How to hire a family consultant

How to hire a family consultant, step by step

Here's a step-by-step family consultant hiring guide:

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

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you start hiring a family consultant, identify what type of worker you actually need. Certain positions might call for a full-time employee, while others can be done by a part-time worker or contractor.

   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 family consultant 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 family consultant that fits the bill.

   This list presents family consultant salaries for various positions.

   Type of Family Consultant	Description	Hourly rate
   Family Consultant	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.	$7-35
   Youth Advocate	Youth advocates are individuals who responsible for maintaining the human rights of youth while assisting them in developing their skills in all areas of life, such as education, health, employment, and relationships. These advocates are required to discuss youth development and involvement with various leaders in the community... Show more	$12-19
   Youth Worker	Youth workers specialize in handling and providing support to young individuals with behavioral difficulties. They are primarily responsible for devising recreational projects, handling the budget, producing progress reports, managing intervention programs, and counseling troubled youth while keeping their information confidential... Show more	$12-19

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Social Work
   • Crisis Intervention
   • Social Services
   • Foster Care
   • Child Development
   • Kids
   • Skill Building
   • Conflict Situations
   • Technical Assistance
   • Child Safety
   • Family Dynamics
   • Treatment Plan
   • Crisis Management
   • DCS

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Help children/youth in state custody achieve permanency whether through reintegration, adoption or custodianship.
   • Work closing with DCS, CASA members, and group home managers to provide appropriate services.
   • Interview recipients to determine AFDC (TANF), Foodstamps, and Medicaid eligibility on an ongoing basis.
   • Work directly with DCS, children & families to promote, strengthen and develop the potential for positive parenting.
   • Perform occasional psychosocial rehabilitation services.
   • Screen and assess homeless veterans during initial interview to determine program eligibility.

   More family consultant duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in the family consultant job description is a good way to get more applicants. A family consultant 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 family consultant in Alabama may be lower than in New Jersey, and an entry-level engineer typically earns less than a senior-level family consultant. Additionally, a family consultant with lots of experience in the field may command a higher salary as a result.

   Average family consultant salary

   $35,172yearly

   $16.91 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level family consultant salary

   $16,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 11, 2025

   Average family consultant salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	Maryland	$55,337	$27
   2	New York	$54,152	$26
   3	Virginia	$43,839	$21
   4	Massachusetts	$43,044	$21
   5	California	$42,864	$21
   6	Illinois	$42,358	$20
   7	North Carolina	$41,811	$20
   8	Wisconsin	$41,379	$20
   9	Texas	$39,912	$19
   10	Kansas	$37,976	$18
   11	Utah	$36,903	$18
   12	Ohio	$34,460	$17
   13	Nebraska	$33,622	$16
   14	Indiana	$32,995	$16
   15	Arizona	$31,808	$15
   16	Georgia	$30,848	$15
   17	Louisiana	$27,956	$13
   18	Florida	$24,421	$12

   Average family consultant salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	International Rescue Committee	$63,500	$30.53
   2	Zeiders Enterprises	$45,344	$21.80	14
   3	Human Resource Training Inc	$41,373	$19.89
   4	Saxony Partners	$38,319	$18.42
   5	Outagamie County	$35,359	$17.00
   6	Intercept Health	$34,562	$16.62	52
   7	State of Georgia: Teachers Retirement System of Georgia	$32,732	$15.74	33
   8	FaithBridge Foster Care	$30,151	$14.50
   9	Family Central INC	$29,876	$14.36	6
   10	Georgia Department of Education	$29,828	$14.34
   11	CCSI - Contemporary Computer Services	$29,735	$14.30	1
   12	Catholic Community Services of Utah	$29,627	$14.24
   13	The League for People with Disabilities	$27,859	$13.39	5
   14	Ymca of Greater Cleveland	$23,638	$11.36	6

4. Writing a family consultant job description

   A good family consultant job description should include a few things:

   • Summary of the role
   • List of responsibilities
   • Required skills and experience

   Including a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager is also appreciated by candidates. Here's an example of a family consultant job description:

