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How to hire a counseling center director

Counseling center director hiring summary. Here are some key points about hiring counseling center directors in the United States:

  • In the United States, the median cost per hire a counseling center director is $1,633.
  • It takes between 36 and 42 days to fill the average role in the US.
  • Human Resources use 15% of their expenses on recruitment on average.
  • On average, it takes around 12 weeks for a new counseling center director to become settled and show total productivity levels at work.

How to hire a counseling center director, step by step

To hire a counseling center director, consider the skills and experience you are looking for in a candidate, allocate a budget for the position, and post and promote the job opening to reach potential candidates. Follow these steps to hire a counseling center director:

Here's a step-by-step counseling center director hiring guide:

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

    First, determine the employments status of the counseling center director you need to hire. Certain counseling center director 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?

    A counseling center director's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, counseling center directors 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 counseling center director salaries for various positions.

    Type of Counseling Center DirectorDescriptionHourly rate
    Counseling Center DirectorSocial and community service managers coordinate and supervise social service programs and community organizations. They manage staff who provide social services to the public.$13-33
    Program OfficerA program officer is an essential part of a foundation or charitable organization. It is up to program officers to supervise program progress and proposals, seek grants, manage projects, and oversee budgets... Show more$25-56
    Service Program ManagerService program managers serve as coordinators for the projects or services offered by organizations. The managers oversee and organize their activities, making sure that program goals are in alignment with corporate objectives... Show more$24-58
  2. Create an ideal candidate profile

    Common skills:
    • Social Work
    • Crisis Intervention
    • Group Therapy
    • Mental Health
    • Behavioral Issues
    • Clinical Supervision
    • Mental Health Issues
    • Community Agencies
    • Mental Illness
    • Substance Abuse Issues
    • Community Resources
    • Crisis Situations
    • Therapeutic Services
    • Medication Management
    Check all skills
    Responsibilities:
    • Manage delivery of quality early childhood education programs by establishing an environment of learning and maintaining the integrity of the programs.
    • Manage delivery of quality early childhood education programs by establishing an environment of learning and maintaining the integrity of the programs.
    • Provide hospital visitation and counseling ministry to families and individuals during times of extreme crisis and trauma and routine surgery.
  3. Make a budget

    Including a salary range in your counseling center director job description is one of the best ways to attract top talent. A counseling center director can vary based on:

    • Location. For example, counseling center directors' average salary in kansas is 45% less than in new jersey.
    • Seniority. Entry-level counseling center directors 60% less than senior-level counseling center directors.
    • Certifications. A counseling center director 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 counseling center director's salary.

    Average counseling center director salary

    $44,614yearly

    $21.45 hourly rate

    Entry-level counseling center director salary
    $28,000 yearly salary
    Updated January 23, 2026
  4. Writing a counseling center director job description

    A counseling center director 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. Below, you can find an example of a counseling center director job description:

    Counseling center director job description example

    Job DescriptionSalary: $34 - $36 hourly

    Job Title: Therapeutic Counselor – URC Team Lead (PRN)



    SUMMARY

    Provides milieu management to the Urgent Recovery Center (URC) unit. Directs the staff and provides therapeutic services related to crisis intervention and assesses level of care needs for each client.


    ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES include the following. Other duties may be assigned.

    Adheres to agency policy and procedures, as found in the Forms Locked drive on each computer. Also adheres to CARF and DMHSAS standards and criteria, federal and state confidentiality rules and regulations, and any special funding source requirements including Medicaid and HCA regulations.

    Supports and promotes a service environment for individuals in need of behavioral health and/or co-occurring services that is recovery focused, welcoming, and attentive to the needs of individuals who may have experienced trauma in their lives. Attends annual core competencies training in relationship to individuals with co-occurring disorders or who have experienced trauma in their lives.

    Leads the treatment team for intensive services for clients admitted to the URC.

    Will use assessment and clinical judgement to determine consumers’ next level of care to include outpatient services and/or acute hospitalization. May be designated to fill out LMHP statement if hospitalization is required.

    Establishes and maintains professional working relationships with supervisor and peers. Can effectively work within a team or group setting cohesively.

