How to hire an aids counselor

How to hire an aids counselor, step by step

Here's a step-by-step aids counselor hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write an aids counselor job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new aids counselor
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   First, determine the employments status of the aids counselor you need to hire. Certain aids counselor roles might require a full-time employee, whereas others can be done by part-time workers or contractors.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   Hiring the perfect aids counselor also involves considering the ideal background you'd like them to have. Depending on what industry or field they have experience in, they'll bring different skills to the job. It's also important to consider what levels of seniority and education the job requires and what kind of salary such a candidate would likely demand.

   This list presents aids counselor salaries for various positions.

   Type of Aids Counselor	Description	Hourly rate
   Aids Counselor	School counselors help students develop academic and social skills and succeed in school. Career counselors assist people with the process of making career decisions by helping them develop skills or choose a career or educational program.	$12-41
   Youth Worker	Youth workers specialize in handling and providing support to young individuals with behavioral difficulties. They are primarily responsible for devising recreational projects, handling the budget, producing progress reports, managing intervention programs, and counseling troubled youth while keeping their information confidential... Show more	$12-19
   Group Leader	A group leader is responsible for overseeing and distributing fair tasks to the members, ensuring clear instructions and procedures. Group leaders are mainly the ones leading the team towards their success... Show more	$27-83

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Social Work
   • Mental Health
   • Substance Abuse
   • Crisis Intervention
   • CPR
   • Direct Care
   • Residential Treatment Facility
   • Direct Supervision
   • Group Sessions
   • Behavior Management
   • Incident Reports
   • Program Rules
   • Community Outreach
   • Group Therapy

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Lead a successful group of kids by ensuring safety and behavioral expectations are met and providing structure and organize educational activities.
   • Certify in CPR and basic first aid.
   • Lead a successful group of kids by ensuring safety and behavioral expectations are met and providing structure and organize educational activities.
   • Collaborate with peers in leadership capacity at recreational summer camp leading, coordinating and organizing daily activities and weekly field trips.

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your aids counselor job description is one of the best ways to attract top talent. An aids counselor can vary based on:

   • Location. For example, aids counselors' average salary in south dakota is 73% less than in california.
   • Seniority. Entry-level aids counselors 71% less than senior-level aids counselors.
   • Certifications. An aids counselor with certifications usually earns a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for an established firm or a new start-up company can make a big difference in an aids counselor's salary.

   Average aids counselor salary

   $47,046yearly

   $22.62 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level aids counselor salary

   $25,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 22, 2026

4. Writing an aids counselor job description

   A job description for an aids counselor role includes a summary of the job's main responsibilities, required skills, and preferred background experience. Including a salary range can also go a long way in attracting more candidates to apply, and showing the first name of the hiring manager can also make applicants more comfortable. As an example, here's an aids counselor job description:

   Aids counselor job description example

   Harbor is seeking a Counselor Aide within our women's residential substance use treatment program. A Counselor Aide is responsible for providing direct care to resident daily activities, overseeing household operations, and maintaining clinical records regarding each resident's behavior and treatment planning goals in a women's residential substance use treatment program.
   
   * Assist with monitoring and maintaining client's daily household assignments, schedules, and activities, including but not limited to; counseling sessions, and social interaction skills.
   
   * Knowledgeable of the individualized care plan for residents and provide support to the resident according to the care plan. Contribute to the care planning process by providing the clinical team with specific information and observations of the residents' needs and preferences.
   
   * Ensures and monitors client involvement in 12-step programming through in-house meetings and community based meetings.
   * Maintain accurate, complete and appropriate clinical records in a timely manner.
   * Perform all job responsibilities in accordance with prescribed safety and infection control procedures including thorough hand washing, use of disposable gloves where indicated, and proper disposal of soiled materials.
   * Transport clients to appointments, social activities etc.
   * Responsible for the completion of all scheduled tasks, care of residents and the facility (including maintenance and cleaning).
   * Participates in training and development programs to enhance knowledge, skills and personal service network.
   * Complete household duties and work orders as outlined on the duty list for each shift.
   
   Requirements:
   
   * High School Diploma or GED required. Medical Assistant Certification or Bachelor degree in human service field preferred.
   * Experience working with and/or training in delivery of behavioral health services preferred.
   * Chemical Dependency/Counseling/Social Work Licensure preferred.
   * Must be at least 23 years of age, have a valid driver's license ,acceptable driving record, and be deemed insurable through Harbor's vehicle insurance carrier for first and second shift employees. Third shift employees will not be required to drive. Must remain up-to-date on annual Defensive Driving for 15-Passenger Vans training requirement.
   * CPR/First Aid and NCI/CPI Certifications required.
   
   About Harbor:
   
   * A leading provider of mental health and substance use treatment for over 100 years
   * 350+ clinical staff serve over 24,000 clients across multiple locations and in the community each year
   * Services ranging from counseling, pharmacological management, primary care, psychological testing, case management, substance use treatment, residential services, vocational program, and more!
   
   Why Work for Harbor?
   
   It is fast-paced and challenging, but you will have a lot of fun in the process. You will have the opportunity to meet other motivated individuals who are also making a positive impact at our company. Harbor is committed to investing our resources in you! Some benefits of working with Harbor include:
   
   * Medical, dental, and vision coverage
   * Retirement plan with company match
   * Generous paid time off, sick time, and paid holidays
   * Tuition and professional license reimbursement programs
   * Clinical supervision hours offered
   * Employee referral bonuses
   * Ability to make a difference in your community!

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5. Post your job

   There are various strategies that you can use to find the right aids counselor for your business:

   • Consider promoting from within or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to find candidates who meet your education requirements.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your aids counselor job on Zippia to find and recruit aids counselor candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   To successfully recruit aids counselors, your first interview needs to engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. You can go into more detail about the company, the role, and the responsibilities during follow-up interviews.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match your ideal candidate profile. If you think a candidate is good enough for the next step, you can move on to the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new aids counselor

   Once you have selected a candidate for the aids counselor position, it is time to create an offer letter. In addition to salary, the offer letter should include details about benefits and perks that are available to the employee. Ensuring your offer is competitive is vital, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and it is important to be open to discussion and reach a mutually beneficial agreement. After the offer has been accepted, it is a good idea to formalize the agreement with a contract.

   You should also follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that you've filled the position.

   Once that's done, you can draft an onboarding schedule for the new aids counselor. Human Resources should complete Employee Action Forms and ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc. They should also ensure that new employee files are created for internal recordkeeping.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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