Leidos·Ridgecrest, California
Provide proactive, solution-focused counseling to military service members and their families in various settings. Responsibilities include conducting face-to-face sessions, offering social skills presentations, and managing referrals to community resources.
Make a difference in the lives of our military Service Members and their families with your expertise in counseling and behavioral health – without the fuss of insurance or paperwork. Military and Family Life Counselors (MFLCs) are the first line of defense for our Service Members’ mental health, and we need flexible, ready-to-serve counselors willing to jump in at a moment’s notice.
Leidos seeks passionate licensed mental healthcare providers ready to embrace a flexible PRN-type schedule, stepping in where needed across military installations and communities to safeguard and enhance mental well-being. MFLCs proactively provide counseling services, preventative in nature, to address and provide solution-focused approaches to issues before they become greater challenges. Interested counselors may support either adults or minors in a wide variety of assignments including but not limited to being embedded with a military unit, supporting military families, or working within a school setting.
What is Mission Ready Reserve (MRR)? Mission Ready Reserve MFLCs are trained and available counselors ready to serve when called upon. Working as a Mission Ready Reserve MFLC allows counselors to focus wholeheartedly on their passion for helping others, without by administrative burdens. Mission Ready Reserve counselors are assignment ready and taking an assignment is at the discretion of the Mission Ready Reserve counselor.
The Mission Ready Reserve Team has a backfill (fill-in) position for an existing MFLC that is taking a leave of absence. In this position, the MFLC serves Service Members and their families at Camp Pendleton, CA. This is an interim position with the MFLC Program and provides an opportunity to positively impact those who serve our Nation.
The Mission Ready Reserve model allows you to focus on your counseling and the military Service Members and the families you will be supporting. Counselors have:
No insurance to file.
No progress notes required.
No treatment plans to develop.
Intuitive reporting tools
At the direction of the Department of Defense (DOD), duties are performed in multiple indoor locations (approximately 60%) and outdoor locations (approximately 40%). The indoor locations are located within a military installation, a school setting, or a child development center (CDC) setting controlled by the DOD. The outdoor locations frequently involve traversing over uneven grassy, gravel, and/or dirt areas, ascending/descending stairs, and exposure to the weather. CDC settings frequently involve sitting on the floor to interact with children for up to two hours at a time. As a Mission Ready Reserve MFLC, you may experience various environments depending on the assignment.
Pay Range $28/hr. - $50/hr.
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Original posting: May 20, 2026
For U.S.
While subject to change based on business needs, Leidos reasonably anticipates that this job requisition will remain open for at least 3 days with an anticipated close date of no earlier than 3 days after the original posting date as listed above.
Pay range: Pay Range -
The Leidos pay range for this job level is a general guideline only and not a guarantee of compensation or salary. Additional factors considered in extending an offer include (but are not limited to) responsibilities of the job, education, experience, knowledge, skills, and abilities, as well as internal equity, alignment with market data, applicable bargaining agreement (if any), or other law.
Market context
In California, behavioral-health roles tied to substance use disorder counseling and case management are typically supported by ongoing community and treatment-program demand. These positions are competitive because employers often look for a high school diploma, at least 2 years of SUD counseling or case management experience, and current Registered or Certified Drug and Alcohol Counselor status. Review the AI-summarized requirements and benefits here to quickly compare fit and note that professional development and paid continuing education are listed as benefits.