LAHS

PROFESSIONAL COUNSELOR 3 - 4

LDHAcadiana Area Human Services District

place Lafayette, 70509

person_outline

Counseling, Marriage and Family Therapy, Other Behavioral, Mental, or Healthcare Field, Psychology

local_atm $3,720 - $6,703 a month

local_offer

Paid Parental Leave

Salary

$3,720.00 - $6,703.00 Monthly

Location

Lafayette, LA

Job Type

Classified

Job Number

AAHSD/JRS/0541

Department

LDH-Acadiana Area Human Services District

Opening Date

05/05/2026

Closing Date

5/12/2026 11:59 PM Central

About this Job

Interested in joining our team and helping to serve Acadiana with quality, compassionate care?

We currently have two (2) openings for a Professional Counselor in our Children’s and Adolescent Department!

Join our team as a Professional Counselor 3 or 4 and make a meaningful impact in the lives of adults, children, adolescents, and families facing mental health, behavioral, and co-occurring challenges. This position works alongside psychiatrists, psychologists, nurses, pharmacists, and other professionals to deliver evidence-based care. If you are passionate about helping others and thrive in a collaborative environment, we encourage you to apply!

Preference will be given to candidates with experience in working with children and adolescents who have emotional and/or behavioral disorders, including addictive disorders.

Minimum Qualifications

Possession of a current Louisiana license to practice as a Provisional Licensed Professional Counselor (PLPC) or a Provisional Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (PLMFT) plus two years of licensed counseling experience.

Job Specification

The official job specifications for this role, as defined by the State Civil Service, can be found here.

Job Duties and Other Information

Job Duties:

As a Professional Counselor, you will function in the capacity of a behavioral health counselor:

serving the acute and/or chronically mentally ill adult population, the emotionally/behaviorally disturbed child/adolescent population and their families and clients with addictive disorders/co-occurring disorders.
collaborating with psychiatrists, medical psychologists, nurses, pharmacists, and support staff regarding therapeutic interventions, diagnosis, and provision of evidence-based treatments via individual, family, or group therapy for clients indicated as meeting target population criteria.

Position –Specific Details:

Appointment Type: Probational or Promotional

Work Schedule: 8 hours a day; Monday through Friday

Location: This position is located in the Acadiana Area Human Services District – Tyler Behavioral Health Clinic – Children/Adolescent Services.

Career Progression Group (CPG): This position participates in a CPG and may be filled as a Professional Counselor 3 or 4. The level at which the vacancy will be filled is determined by the qualifications of the candidate selected. This position provides the opportunity to advance within this job series.

Location: This position is located in the Acadiana Area Human Services District – Tyler Behavioral Health Clinic – Children/Adolescent Services.

Please click on the below links to learn more about each job level:

PROFESSIONAL COUNSELOR 3

PROFESSIONAL COUNSELOR 4

This incumbent is required to possess and maintain the necessary special requirements relevant to the assigned CPG level.

This AAHSD SITE is NHSC (National Health Service Corps) APPROVED. QUALIFYING PROFESSIONAL COUNSELORS MAY BE ELIGIBLE TO PARTICIPATE IN THE LOAN REPAYMENT PROGRAM.

How to Apply:

No Civil Service test score is required in order to be considered for this vacancy.

Applicants are responsible for checking the status of their application to determine where they are in the recruitment process. Further status message information is located under the Information section of the Current Job Opportunities page.

Information to support your eligibility for this job title must be included in the application (i.e., relevant, detailed experience/education). Resumes will not be accepted in lieu of completed education and experience sections on your application. Applications may be rejected if incomplete.

If you are selected for this position and indicate that you have a degree, you will be required to submit an official transcript.

There is no guarantee that everyone who applies to this posting will be interviewed. The hiring supervisor/manager has 90 days from the closing date of the announcement to make a hiring decision. Specific information about this job will be provided to you in the interview process, should you be selected.

Contact Information:

For further information about this vacancy, contact:
Jennifer Sonnier, Human Resources Analyst
Jennifer.Sonnier@la.gov
AAHSD-Human Resources
302 Dulles Drive
Lafayette, LA 70506

Louisiana is a State As a Model Employer (SAME) that supports the recruitment, hiring, and retention of individuals with disabilities.

Louisiana State Government represents a wide variety of career options and offers an outstanding opportunity to make a difference through public service. With an array of career opportunities in every major metropolitan center and in many rural areas, state employment provides an outstanding option to begin or continue your career.

As a state employee, you will earn competitive pay, choose from a variety of benefits, and have access to a great professional development program:

Insurance Coverage More information can be found at https://info.groupbenefits.org/

Parental Leave – Up to six weeks paid parental leave
More information can be found at https://www.civilservice.louisiana.gov/Parental-Leave/Default.aspx

Holidays and Leave – State employees receive the following paid holidays each year:

New Year's Day
Martin Luther King, Jr. Day,
Mardi Gras,
Good Friday,
Memorial Day,
Independence Day,
Labor Day,
Veteran's Day,
Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day.

***** Additional holidays may be proclaimed by the Governor

State employees earn sick and annual leave which can be accumulated and saved for future use. Your accrual rate increases as your years of service increase.

Retirement – State of Louisiana employees are eligible to participate in various retirement systems (based on the type of appointment and agency for which an employee works). These retirement systems provide retirement allowances and other benefits for state officers and employees and their beneficiaries. State retirement systems may include (but are not limited to):

Louisiana State Employees Retirement System (www.lasersonline.org). LASERS has provided this video to give you more detailed information about their system
Teacher's Retirement System of Louisiana (www.trsl.org),
Louisiana School Employees Retirement System (www.lsers.net), among others