How To Become A Counselor/Case Manager: What It Is and Career Path

What is a counselor/case manager and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

Quoted experts

Debra Minsky-Kelly,

Sabrina Sullenberger Ph.D.

Counselors help people with their mental and emotional issues by using counseling methods. They ask questions and listen to the patients in a bid to understand the problems and profer solutions to improve their quality of life. They earn a median sum of $39,000 per year or $19 per hour.

Case managers handle case assignments and coordinate and provide care that is safe, timely, efficient, and client-centered. They help patients achieve wellness and peace. Counselors/case managers are integral in the healthcare sector as they work to enhance the quality of patient management and maximize satisfaction. They assess the patient's needs and develop treatment plans accordingly.

Since counselors and case managers perform similar duties, the requirements are also similar. They mostly hold a bachelor's or master's degree in psychology, social work, or a related field and have a minimum of three years' experience in a similar profession. Good communication and time management skills are required due to the nature of the job.

What general advice would you give to a counselor/case manager?

Debra Minsky-Kelly

Director of Field Education / Clinical Assistant Professor of Social Work, Carthage College

I think there are two critical skills for social workers, whether they are first entering the workforce or seasoned professionals. These skills are humility and an appreciation for ambiguity in our work. A humble approach to our work empowers clients to become experts on their circumstances. Social workers are then positioned in a collaborative role to help clients use existing skills and resources to improve their situations. An appreciation for ambiguity is closely related to the idea of humility. It helps us to remember that practice situations we face in this field are often far more complicated than they appear on the surface. Thus, all social workers need to make a strong commitment to lifelong learning and ongoing consultation with colleagues to ensure that multiple perspectives are included as we work to solve complex problems.

ScoreCounselor/Case ManagerUS Average

Salary

3.1

Avg. Salary $39,562

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

8.9

Growth rate 12%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

10.0

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 1.77%

Asian 6.74%

Black or African American 12.15%

Hispanic or Latino 18.71%

Unknown 4.81%

White 55.83%

Gender

female 69.20%

male 30.80%

Age - 43

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 43

Stress level

8.9

Stress level is very high

7.1 - high

Complexity level

8.1

Complexity level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work life balance

6.2

Work life balance is fair

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a counselor/case manager

Explore counselor/case manager education requirements

Most common counselor/case manager degrees

Bachelor's

62.6 %

Master's

20.6 %

Associate

11.2 %

Start to develop specific counselor/case manager skills

Skills	Percentages
Crisis Intervention	13.39%
Patients	9.02%
Social Work	7.77%
Mental Health	7.26%
Intake Assessments	6.02%

Complete relevant counselor/case manager training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 1-3 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New counselor/case managers learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a counselor/case manager based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real counselor/case manager resumes.

Research counselor/case manager duties and responsibilities

Manage the care of patients with tuberculosis (TB) during their hospitalization and their discharge follow-up care.
Provide individual therapy for addict patients with depression, bipolar, anxiety, attention deficit, antisocial/borderline/obsessive compulsive/narcissistic tendencies.
Collaborate with patients to develop individualize treatment plans and assist patients with updating their goals according to their progress.
Perform concurrent review to assure appropriateness of admission, inpatient/acute care, rehabilitation/SNF status, and discharge using establish InterQual guidelines.

Prepare your counselor/case manager resume

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