    Establishes rapport with consumers, assesses consumer needs; organizes, plans, and delivers face-to-face client services.

    Provides clinical assessments, evaluations, de-escalation/safety planning, crisis intervention.

    Provide various therapeutic interventions as needed to assist clients in identifying and overcoming barriers in their lives that may hinder them from reaching their immediate goals.

    Teach and assist in development of problem solving and coping skills.

    Provide services therapeutic services that are recovery focused, co-occurring capable, culturally competent, welcoming, and attentive to the needs of the individuals who may have experienced trauma in their lives.

    Responsible for maintaining strictest confidentiality guidelines for interactions regarding client and family information.

    Utilizes the philosophy of Collaborative/Therapeutic Documentation to meet clinical record keeping documentation standards and ensure documentation is completed with the Consumer to the extent possible and all documentation is completed on the same day of the date of service.

    Attends meetings and works in collaboration with various community partners including but not limited to: Oklahoma City Police Department, Oklahoma court system, DMHSAS, OCCIC, and other inpatient hospitals or crisis centers.

    Responsible for seeking out supervisory assistance for additional training and to enhance skill set as needed.

    Interacts with other professionals to discuss therapy or treatment, new resources or techniques, and to share information.

    Reports and documents services in accordance with agency policy and procedures. Adheres to HOPE policy and procedure of having documentation completed by the end of the next business day.

    Available Shifts – Sunday thru Tuesday 7am to 7pm or 7pm to 7am with rotating Wednesdays; Thursday thru Saturday 7am to 7pm or 7pm to 7am with rotating Wednesdays; PRN available to cover call ins and vacations

    Performs other related duties as assigned.


    QUALIFICATIONS To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.


    EDUCATION and/or EXPERIENCE

    Master’s Degree in Counseling or Social work/related field.


    CERTIFICATES, LICENSES, REGISTRATIONS

    Professional license is required (LPC, LCSW, LMFT, LADC, etc.).

    Required to complete Therapeutic Options, or approved safety training and annual updates.

    Required to obtain and maintain First Aid and CPR Certifications.

    Must possess current, valid Oklahoma license, meet HOPE insurance requirements. HOPE will annually obtain copy of Motor Vehicle Record from the Department of Public Safety.

  5. Post your job

    There are a few common ways to find counseling center directors for your business:

    • Promoting internally or recruiting from your existing workforce.
    • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
    • Attend job fairs at local colleges to meet candidates with the right educational background.
    • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to recruit passive job-seekers.
    Post your job online:
    • Post your counseling center director job on Zippia to find and recruit counseling center director candidates who meet your exact specifications.
    • Use field-specific websites.
    • Post a job on free websites.
  6. Interview candidates

    Recruiting counseling center directors requires you to bring your A-game to the interview process. The first interview should introduce the company and the role to the candidate as much as they present their background experience and reasons for applying for the job. During later interviews, you can go into more detail about the technical details of the job and ask behavioral questions to gauge how they'd fit into your current company culture.

    It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents. You can move on to the technical interview if a candidate is good enough for the next step.

    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 counseling center director

    Once you've selected the best counseling center director candidate for the job, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, this letter should include details about the benefits and perks you offer the candidate. Ensuring that your offer is competitive is essential, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and you should be open to discussion. After you reach an agreement, the final step is formalizing the agreement with a contract.

    It's also good etiquette to follow up with applicants who don't get the job by sending them an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

    After that, you can create an onboarding schedule for a new counseling center director. Human Resources and the hiring manager should complete Employee Action Forms. Human Resources should also ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc., and that new employee files are created.

  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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How much does it cost to hire a counseling center director?

Before you start to hire counseling center directors, it pays to consider both the one-off costs like recruitment, job promotion, and onboarding, as well as the ongoing costs of an employee's salary and benefits. While most companies that hire counseling center directors pay close attention to the initial cost of hiring, ongoing costs are much more significant in the long run.

You can expect to pay around $44,614 per year for a counseling center director, as this is the median yearly salary nationally. This can vary depending on what state or city you're hiring in. If you're hiring for contract work or on a per-project basis, hourly rates for counseling center directors in the US typically range between $13 and $33 an hour.

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