How to hire a crisis worker

How to hire a crisis worker, step by step

Here's a step-by-step crisis worker hiring guide:

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

What does a crisis worker do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   The crisis worker hiring process starts by determining what type of worker you actually need. Certain roles might require a full-time employee, whereas part-time workers or contractors can do others.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

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

   Yes

   No

   You should also consider the ideal background you'd like them a crisis worker to have before you start to hire. For example, what industry or field would you like them to have experience in, what level of seniority or education does the job require, and how much it'll cost to hire a crisis worker that fits the bill.

   The following list breaks down different types of crisis workers and their corresponding salaries.

   Type of Crisis Worker	Description	Hourly rate
   Crisis Worker	Social workers help people solve and cope with problems in their everyday lives. One group of social workers—clinical social workers—also diagnose and treat mental, behavioral, and emotional issues.	$11-23
   Mental Health Therapist	The job of mental health therapists is to guide individuals, groups, couples, and families with problems that are impacting their well-being and mental health. Their duties and responsibilities include encouraging clients to talk about their experiences, examining issues that may affect mental health such as substance abuse and bullying, and assisting clients in defining their goals and action plans... Show more	$16-33
   Mental Health Professional	The duties of a mental health professional will revolve around observing the behavior of patients. They are responsible for knowing their medical history, conducting consultations and assessments, diagnosing conditions, devising particular treatments and prescribing medication, and providing emotional support to patients... Show more	$16-33

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Patients
   • Social Work
   • Mental Health Crisis
   • Compassion
   • CPR
   • Rehabilitation
   • Crisis Line
   • Mental Illness
   • Community Agencies
   • Suicide Prevention
   • Emergency Room
   • Mental Health Assessments
   • Psychiatric Crisis
   • Crisis Calls

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Find placements for patients needing inpatient psychiatric hospitalizations, and provide community referrals to those requiring lower levels of care.
   • Conduct psychiatric screenings in hospital settings to determine if patients meet the criteria for involuntary/voluntary commitment as mandated by state laws.
   • Coordinate care with community providers for follow up if patient are discharged, prepare documentation for admission to inpatient psychiatry unit.
   • Complete MDS assessments to determine mood and cognitive functioning, relaying information to interdisciplinary team and families.

   More crisis worker duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your crisis worker job description is a great way to entice the best and brightest candidates. A crisis worker salary can vary based on several factors:

   • Location. For example, crisis workers' average salary in arkansas is 63% less than in new york.
   • Seniority. Entry-level crisis workers earn 53% less than senior-level crisis workers.
   • Certifications. A crisis worker with a few certifications under their belt will likely demand a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for a prestigious company or an exciting start-up can make a huge difference in a crisis worker's salary.

   Average crisis worker salary

   $16.25hourly

   $33,805 yearly

   ---

   Entry-level crisis worker salary

   $23,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 15, 2025

   Average crisis worker salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	Maine	$39,175	$19
   2	Connecticut	$38,290	$18
   3	New Jersey	$37,035	$18
   4	Wisconsin	$30,873	$15
   5	Illinois	$30,273	$15
   6	Virginia	$27,567	$13
   7	Ohio	$25,685	$12
   8	Hawaii	$24,726	$12
   9	Utah	$23,156	$11
   10	Pennsylvania	$22,060	$11

   Average crisis worker salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Northwestern Medicine	$38,235	$18.38	19
   2	Chautauqua Opportunities	$37,308	$17.94	5
   3	St Luke's Hospital & Health Network Inc	$35,913	$17.27
   4	Grand View Health	$35,737	$17.18
   5	Community Treatment Alternatives, a program of Journey Mental Health Center	$35,541	$17.09
   6	RWJBarnabas Health	$35,355	$17.00	58
   7	Kenosha Human Development Services	$34,652	$16.66	4
   8	Monadnock Community Hospital	$34,511	$16.59	4
   9	St. Luke's Health System	$34,342	$16.51	39
   10	Maine Health/maine Mental Health Partners	$34,321	$16.50	21
   11	Eastern Connecticut Health Network (echn)	$34,305	$16.49	1
   12	Hawaii Pacific Health	$34,159	$16.42	15
   13	Sinai Chicago	$33,877	$16.29
   14	Ellis Medicine	$33,672	$16.19	8
   15	Sweetser	$33,526	$16.12	21
   16	Children's Home & Aid	$33,329	$16.02
   17	Canvas Health	$32,755	$15.75	8
   18	G4S	$32,479	$15.61
   19	Prs	$32,380	$15.57	3
   20	Monster Products	$32,124	$15.44

4. Writing a crisis worker job description

   A crisis worker job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. Below, you can find an example of a crisis worker job description:

   Crisis worker job description example

   We have openings for Crisis Workers/Overnight in our Emergency Services Unit program! The Crisis Clinical Specialist I (CCSI) position is responsible for providing a wide array of culturally sensitive, recovery oriented, trauma sensitive, direct clinical services provided in conjunction with other staff. Services provided by this position may include assessment, treatment planning, referrals, and case management. The CCSI is responsible for providing culturally sensitive emergency mental health assessments and interventions for children, youth and adults. Assessments are based on an understanding not only of client symptoms, but also of strengths and social/cultural resources. These strengths and resources will be taken into account and utilized as appropriate to assist the individual's return to a more optimal level of functioning. This position involves mobility throughout the community and working overnight shifts to enable the program to operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year.
   
