How to hire a counselor/case manager

How to hire a counselor/case manager, step by step

Here's a step-by-step counselor/case manager hiring guide:

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

What does a counselor/case manager do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you post your counselor/case manager job, you should take the time to determine what type of worker your business needs. While certain jobs definitely require a full-time employee, it's sometimes better to find a counselor/case manager for hire on a part-time basis or as a contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

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

   Yes

   No

   A counselor/case manager's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, counselor/case managers 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.

   Here's a comparison of counselor/case manager salaries for various roles:

   Type of Counselor/Case Manager	Description	Hourly rate
   Counselor/Case Manager	Social and human service assistants provide client services, including support for families, in a wide variety of fields, such as psychology, rehabilitation, and social work. They assist other workers, such as social workers, and they help clients find benefits or community services.	$15-22
   Substance Abuse Counselor	Substance abuse counselors act as a support system for people with drug and alcohol problems and other behavioral issues. They help the patients control their behavior until they achieve a full recovery... Show more	$12-32
   Addictions Counselor	An Addictions Counselor helps patients overcome personal addiction problems, such as dependence on drugs, alcohol, and other substances. They evaluate the condition of their client through examining, asking questions, and recommending the proper treatment options.	$15-32

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Crisis Intervention
   • Patients
   • Social Work
   • Mental Health
   • Intake Assessments
   • Substance Abuse Issues
   • Community Resources
   • Mental Illness
   • Discharge Planning
   • Financial Assistance
   • Individual Therapy
   • Support Services
   • Social Services
   • Relapse Prevention

   Check all skills

   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 documentation for HOPWA applications.

   More counselor/case manager duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in the counselor/case manager job description is a good way to get more applicants. A counselor/case manager salary can be affected by several factors, such as the location of the job, the level of experience, education, certifications, and the employer's prestige.

   For example, the average salary for a counselor/case manager in South Dakota may be lower than in Connecticut, and an entry-level engineer typically earns less than a senior-level counselor/case manager. Additionally, a counselor/case manager with lots of experience in the field may command a higher salary as a result.

   Average counselor/case manager salary

   $39,562yearly

   $19.02 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level counselor/case manager salary

   $32,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 15, 2025

   Average counselor/case manager salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	Colorado	$52,330	$25
   2	Connecticut	$52,308	$25
   3	California	$47,546	$23
   4	Wisconsin	$47,380	$23
   5	Washington	$46,607	$22
   6	New York	$46,269	$22
   7	Oregon	$45,080	$22
   8	Illinois	$44,164	$21
   9	Minnesota	$42,748	$21
   10	Ohio	$40,561	$20
   11	Texas	$40,083	$19
   12	Pennsylvania	$39,476	$19
   13	Indiana	$38,592	$19
   14	Virginia	$37,489	$18
   15	South Carolina	$36,058	$17
   16	Florida	$35,169	$17
   17	Utah	$33,261	$16

   Average counselor/case manager salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Parkland Hospital	$48,869	$23.49	8
   2	University of California-Berkeley	$48,027	$23.09	1
   3	Denver Public Schools	$47,563	$22.87	1
   4	Telecare	$43,811	$21.06	111
   5	UCI Health	$43,014	$20.68	1
   6	Encompass Community Services	$42,934	$20.64	11
   7	Washington State University	$42,750	$20.55
   8	Pacific Lutheran University	$42,698	$20.53
   9	Education and Training Resource	$42,558	$20.46	5
   10	PSEA	$40,484	$19.46	6
   11	Wilder Foundation	$40,242	$19.35	8
   12	CSKT Tribal Health	$40,164	$19.31
   13	Volunteers of America, Utah	$39,977	$19.22	7
   14	Spectrum	$39,718	$19.10
   15	Seneca Companies	$39,213	$18.85	22
   16	Devereux Arizona	$39,104	$18.80	104
   17	Children's Home Society of Florida	$38,639	$18.58	38
   18	Time Warner Cable Enterprises LLC	$38,623	$18.57
   19	Lutheran Social Services Of Wi & Upper Mi	$38,537	$18.53	94
   20	Management & Training	$38,501	$18.51	35

4. Writing a counselor/case manager job description

   A job description for a counselor/case manager 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 a counselor/case manager job description:

   Counselor/case manager job description example

   Lutheran Social Services of Illinois (LSSI), is a leading not-for-profit organization providing healing, justice and wholeness to people and communities. For over 150 years, LSSI has made a difference in the lives of children and families, and we're still a strong, viable presence in the State of Illinois, continuing that commitment to making a difference.
   LSSI is hiring full-time On-Call Crisis Counselor/Case Manager to work out of two locations: Weiss and Community First Medical Center. Come join our team and work in the exciting and fast paced atmosphere.
   
   *The 6 available on call shifts are as follows: Sunday-Tuesday 8pm-8:30am Tuesday-Thursday 8pm-8:30 am Wednesday- Friday 8pm-8:30am Friday- Sunday 8pm-8:30am
   Tuesday-Thursday 8am-8:30pm Saturday- Monday 8am-8:30pm
   
   Benefits and Perks:
   LSSI is growing! Come be a part of this rewarding environment, and enjoy the knowledge that you're helping make a positive difference in the lives of others, as well as these career advantages:
   On Demand Flexible Paydays for earned wages through an app called Dayforce Wallet. Competitive salary based upon relevant education, experience and licensure. Opportunity for advancement. Comprehensive benefits package, including healthcare insurance, up to 26 days of paid time off per calendar year, 11 paid holidays, sick time, 403(b) plan, Employee Assistance Program, and flexible hours. The training you need to learn, grow, and succeed! Essential Functions: Provides prescreening of patients in crisis and linkage case management services in a team-based environment. Provide and coordinate a continuum of tx services between the ED and the Welcoming Center. Meet productivity requirements as established by program director. Complete and submit all necessary reports and documentation accurately and on time, as required by the agency and funding source. Demonstrate sensitivity and responsiveness to cultural differences present in the organization and its service population. Must work one unscheduled shift per month and at least two scheduled shifts per month based on program needs. Position Qualifications: Bachelor's degree in Social Work or in a related human services field (psychology, counseling, or human services); Master's degree preferred. Preferred 1 year experience assessing patients with mental health diagnoses, counseling, crisis intervention, or case management. Preference for CADC or one year experience utilizing substance use interventions. Ability to work in a team environment with demonstrated empathy and maturity. Must pass the IM_CANS or IM-CATS training & test. We are an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability status, sexual orientation, protected veteran status, pregnancy, any other characteristic protected by law.
   
   
   #ZR

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find the right counselor/case manager for your business, consider trying out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important sources of talent for any company is its existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and current employees and ask if they know or have worked with counselor/case managers they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit counselor/case managers who meet your education requirements.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter now have more than 3.5 billion users, and you can use social media to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

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

6. Interview candidates

   Your first interview with counselor/case manager candidates should focus on their interest in the role and background experience. As the hiring process goes on, you can learn more about how they'd fit into the company culture in later rounds of interviews.

   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 counselor/case manager

   Once you've found the counselor/case manager 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.

   To prepare for the new employee's start date, you can create an onboarding schedule and complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9 forms, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Human Resources should also ensure that a new employee file is 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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