Mental Health Counselor
Location: Farmington, New Mexico
Schedule: Full-Time | Monday-Friday | Day Shift
Work Arrangement: In-Person
Employment Options: W-2 Employee or 1099 Independent Contractor
W-2 Compensation: $62,400-$74,880 annually, plus a sign-on and/or relocation bonus of up to $10,000 and employee benefits
1099 Compensation: Potential gross annual earnings up to $93,600, depending on caseload, completed sessions, cancellations, time off, and other factors
HCRI is seeking a compassionate and dedicated Mental Health Counselor to join an expanding outpatient counseling practice in Farmington, New Mexico. Candidates may be considered for either a traditional W-2 employment arrangement or a 1099 independent contractor arrangement, depending on their professional and personal preferences.
This full-time, in-person position provides individual mental health counseling services to children, adolescents, and adults. The Mental Health Counselor will conduct clinical assessments, develop individualized treatment plans, provide evidence-based therapeutic interventions, and maintain accurate and timely clinical documentation.
The ideal candidate is organized, clinically skilled, trauma-informed, and committed to helping clients achieve meaningful and lasting improvement in their emotional and behavioral health.
Key Responsibilities
- Provide individual outpatient counseling services to children, adolescents, and adults.
- Conduct intake assessments, diagnostic evaluations, treatment planning, and ongoing progress evaluations.
- Develop and implement individualized treatment plans using evidence-based therapeutic approaches.
- Provide marriage, family, or couples counseling services when appropriate and within the counselor's experience and comfort level.
- Maintain timely, accurate, and compliant clinical documentation.
- Ensure documentation meets Medicaid, state, licensing board, insurance, and organizational standards.
- Collaborate with healthcare providers, referral sources, and community partners to coordinate client care.
- Participate in clinical supervision, case consultations, staff meetings, and professional development activities, as applicable to the selected employment arrangement.
- Maintain a client-centered, trauma-informed, culturally responsive, and strengths-based approach to care.
- Uphold all ethical, legal, licensing, and professional standards.
Required Qualifications
- Master's degree in Counseling, Social Work, Marriage and Family Therapy, Psychology, or a related behavioral health field.
- Must hold, or be eligible to obtain, an appropriate New Mexico behavioral health license, including:
- Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor (LPCC)
- Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW)
- Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT)
- Licensed Master Social Worker (LMSW)
- Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC)
- Equivalent provisional, associate, or supervised license where legally permitted
- Strong clinical assessment, treatment planning, counseling, documentation, and communication skills.
- Experience or a strong interest in working with clients across a variety of mental health concerns.
- Ability to work independently while collaborating effectively with a multidisciplinary team.
- Ability to work on-site in Farmington, New Mexico.
- Candidates who are not currently local must be willing to relocate before beginning employment.
Preferred Qualifications
- Previous outpatient mental health counseling experience.
- Experience working with children, adolescents, adults, couples, or families.
- Familiarity with New Mexico Medicaid requirements, insurance billing practices, and clinical documentation standards.
- Experience using evidence-based treatment approaches, including:
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
- Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)
- Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
- Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)
- Other recognized therapeutic modalities
- Experience providing trauma-informed, culturally responsive, and strengths-based care.
- Experience treating substance use disorders and co-occurring mental health conditions is a plus.
Employment Options
Option 1: W-2 Employee
- Guaranteed annual salary of $62,400-$74,880.
- Sign-on and/or relocation bonus of up to $10,000.
- Health, dental, and vision insurance.
- Paid time off.
- Predictable W-2 income that is not reduced because of client cancellations.
- Employer-paid portion of applicable payroll taxes and access to employee benefits.
Option 2: 1099 Independent Contractor
- Potential gross annual earnings up to $93,600, based on the agreed compensation structure, caseload, and completed client sessions.
- Greater flexibility for clinicians who prefer an independent contractor arrangement and do not require employee benefits.
- Actual earnings may vary because compensation is tied to completed sessions and may be affected by cancellations, holidays, vacations, illness, and changes in caseload.
- Independent contractors are responsible for their own federal and state taxes, self-employment taxes, New Mexico gross receipts tax, insurance, benefits, and unpaid time off.
- The 1099 earnings figure is an estimate of potential gross compensation and is not a guaranteed salary.
W-2 Sign-On and Relocation Bonus
Eligible W-2 employees may receive up to $10,000 as a sign-on and/or relocation bonus, paid according to the following schedule:
- $2,500 after 90 days of employment
- $2,500 after six months of employment
- $5,000 after 12 months of employment
Employees must remain actively employed and in good standing on each payment date. Additional terms and conditions may apply. The sign-on and/or relocation bonus applies only to eligible W-2 employees unless otherwise confirmed in writing.
Why Consider This Opportunity
- Choose the compensation structure that best aligns with your financial and professional priorities.
- Join an established and expanding outpatient practice with a diverse client population.
- Work a consistent Monday-Friday daytime schedule.
- Receive administrative support and collaborate with a supportive clinical team.
- Focus on direct clinical care without supervisory or clinical director responsibilities.
This is an excellent opportunity for a licensed or license-eligible behavioral health professional seeking a full-time outpatient counseling position with the ability to choose between the stability of W-2 employment and the flexibility of a 1099 independent contractor arrangement.
Pay: $62,000.00 - $74,800.00 per year
Benefits:
- Dental insurance
- Health insurance
- Paid time off
- Vision insurance
Application Question(s):
- How many years of outpatient mental health counseling experience do you have?
Multiple choice:
o Less than 1 year
o 1–2 years
o 3–5 years
o More than 5 years
- Which client populations have you provided counseling services to?
Select all that apply:
o Children
o Adolescents
o Adults
o Couples
o Families
o None of the above
- Please briefly describe your experience conducting clinical assessments, developing treatment plans, and documenting client progress.
Short answer
- Which evidence-based treatment approaches have you used in a clinical setting?
Select all that apply:
- CBT
- DBT
- ACT
- EMDR
- Trauma-focused therapy
- Motivational interviewing
- Other
- Do you have experience working with trauma, substance use disorders, or co-occurring mental health conditions?
Yes/No
- Please describe your experience maintaining documentation that meets Medicaid, insurance, licensing board, or agency requirements.
Short answer
Work Location: In person
