Group Counselor

Ava Health • Grand Junction, CO

8d • $25 - $45 • Onsite

About The Position

Ava Health is seeking a skilled, engaging, and compassionate Group Counselor to facilitate therapeutic groups within our Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP) in Grand Junction, Colorado. This is a part-time clinical position designed for a counselor who enjoys working with groups and wants to be part of a collaborative behavioral health treatment team. The Group Counselor will primarily facilitate structured therapeutic, psychoeducational, process-oriented, and skills-based groups for adults experiencing co-occurring mental health and substance use concerns. Ava Health's groups are all-gender, mixed-diagnosis groups, and clinicians should be comfortable working with clients presenting with a range of mental health, substance use, relational, emotional regulation, and recovery-related needs. This position may be appropriate for clinical interns, pre-licensed clinicians working toward independent licensure, Colorado substance use counselors, or independently licensed behavioral health clinicians.

Requirements

• Master's-level clinical intern in an MSW, counseling, MFT, or similar behavioral health program
• Colorado Certified Addiction Technician (CAT)
• Colorado Certified Addiction Specialist (CAS)
• Colorado Licensed Addiction Counselor (LAC)
• LPCC, CSW, MFT, or similar clinician working toward independent licensure
• Independently licensed LPC, LCSW, LMFT, or comparable behavioral health professional
• Appropriately credentialed, registered, or actively working toward licensure within their respective professional discipline and able to practice within the scope of their credential and supervision.
• Previous experience facilitating therapeutic, psychoeducational, recovery, or behavioral health groups
• Ability to confidently lead and maintain structure within a group setting
• Strong interpersonal and relationship-building skills
• Ability to engage clients with varying levels of motivation and readiness for change
• Ability to establish appropriate therapeutic boundaries while maintaining warmth, empathy, and authenticity
• Comfortable facilitating groups addressing both mental health and substance use concerns
• Ability to manage challenging group dynamics, conflict, emotional dysregulation, and behavioral concerns appropriately
• Strong verbal communication and group presentation skills
• Ability to receive feedback, collaborate with colleagues, and continue developing clinical skills
• Commitment to ethical practice, confidentiality, documentation standards, and practicing within professional scope

Nice To Haves

• Genuinely enjoys facilitating groups of people getting vulnerable and supporting one another.
• Comfortable creating structure without being rigid, engaging clients without forcing participation, and balancing education with authentic therapeutic interaction.
• Understands that effective groups depend not only on the curriculum being delivered, but on the relationships, safety, energy, and culture created within the room.
• Enjoys working as part of a team and wants their work to meaningfully help people who are navigating mental health and substance use challenges.

Responsibilities

• Facilitate scheduled IOP therapeutic groups
• Create a safe, structured, engaging, and respectful group environment
• Facilitate psychoeducation, skills practice, therapeutic processing, and experiential activities as appropriate
• Encourage meaningful participation while respecting individual differences and readiness
• Establish clear expectations and maintain appropriate group boundaries
• Respond therapeutically to difficult group dynamics and behavioral concerns
• Utilize evidence-informed approaches appropriate to the clinician's training and scope, which may include motivational interviewing, CBT, DBT, ACT, relapse-prevention strategies, emotional regulation, interpersonal effectiveness, mindfulness, and recovery-oriented interventions
• Support clients in connecting concepts discussed in group to their individual treatment and recovery goals
• Complete required group documentation accurately and within established timeframes
• Communicate relevant clinical concerns to the treatment team
• Participate in supervision, consultation, and training as appropriate
• Collaborate with therapists, psychiatric providers, nursing staff, case managers, and other members of the Ava Health team
• Maintain appropriate professional boundaries and practice within the scope of their credential, training, and supervision
• Support Ava Health's commitment to creating an inclusive, respectful, person-centered treatment environment

Benefits

• On-the-job training
• Professional development
• Opportunity to develop advanced group facilitation skills
• Gain experience working with complex, dual-diagnosis presentations
• Work alongside experienced behavioral health professionals
• Build clinical experience toward professional development and licensure, when applicable
• Make a meaningful difference in the lives of individuals working toward improved mental health and recovery
• Join a growing organization with opportunities for professional growth

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Part-time
• Career Level: Intern