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What does a counselor supervisor do?

Updated January 8, 2025
8 min read
Quoted expert
Juleen Buser Ph.D.
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Counselor supervisor responsibilities

Here are examples of responsibilities from real counselor supervisor resumes:

  • Work towards empowering juveniles and their families to support a positive lifestyle by providing strength base intensive intervention and rehabilitation services.
  • Provide behavior modification and social skills training to children and adolescents with ADHD and other behavioral and emotional disorders.

Counselor supervisor skills and personality traits

We calculated that 15% of Counselor Supervisors are proficient in Patients, Substance Abuse, and Mental Health. They’re also known for soft skills such as Analytical skills, Speaking skills, and Compassion.

We break down the percentage of Counselor Supervisors that have these skills listed on their resume here:

  • Patients, 15%

    Dispensed medication and coordinated supervision of patients abusing behavior altering drugs.

  • Substance Abuse, 14%

    Coordinated and provided community-based substance abuse treatment and AIDS-HIV prevention counseling/case management to adults throughout Dallas.

  • Mental Health, 12%

    Supervised other counselors and provided counseling services within a specified treatment plan for mental health consumers in a personal-care living environment.

  • Social Work, 8%

    Utilized social work experience to coordinate patient care and rehabilitation.

  • Crisis Intervention, 8%

    Display good judgment and utilize counseling skills to effectively engage in crisis intervention.

  • Clinical Supervision, 7%

    Promote and assist Rehabilitation Counselors in professional development through clinical supervision; identifying and providing needed training curriculum.

Common skills that a counselor supervisor uses to do their job include "patients," "substance abuse," and "mental health." You can find details on the most important counselor supervisor responsibilities below.

Analytical skills. One of the key soft skills for a counselor supervisor to have is analytical skills. You can see how this relates to what counselor supervisors do because "school and career counselors and advisors interpret student records, schoolwide data, and assessments to match interests and abilities with potential careers. ." Additionally, a counselor supervisor resume shows how counselor supervisors use analytical skills: "monitor and supervise the completion of client database, discharge summaries and other documentation necessary for client files. "

Speaking skills. Many counselor supervisor duties rely on speaking skills. "school and career counselors and advisors must communicate effectively with clients and students," so a counselor supervisor will need this skill often in their role. This resume example is just one of many ways counselor supervisor responsibilities rely on speaking skills: "represented multiple clients' interests in both litigation and legislative advocacy. "

Compassion. This is an important skill for counselor supervisors to perform their duties. For an example of how counselor supervisor responsibilities depend on this skill, consider that "school and career counselors and advisors often work with people who are dealing with stressful and difficult situations, so they must be able to empathize with their clients and students." This excerpt from a resume also shows how vital it is to everyday roles and responsibilities of a counselor supervisor: "provide at-risk youth with therapeutic and compassionate services. ".

Listening skills. A big part of what counselor supervisors do relies on "listening skills." You can see how essential it is to counselor supervisor responsibilities because "school and career counselors and advisors need to give full attention to students and clients in order to understand their problems." Here's an example of how this skill is used from a resume that represents typical counselor supervisor tasks: "served as a crisis counselor utilizing practical listening skills and crisis intervention skills for community members. "

Interpersonal skills. Another common skill required for counselor supervisor responsibilities is "interpersonal skills." This skill comes up in the duties of counselor supervisors all the time, as "school and career counselors and advisors must be able to work with people of all backgrounds and personalities." An excerpt from a real counselor supervisor resume shows how this skill is central to what a counselor supervisor does: "assist clients with day-to-day activities and be a role model for positive interpersonal relationships with others. "

All counselor supervisor skills

The three companies that hire the most counselor supervisors are:

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Compare different counselor supervisors

Counselor supervisor vs. Community health counselor

A community health counselor typically provides health and welfare support to the disadvantaged members of a community. Their responsibilities revolve around devising strategies to reach out to community members, coordinating with schools and other institutions, and building positive relationships with the communities that they serve. They may also provide counseling sessions to individuals of all ages, conduct observations and assessments, perform interventions, and identify any signs of abuse or neglect, reporting to the authorities right away. Furthermore, they may refer families or individuals to other social services unit if necessary.

If we compare the average counselor supervisor annual salary with that of a community health counselor, we find that community health counselors typically earn a $372 lower salary than counselor supervisors make annually.While their salaries may differ, the common ground between counselor supervisors and community health counselors are a few of the skills required in each roleacirc;euro;trade;s responsibilities. In both careers, employee duties involve skills like patients, mental health, and social work.

There are some key differences in the responsibilities of each position. For example, counselor supervisor responsibilities require skills like "substance abuse," "clinical supervision," "group sessions," and "individual sessions." Meanwhile a typical community health counselor has skills in areas such as "behavioral health," "rehabilitation," "mental health issues," and "mental illness." This difference in skills reveals the differences in what each career does.

