Pays $40.00 per hourCounselor market median is ~$84k (59 jobs) · Top 25% in Mental Health Therapy (Counseling) for work-life (7.2/10, vs 7,658 in this specialty)

Merakey logo
Merakey
Baton Rouge, Louisiana

Drug and Alcohol Licensed Therapist

Counselor Top 25% in Mental Health Therapy (Counseling)Contract
Posted 5mo ago

About the Role

Fee-for-service role. $40 per hour. Flexible schedule. Create your own hours. Work in substance use recovery in Baton Rouge, LA.

Join Merakey as a Drug and Alcohol Licensed Therapist in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

Key Responsibilities

  • Provide Individual and Group Therapy: Facilitate structured and open-topic group sessions and conduct individualized therapy tailored to each client’s stage of recovery and clinical needs.
  • Conduct Clinical Assessments: Evaluate clients to determine appropriate services, considering both clinical necessity and readiness for change.
  • Manage a Caseload: Maintain an active caseload, tracking treatment progress, engagement levels, and evolving needs while ensuring timely and accurate documentation.
  • SUD-specific assessments using tools such as ASAM criteria, create individualized treatment plans, and facilitate therapeutic group sessions aligned with each client’s diagnosis, goals, and stage of recovery.

Requirements

  • Master’s degree in a behavioral health field (e. g., Counseling, Social Work,.
  • Psychology).
  • Active Licensed Mental Health Professional (LMHP) in Louisiana — accepted credentials include LCSW, LPC, or LMFT.
  • 1 year of experience providing therapeutic services, preferably within a substance use treatment setting preferred.

Benefits & Compensation

  • Pay rate: $40.00 per hour.

Work Schedule

  • Contract position.
  • Flexible scheduling available.

Work with Merakey in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

Qualifications

Education
Master's degree (postgraduate degree)

Key Skills

Individual TherapyGroup TherapyClinical AssessmentsTreatment PlanningCaseload ManagementASAM CriteriaMotivational InterviewingClient EngagementTreatment CoordinationSubstance Use Recovery

Work-Life Balance Analysis

WeekdayDoc's proprietary algorithm rates Drug and Alcohol Licensed Therapist at Merakey 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 7,658 active Mental Health Therapy (Counseling) listings on WeekdayDoc. Contributing factors include flexible scheduling.

Counselor Career Context

Of the 50 active Mental Health Therapy listings this role was benchmarked against, 44% are remote, 18% have no call, 68% require no weekends.

Mental Health Therapy pay on WeekdayDoc is up 1.4% vs. the prior quarter (through Aug 2026).

The cost-of-living index for Louisiana is 88.2 (US average = 100; BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)), so the posted ~$83k midpoint carries the purchasing power of roughly $94k in an average-cost state. 60.8% of Louisiana clinicians report burnout symptoms in WeekdayDoc's Burnout Index (2026-01 data).

Position Insights

AI ANALYSIS

This role scores 7.2/10 on work-life balance for Counselor roles.

Career trajectory: This position offers advancement within 2-3 years. The compensation analysis shows this employer pays...

Benefits analysis: Compared to 59 similar roles, this listing's benefits package ranks...

Top Counselor Jobs

30 matches · ranked by pay

Salary Distribution30 jobs · 22 employers

12
<$85k
6
$85k-110k
7
$110k-135k
5
$135k-160k

Annual compensation range

Benefits & Perks26 jobs · 22 employers

401k / retirement match
96% this job
Sign-on bonus
35%
CME allowance
35%
Loan repayment
19%
PSLF eligible
12%

Share of similar jobs offering each benefit

#1

Licensed Mental Health Therapist (LPC, LCSW, LMFT)

LifeStance Health · Tualatin, Oregon

$123K - $141K
#2

Licensed Mental Health Therapist

LifeStance Health · Happy Valley, Oregon

$123k-$141k
#3

Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT)

$123k-$141k
#4

Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor (LPCC)

$118k-$135k
+ 28 more · ranked by pay
Merakey logo

About Merakey

Non-profit Organizations
Lafayette Hill, Pennsylvania
1,001-5,000 employees

Benefits & Perks

Health Insurance
Dental Insurance
Vision Insurance
Retirement Plan
Flexible Schedule
Employee Assistance Program