle required.
  • Effective listening and trust-focused relationship-building skills.
  • Excellent verbal and written communication skills.

Job Details

  • Compensation: Salary Range $47k-$51k; offers are commensurate with experience. The salary range provided represents our current estimate for this role at the time of posting and is subject to change. The final salary will be determined based on a range of factors, including but not limited to, a candidate's relevant experience, education, qualifications, skills, certifications, and alignment with organizational needs. We are dedicated to fair and equitable compensation practices and are committed to fostering a diverse workforce while providing equal opportunities for all candidates.
  • Benefits: Medical/dental/vision insurance, 3+ weeks paid time off in the first year including the week between Christmas and New Year’s Day (PTO increases with tenure); 11 paid holidays, supplemental insurance options, 401(k) with match (more benefits details here ).

brightpoint.org

  • Location: Family Counselors provide in-home and community-based services in Madison and surrounding counties.
  • Schedule: Full-time, salaried; general business hours with flexibility for evening appointments to accommodate clients’ schedules. Position requires participation in after-hours on-call crisis rotation.
  • We don’t just hire talent—we grow it: Emerging Leaders will have access to leadership development opportunities and one-on-one mentorship.
  • Student Loan Forgiveness: Brightpoint is an approved agency for Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF)

Key Responsibilities

The Family Counselor provides crisis intervention, short-term counseling, and comprehensive case management services to youth (ages 11-23) and their families, focusing on preservation, reunification, and independent living preparation. Key functions include conducting needs assessments, formulating service plans, coordinating community resources, and providing psychoeducation on topics like positive parenting.

Requirements

Candidates must possess a Master's Degree in Social Work, Counseling, or a related field, or a Bachelor's degree in a human services field plus two years of related experience working with children and families. A valid driver's license, insurance, and reliable vehicle access are required, with experience working with high-risk youth preferred.

Qualifications

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

Key Skills

Trauma AssessmentRisk AssessmentOn-call SupportListening SkillsVerbal Communication

Clinical Psychology — Counselor Career Context

The cost-of-living index for Wisconsin is 94.1 (US average = 100; BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)), so the posted ~$49k midpoint carries the purchasing power of roughly $52k in an average-cost state. 60.7% of Wisconsin clinicians report burnout symptoms in WeekdayDoc's Burnout Index (2026-01 data).

Of the 50 active Clinical Psychology listings this role was benchmarked against, 64% are remote, 40% have no call, 64% require no weekends.

Clinical Psychology pay on WeekdayDoc is up 11.6% vs. the prior quarter (through Sep 2026).

Work-Life Balance Analysis

WeekdayDoc's proprietary algorithm rates Family Counselor at Brightpoint a 6.2 out of 10 for work-life balance — classified as good. This places the position in the Above average in Counseling — ranked against 13,751 active Counseling listings on WeekdayDoc.

Top Counselor Jobs

27 matches · ranked by pay

Salary Distribution27 jobs · 11 employers

6
<$90k
6
$90k-105k
8
$105k-120k
7
$120k-135k

Annual compensation range

Benefits & Perks26 jobs · 11 employers

401k / retirement match
96% this job
Sign-on bonus
50%
CME allowance
19%
Loan repayment
4% this job
PSLF eligible
4% this job

Share of similar jobs offering each benefit

#1

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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 Therapist (LMFT, LMHC, LCSW)

$115k-$120k
#4

Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT)

$115k-$120k
+ 25 more · ranked by pay

Work-life snapshot

median 7.2this job 6.2
Better work-life than 40% of Clinical Psychology (Counseling) listings

Listing-based score, 0–10, across 357 comparable listings. Shaded area = the share scoring below this one.

  • Includes call

Living in Madison

Typical 3-bedroom home value
$433k≈ 9.2× annual pay
Typical market rent
$1,616/mo≈ 41% of gross pay
Residents’ average commute
19 min
Metro price indexU.S. average = 100
97.3
State income tax
Up to 7.7%
Sources & methodology

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

BEA 2024 · Madison, WI metro prices. Housing figures are city-level.

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

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About Brightpoint

Individual and Family Services
Chicago, Illinois
201-500 employees

Benefits & Perks

Medical Insurance
Dental Insurance
Vision Insurance
3+ weeks PTO
11 Paid Holidays
Supplemental Insurance
401(k) with Match
Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) Eligible