Community health counselors really shine in the health care industry with an average salary of $41,674. Comparatively, counselor supervisors tend to make the most money in the finance industry with an average salary of $44,030.On average, community health counselors reach similar levels of education than counselor supervisors. Community health counselors are 2.1% more likely to earn a Master's Degree and 0.2% less likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.

Counselor supervisor vs. Student support counselor

A student support counselor is responsible for identifying the students' strengths and challenges through one-on-one counseling and establishing solutions to help them overcome difficulties and achieve their educational goals and aspirations. Student support counselors assist the faculty in determining appropriate programs and activities to develop the students' capabilities, especially as a way of preparing them with their career objectives. They also coordinate with the students' families for extended guidance and support for their growth and development.

A career as a student support counselor brings a lower average salary when compared to the average annual salary of a counselor supervisor. In fact, student support counselors salary is $2,347 lower than the salary of counselor supervisors per year.While the salary may differ for these jobs, they share a few skills needed to perform their duties. Based on resume data, both counselor supervisors and student support counselors have skills such as "substance abuse," "mental health," and "crisis intervention. "

Each career also uses different skills, according to real counselor supervisor resumes. While counselor supervisor responsibilities can utilize skills like "patients," "social work," "clinical supervision," and "individual sessions," student support counselors use skills like "student support," "financial aid," "support services," and "powerpoint."

On average, student support counselors earn a lower salary than counselor supervisors. Some industries support higher salaries in each profession. Interestingly enough, student support counselors earn the most pay in the education industry with an average salary of $44,149. Whereas counselor supervisors have higher pay in the finance industry, with an average salary of $44,030.student support counselors earn lower levels of education than counselor supervisors in general. They're 7.1% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.2% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.

What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for counselor supervisors in the next 3-5 years?

Juleen Buser Ph.D.

Professor and Director, School Counseling and Coaching Programs, Rider University

I believe the methods of distance-based services will be more relevant and prevalent. Remote counseling services have been growing in the field for some time, but I would expect the pandemic and the shift for remote counseling during this time will lead to even higher use of such modalities in the future.

Counselor supervisor vs. 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. The mental health counselors aid patients to overcome their chemical dependencies and become self-sufficient individuals. Part of their duty includes meeting clients to evaluate their health and substance issues while creating goals and treatment plans. They teach clients coping mechanisms, refer them to support groups, and engage them in group therapy sessions. Once the patient is stable, they help them re-establish their careers and give updates and reports of progress to the courts. Requirements for the job include a master's degree in counseling and social work.

On average, substance abuse counselors earn lower salaries than counselor supervisors, with a $607 difference per year.counselor supervisors and substance abuse counselors both have job responsibilities that require similar skill sets. These similarities include skills such as "patients," "social work," and "crisis intervention," but they differ when it comes to other required skills.

There are many key differences between these two careers, including some of the skills required to perform responsibilities within each role. For example, a counselor supervisor is likely to be skilled in "substance abuse," "mental health," "clinical supervision," and "group sessions," while a typical substance abuse counselor is skilled in "substance abuse treatment," "intake assessments," "rehabilitation," and "excellent interpersonal."

Substance abuse counselors earn the highest salary when working in the non profits industry, where they receive an average salary of $41,273. Comparatively, counselor supervisors have the highest earning potential in the finance industry, with an average salary of $44,030.When it comes to education, substance abuse counselors tend to earn similar degree levels compared to counselor supervisors. In fact, they're 3.7% more likely to earn a Master's Degree, and 0.9% more likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.

Counselor supervisor vs. Rehabilitation counselor

Rehabilitation counselors are professional counselors who are responsible for helping individuals cope with their disabilities to live independently. These counselors are required to consult other professionals, family members, and individuals when developing a treatment plan based on the goals, strengths, limitations, and personal values of their clients. They must make connections with community support so that individuals with disabilities can avail of the types of services that are available. Rehabilitation counselors must also find employers and educate them in understanding the needs and abilities of disabled people.

Rehabilitation counselors average a lower salary than the annual salary of counselor supervisors. The difference is about $565 per year.According to resumes from counselor supervisors and rehabilitation counselors, some of the skills necessary to complete the responsibilities of each role are similar. These skills include "patients," "substance abuse," and "mental health. "Each job also requires different skills to carry out their responsibilities. A counselor supervisor uses "clinical supervision," "group sessions," "individual sessions," and "direct supervision." Rehabilitation counselors are more likely to have duties that require skills in "rehabilitation," "management system," "vocational rehabilitation," and "persistent mental illness. "The government industry tends to pay the highest salaries for rehabilitation counselors, with average annual pay of $43,146. Comparatively, the highest counselor supervisor annual salary comes from the finance industry.rehabilitation counselors reach similar levels of education compared to counselor supervisors, in general. The difference is that they're 4.7% more likely to earn a Master's Degree, and 0.8% less likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.

Types of counselor supervisor

Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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