How to hire a child and family counselor

How to hire a child and family counselor, step by step

Here's a step-by-step child and family counselor hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a child and family counselor job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new child and family 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 child and family counselor you need to hire. Certain child and family 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

   A child and family counselor's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, child and family counselors from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

   This list presents child and family counselor salaries for various positions.

   Type of Child And Family Counselor	Description	Hourly rate
   Child And Family Counselor	Social workers help people solve and cope with problems in their everyday lives. One group of social workers—clinical social workers—also diagnose and treat mental, behavioral, and emotional issues.	$19-35
   Youth Advocate	Youth advocates are individuals who responsible for maintaining the human rights of youth while assisting them in developing their skills in all areas of life, such as education, health, employment, and relationships. These advocates are required to discuss youth development and involvement with various leaders in the community... Show more	$12-19
   Counselor/Art Therapist	A counselor/art therapist is responsible for conducting art sessions as part of patients' therapy treatments, letting them express their human nature and emotions through artistic discovery. Counselors/art therapists guide the patients throughout their recovery process, identifying their needs and conditions by analyzing their crafts... Show more	$26-52

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Social Work
   • Mental Health
   • Community Resources
   • Child Care
   • Child Development
   • Law Enforcement
   • Stress Management
   • Family Life
   • Therapeutic Interventions
   • Social Services
   • Foster Care
   • Crisis Management
   • Child Abuse
   • Behavior Management

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Help children/youth in state custody achieve permanency whether through reintegration, adoption or custodianship.
   • Attend necessary court hearings and work alongside DHS to ensure safety of children.
   • Work with families and juveniles involve in the DHS and juvenile court systems.
   • Assist patients in establishing an alcohol/drug free lifestyle by increasing their understanding of their pathological relationship to mood/mind altering chemicals.
   • Participate in ISP and IEP meetings, working closely with school officials and human services personnel.
   • Initiate and engage with educational, medical and psychological professional to develop quarterly IEP's and ISP's.

3. Make a budget

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

   • Location. For example, child and family counselors' average salary in mississippi is 58% less than in new jersey.
   • Seniority. Entry-level child and family counselors 46% less than senior-level child and family counselors.
   • Certifications. A child and family 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 a child and family counselor's salary.

   Average child and family counselor salary

   $55,039yearly

   $26.46 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level child and family counselor salary

   $40,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 16, 2025

4. Writing a child and family counselor job description

   A child and family counselor job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. To help get you started, here's an example of a child and family counselor job description:

   Child and family counselor job description example

   Master's Degree from an accredited Graduate Program in a Mental Health related field.
   Valid unrestricted counseling license from a State, District of Columbia, US Territory or Commonwealth that grants authority to provide counseling services as an independent practitioner.
   For assignments in the 50 states, counselors shall be licensed or certified in the state in which the client is receiving services.
   Minimum 2 years of post-masters supervised clinical experience.
   Must meet the Magellan MFLC CYB criteria for experience with children and youth and specialty in child and adolescent development/psychology.
   Pass a Child National Agency Check and Inquiries (CNACI) Clearance and an Installation Records Check (IRC), Criminal History Background Check and FBI Fingerprints Check.
   Understanding, sensitivity and empathy for children, service members and their families. Ability to develop trusting, helping relationships. Ability to work effectively with individuals and families from diverse racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic backgrounds.
   Ability to prove US Citizenship and must be fluent in English.
   Requires ability to engage and communicate with military members or children as assigned, in order to accomplish job functions, and to respond quickly to emergent situations in any physical location on a military installation and/or within a school setting, which includes the need to traverse short and/or long distances within the base to both indoor and outdoor locations, to maneuver through rugged, outdoor or uneven locations (e.g., steep inclines, stairs, grass), and work in outdoor weather and other military base conditions. Due to the nature of working on military installations or related worksites, counselors may need to comply with various site-specific requirements to work at designated locations. For example, for some assignments, counselors will need to have certain current immunizations or vaccinations and provide record of receipt.
   Vehicle Operator's License Requirement: Unless specifically waived by the FEDSIM COR, all contractor personnel providing counseling support at Government locations shall possess a valid U.S. state vehicle operator's license. As a condition for employment under this contract, contractor personnel may be required to pass all tests for and obtain a U.S. military vehicle operator's permit for commercial sedans and similar, for use at Temporary Duty (TDY) locations, if required.

   General Job Information

   Title

   Military and Family Life Counselor - Child and Youth

   Grade

   MFLC Tier 2

   Work Experience - Required

   Clinical

   Work Experience - Preferred

   Education - Required

   Masters - Behavioral Health

   Education - Preferred

   License and Certifications - Required

   Current licensure required for this position that meets State, Commonwealth or customer-specific requirements - Care Mgmt, DL - Driver License, Valid In State - Other, Must be an independently licensed behavioral health clinician - Care Mgmt

   License and Certifications - Preferred

   This position is included in a bargaining unit. Pay rates are specified in the applicable Collective Bargaining Agreement.

   Magellan Health, Inc. is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer and a Tobacco-free workplace. EOE/M/F/Vet/Disabled.
   Every employee must understand, comply with and attest to the security responsibilities and security controls unique to their position; and comply with all applicable legal, regulatory, and contractual requirements and internal policies and procedures.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are various strategies that you can use to find the right child and family 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 child and family counselor job on Zippia to find and recruit child and family counselor candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   During your first interview to recruit child and family counselors, engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. During the following interview, you'll be able to go into more detail about the company, the position, and the responsibilities.

   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 child and family counselor

   Once you've found the child and family counselor candidate you'd like to hire, it's time to write an offer letter. This should include an explicit job offer that includes the salary and the details of any other perks. Qualified candidates might be looking at multiple positions, so your offer must be competitive if you like the candidate. Also, be prepared for a negotiation stage, as candidates may way want to tweak the details of your initial offer. Once you've settled on these details, you can draft a contract to formalize your agreement.

   It's equally important to follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   Once that's done, you can draft an onboarding schedule for the new child and family 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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