What does a crisis intervention counselor do?
Crisis intervention counselor responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real crisis intervention counselor resumes:
- Conduct group check-in and co-lead group psychotherapy sessions to help clients identify and manage problems associate with psychiatric conditions.
- Conduct group check-in and co-lead group psychotherapy sessions to help clients identify and manage problems associate with psychiatric conditions.
- Organize and lead regular youth and college bible studies, teaching about prayer and promoting spirituality.
Crisis intervention counselor skills and personality traits
We calculated that 19% of Crisis Intervention Counselors are proficient in Social Work, Behavioral Problems, and Safety Planning. They’re also known for soft skills such as Emotional skills, Communication skills, and Problem-solving skills.
We break down the percentage of Crisis Intervention Counselors that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Social Work, 19%
Create close working relationship with police officers/detectives, school social workers, probation officers, and hospital social workers.
- Behavioral Problems, 7%
Licensed psychologist consultant, crisis intervention and counseling psychology interventions with students with behavioral problems.
- Safety Planning, 6%
Provided crisis intervention, advocacy, safety planning and case management services to victims.
- Mental Health Crisis, 6%
Provide mental health crisis intervention to clients presenting with substance abuse, mental illness and trauma related issues.
- Hotline Calls, 6%
Provide administrative support in areas of office coverage, hotline calls, and clerical work.
- Child Abuse, 6%
Provide crisis counseling, advocacy, education and referrals for survivors of DV, stalking, sexual assault and child abuse.
"social work," "behavioral problems," and "safety planning" are among the most common skills that crisis intervention counselors use at work. You can find even more crisis intervention counselor responsibilities below, including:
Communication skills. Another essential skill to perform crisis intervention counselor duties is communication skills. Crisis intervention counselors responsibilities require that "clients talk to social workers about challenges in their lives." Crisis intervention counselors also use communication skills in their role according to a real resume snippet: "served as crisis intervention counselor for sixth grade students using methods of conflict resolution, negotiation, and communication enhancement. "
Problem-solving skills. Another skill that relates to the job responsibilities of crisis intervention counselors is problem-solving skills. This skill is critical to many everyday crisis intervention counselor duties, as "social workers must analyze their clients’ complex situations and develop practical solutions." This example from a resume shows how this skill is used: "demonstrated skill in crisis intervention, conflict resolution, group facilitation and counseling. "
Interpersonal skills. A big part of what crisis intervention counselors do relies on "interpersonal skills." You can see how essential it is to crisis intervention counselor responsibilities because "social workers must be able to work with different groups of people." Here's an example of how this skill is used from a resume that represents typical crisis intervention counselor tasks: "facilitated career development and interpersonal skill-building student groups. "
Organizational skills. A commonly-found skill in crisis intervention counselor job descriptions, "organizational skills" is essential to what crisis intervention counselors do. Crisis intervention counselor responsibilities rely on this skill because "social workers must help and manage multiple clients, often assisting with their paperwork or documenting their treatment." You can also see how crisis intervention counselor duties rely on organizational skills in this resume example: "demonstrated group leadership and organizational skills. "
The three companies that hire the most crisis intervention counselors are:
- State of Georgia: Teachers Retirement System of Georgia17 crisis intervention counselors jobs
- Sante Group6 crisis intervention counselors jobs
- WellSpan Health5 crisis intervention counselors jobs
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Compare different crisis intervention counselors
Crisis intervention counselor vs. Graduate clinician
A Graduate Clinician provides speech and language therapy for students. They develop transitional programs for students in preparation for post-graduation.
These skill sets are where the common ground ends though. The responsibilities of a crisis intervention counselor are more likely to require skills like "social work," "behavioral problems," "restraints," and "safety planning." On the other hand, a job as a graduate clinician requires skills like "motor speech disorders," "patients," "autism," and "dysphagia." As you can see, what employees do in each career varies considerably.
The education levels that graduate clinicians earn slightly differ from crisis intervention counselors. In particular, graduate clinicians are 5.6% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree than a crisis intervention counselor. Additionally, they're 0.4% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Crisis intervention counselor vs. Counselor internship
When it comes to Counselor Internship, among the primary responsibilities is to assist in dealing with various activities such as preparing and verifying necessary documentation, observing consultations and outreach programs, guide clients and help develop multiple helpful strategies, and provide assessments. Furthermore, one can conduct counseling and consultation only under supervision. It is also essential to track the information gathered and coordinate with assigned personnel to adhere to the company's regulations and policies.
Each career also uses different skills, according to real crisis intervention counselor resumes. While crisis intervention counselor responsibilities can utilize skills like "social work," "restraints," "safety planning," and "mental health crisis," counselor interns use skills like "intake assessments," "substance abuse issues," "group therapy sessions," and "family therapy."
Counselor interns may earn a lower salary than crisis intervention counselors, but counselor interns earn the most pay in the finance industry with an average salary of $51,629. On the other hand, crisis intervention counselors receive higher pay in the transportation industry, where they earn an average salary of $69,405.counselor interns earn similar levels of education than crisis intervention counselors in general. They're 4.6% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.4% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for crisis intervention counselors in the next 3-5 years?
Virginia Schwindt
MSW Field Director/Associate Professor, Union University
Crisis intervention counselor vs. Alcohol and drug counselor
A drug & alcohol counselor treats addicts in either one-on-one or group settings. They help by educating and developing possible treatment plans for patients to support them in coping with their addictive personalities. A drug and alcohol counselor will evaluate to determine the progress has been successfully made towards recovery. They help patients better understand and overcome their addictions. Counselors help through offering support, rehabilitation, and guidance by using various techniques. Drug & alcohol counselors seek to help an addict find the source of their addiction.
There are many key differences between these two careers, including some of the skills required to perform responsibilities within each role. For example, a crisis intervention counselor is likely to be skilled in "behavioral problems," "restraints," "safety planning," and "mental health crisis," while a typical alcohol and drug counselor is skilled in "patients," "rehabilitation," "treatment services," and "intake assessments."
Alcohol and drug counselors make a very good living in the professional industry with an average annual salary of $44,333. On the other hand, crisis intervention counselors are paid the highest salary in the transportation industry, with average annual pay of $69,405.Most alcohol and drug counselors achieve a similar degree level compared to crisis intervention counselors. For example, they're 2.0% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 0.4% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Crisis intervention counselor vs. Counselor
Often, counselors are known to be the go-to person in times we are in need of emotional and psychological support. They help people to manage and overcome the issues which affect their mental health and well-being. Counselors face different kind of situations which may involve trauma, addiction, disabilities, abuse, suicide, anger management, career, and even personal relationships. They provide care, counseling, rehabilitation, and support services. Every counseling requires collaborative effort both from the counselor and client to become effective.
Even though a few skill sets overlap between crisis intervention counselors and counselors, there are some differences that are important to note. For one, a crisis intervention counselor might have more use for skills like "restraints," "safety planning," "mental health crisis," and "hotline calls." Meanwhile, some responsibilities of counselors require skills like "patients," "substance abuse," "family therapy," and "intake assessments. "
Counselors enjoy the best pay in the education industry, with an average salary of $37,750. For comparison, crisis intervention counselors earn the highest salary in the transportation industry.In general, counselors hold lower degree levels compared to crisis intervention counselors. Counselors are 6.4% less likely to earn their Master's Degree and 0.0% more likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Types of crisis intervention counselor
Updated January 8, 2025