   Journey Mental Health Center (JMHC) is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. It is the agency's belief that staff diversity and cultural humility are the foundation for services, which are accessible, effective, and relevant to the diverse needs of our consumers.
   
   It is important that we choose employees that reflect our mission, vision and values, thus our selection process is thorough and sometimes longer than other employers.
   
   Thank you in advance for providing us with complete and accurate application materials and for your patience when waiting to hear from us.
   
   Though you may have excellent experience, strong work ethic and passion for recovery, due to our funding contractual agreements, candidates we hire must meet the Essential Qualifications specified in the job postings in order to be offered an interview. Please review the qualifications carefully. We wouldn't want you to put effort into your application materials if you don't meet the essential qualifications.
   
   You can read about the many benefits of working at JMHC on our careers page.
   
   FOLLOWING IS ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
   The Crisis Worker/Overnight reports directly to the Clinical Team Manager with overall program supervision provided by the Director. Minimum annual service hours are 1250. This position is included in the Professional Bargaining Unit.
   QUALIFICATIONS
   ESSENTIAL
   Experience/Education/Licensure
   Bachelor's degree in a related behavioral health field with 1 year of clinical experience
   OR
   4 years of clinical experience with chronically mentally ill persons Experience in related behavioral health field. Commitment to work toward improving cultural diversity and inclusion. Strong commitment to principles of recovery and to facilitating consumer participation in treatment/service planning and provision. Knowledge of evidence-based practices for treatment of mental health and co-occurring disorders. Experience in community-based mental health and substance abuse assessment, case management, treatment planning and crisis resolution. Ability to communicate effectively (both orally and in writing). Ability to work effectively with an interdisciplinary team with a positive and creative attitude. Ability to work independently and remain organized and efficient. Superior ethics and interpersonal boundaries as evidenced by experience in community-based work with related professional references. Possession of a valid driver's license, a favorable driving record, adequate insurance (per WI law) and access to a vehicle with willingness to use it for work (i.e., transporting consumers. Typical Physical Demands
   Requires driving, sitting, standing, light lifting, bending, and reaching; and the ability to use and operate standard office equipment, including computer, calculator, phone, printer, cell phone, facsimile, etc.
   
   Working Conditions
   May require evening or weekend hours depending on program and consumer's needs.
   
   PREFERRED Bi-lingual, and/or bi-cultural (Spanish/Hmong/Cambodian). Fluent in American Sign Language. Experience with use of evidence-based practices in mental health, and substance abuse. RESPONSIBILITIES:
   A. Provision of Clinical Services Performs accurate assessments to initially evaluate mental health, as well as alcohol and other drug use issues in a culturally sensitive, recovery oriented, trauma sensitive manner. Provides a range of clinical services in conjunction with program staff including outreach, assessment, treatment planning, referral, and case management in a context that is supportive of the consumer's culture, values, and perspectives. Completes accurate clinical records including intakes, assessments, treatment plans and updates, progress notes, discharge summaries, and other information in a timely manner. B. Program and JMHC Participation Attends staff meetings, in-services and other program activities as requested. Participates in JMHC committees, trainings and activities as directed and/or approved. The above statements are not to be interpreted as an exhaustive list but are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by this employee.
   
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5. Post your job

   There are various strategies that you can use to find the right crisis worker for your business:

   • Consider promoting from within or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to find candidates who meet your education requirements.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your crisis worker job on Zippia to find and recruit crisis worker candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   During your first interview to recruit crisis workers, engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. During the following interview, you'll be able to go into more detail about the company, the position, and the responsibilities.

   Remember to include a few questions that allow candidates to expand on their strengths in their own words. Asking about their unique skills might reveal things you'd miss otherwise. At this point, good candidates can move on to the technical interview.

   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 crisis worker

   Once you have selected a candidate for the crisis worker position, it is time to create an offer letter. In addition to salary, the offer letter should include details about benefits and perks that are available to the employee. Ensuring your offer is competitive is vital, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and it is important to be open to discussion and reach a mutually beneficial agreement. After the offer has been accepted, it is a good idea to formalize the agreement with a contract.

   It's also good etiquette to follow up with applicants who don't get the job by sending them an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   After that, you can create an onboarding schedule for a new crisis worker. Human Resources and the hiring manager should complete Employee Action Forms. Human Resources should also ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc., and that new employee files are 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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