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What is a crisis intervention specialist and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025
3 min read
Quoted expert
Virginia Schwindt
introduction image

A crisis intervention specialist is a type of counselor whose primary role is to help a patient adjust psychologically to a specific situation. Crisis intervention specialists may work in various places such as schools, workplaces, refugee camps, mental hospitals, medical hospitals, or clinics. They provide critical resources and support to individuals in crisis, coordinating legal intervention, outreach, referrals, and services. They are responsible for assessing a client's behavior, recording his/her behavior, and making decisions in his/her interest.

The minimum educational requirement needed for this job is a high school diploma or GED certificate. Some employers require a bachelor's degree in social work, psychology, or a related field. If you choose to work in a therapy facility, you must first obtain a license. You must be compassionate, patient, and a good communicator. A crisis intervention specialist makes an average annual income of $43,315. It falls between $25,000 and $74,000.

What general advice would you give to a crisis intervention specialist?

Virginia SchwindtVirginia Schwindt LinkedIn profile

MSW Field Director/Associate Professor, Union University

Take the licensing test as soon as you are able to, and be open to where you work. It is great to want a specific population or employer, but being open to other experiences may be where God wants you to be. Don't limit yourself because, as a social worker, you can do so many different things.
ScoreCrisis Intervention SpecialistUS Average
Salary
4.3

Avg. Salary $54,678

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level
9.3

Growth rate 9%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity
4.5
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.62%

Asian 3.12%

Black or African American 7.90%

Hispanic or Latino 7.90%

Unknown 6.24%

White 74.22%

Gender

female 70.38%

male 29.62%

Age - 42
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 - 42
Stress level
9.3

Stress level is very high

7.1 - high

Complexity level
10.0

Complexity level is advanced

7 - challenging

Work life balance
6.5

Work life balance is good

6.4 - fair

Crisis intervention specialist career paths

Key steps to become a crisis intervention specialist

  1. Explore crisis intervention specialist education requirements

    Most common crisis intervention specialist degrees

    Bachelor's

    60.4 %

    Master's

    24.2 %

    Associate

    9.6 %
  2. Start to develop specific crisis intervention specialist skills

    SkillsPercentages
    Social Work14.93%
    Patients12.32%
    Substance Abuse6.59%
    Community Resources4.55%
    Crisis Stabilization4.54%
  3. Complete relevant crisis intervention specialist training and internships

    Accountants spend an average of 6-12 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New crisis intervention specialists 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 crisis intervention specialist based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real crisis intervention specialist resumes.
  4. Research crisis intervention specialist duties and responsibilities

    • Provide clinical assessments, crisis intervention and supportive counseling for patients who are involuntary admissions.
    • Provide content lead support on mathematics assessment projects/contracts.
    • Provide mathematics content expertise and consultation to meet and support customer specify goals.
    • Prepare, arrange, and facilitate involuntary and voluntary inpatient psychiatric hospitalization placement for patients when clinically indicate.
  5. Prepare your crisis intervention specialist resume

    When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your crisis intervention specialist resume.

    You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a crisis intervention specialist resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

    Choose from 10+ customizable crisis intervention specialist resume templates

    Build a professional crisis intervention specialist resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your crisis intervention specialist resume.
    Crisis Intervention Specialist Resume
    Crisis Intervention Specialist Resume
    Crisis Intervention Specialist Resume
    Crisis Intervention Specialist Resume
    Crisis Intervention Specialist Resume
    Crisis Intervention Specialist Resume
    Crisis Intervention Specialist Resume
    Crisis Intervention Specialist Resume
    Crisis Intervention Specialist Resume
  6. Apply for crisis intervention specialist jobs

    Now it's time to start searching for a crisis intervention specialist job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

    1. Browse job boards for relevant postings
    2. Consult your professional network
    3. Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
    4. Watch out for job scams

How did you land your first crisis intervention specialist job

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Average crisis intervention specialist salary

The average crisis intervention specialist salary in the United States is $54,678 per year or $26 per hour. Crisis intervention specialist salaries range between $40,000 and $73,000 per year.

Average crisis intervention specialist salary
$54,678 Yearly
$26.29 hourly

What am I worth?

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How do crisis intervention specialists rate their job?

4/5

Based on 1 ratings

5 stars

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2 stars

1 star

Crisis intervention specialist reviews

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A zippia user wrote a review on Jan 2022
Pros

Working collaboratively with clients to help them understand themselves and experience their authentic selves. Learning from my clients.


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A zippia user wrote a review on Dec 2019
Pros

Serving people, impacting change in communities, never boring


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A zippia user wrote a review on Dec 2019
Pros

You make a positive difference every single day. If you're looking for meaningful work, this is it!

Cons

Sometimes you can't help everyone, or the people you do help have tragic & heartbreaking stories. Being exposed to this every day can definitely be draining, so you definitely need an outlet to blow off steam.


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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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