   Family consultant job description example

   Intercept Health is a family-owned agency, headquartered in Richmond, with additional office sites in more than 15 locations across the state. Started as a single group home provider in 1996, Intercept's primary goal at that time was to "redefine the group home experience." As the needs of families and communities changed, Intercept responded with the development of the LifeBridge Continuum of Care. Now in our 26th year, Intercept Health continues to evolve through collaboration with community partners to create innovative services. Today, Intercept's 650 colleagues offer more than thirty services to meet the unique needs of youth and their families throughout Virginia. Our team members exhibit our VALUES - STOP & ASK:
   * Service Excellence - "WOW" clients, customers, and coworkers.
   * Team Loyalty - help others succeed.
   * Ownership - "see it, own it, solve it, do it."
   * Passion - inspire with positive energy and effort.
   
   &
   
   * Authenticity - be genuine and trustworthy.
   * Solution Focused - overcome challenges with creativity.
   * Kindness - smile, encourage, and respect everyone.
   
   Intercept Health is now hiring a Full Time Foster Care Senior Family Consultant. This role provides casework services to children and families. Reports to TFC Program Supervisor.
   
   Education/Experience:
   
   * A baccalaureate or master's degree in social work from a college or university accredited by the Council on Social Work Education or a field related to social work such as sociology, psychology, special education, or counseling, And one year of experience in providing casework services to children and families; OR
   * A baccalaureate degree in any field plus two years' experience in providing casework services to children and families
   
   Case Management:
   
   * Interview children and families.
   * Conduct and write home studies.
   * Service planning by developing individualized treatment and service plans.
   * Counsel children and families in preparation for placement or discharge.
   * Supervise children in resource, foster, and adoptive homes; and in independent living arrangements.
   * Prepare and maintain case records.
   * Coordinate services to minimize fragmentation of care, reduce barriers, and link children with appropriate services to ensure comprehensive, continuous access to needed medical, social, educational, and other services appropriate to the needs of the child.
   * Assess periodically to determine the child's needs for psychosocial, nutritional, medical, and educational services.
   * Coordinate referrals by assisting the child in arranging for appropriate services and ensure continuity of care for a child in treatment foster care. Link the child to services and supports specified in the individualized treatment and service plan. Assist the child to locate or obtain needed services and resources. Coordinate services and service planning with other agencies and providers involved with the child by arranging, as needed, medical, remedial, and dental services.
   * Monitor and follow up by assessing ongoing progress in each case and ensure services are delivered. Continually evaluate and review each child's plan of care. Collaborate with the family assessment and planning teams and other involved parties on reviews and coordination of services to children and their families.
   * Educate and counsel by guiding the child and developing a supportive relationship that promotes the service plan.
   * Collaborate closely with the family assessment and planning teams and other involved parties in preparation of all case plans.
   
   We offer a competitive benefits package for all full-time employees: * Comprehensive Health Insurance options * Dental & Vision Insurance * Health and Child Care Flexible Spending Accounts * Comprehensive Employee Assistant Plan * Employer Group Life Insurance, optional buy-up insurances * Voluntary Long Term & Short Term Disability * 401(k) Retirement Plan * Paid Time Off * 7 observed holidays * Mileage Reimbursement * Discounts at Verizon Wireless * Wellness Initiatives and team building activities * Opportunities for professional advancement for qualified individuals *
   
   To learn more about Intercept Health, please visit: www.intercepthealth.com

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find the right family consultant 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 family consultants they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit family consultants 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 family consultant job on Zippia to find and recruit family consultant candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   To successfully recruit family consultants, your first interview needs to engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. You can go into more detail about the company, the role, and the responsibilities during follow-up interviews.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match your ideal candidate profile. If you think a candidate is good enough for the next step, you 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 family consultant

   Once you have selected a candidate for the family consultant 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 important to follow up with applicants who do not get the job with an email letting them know that the position is filled.

   Once that's done, you can draft an onboarding schedule for the new family consultant. Human Resources should complete Employee Action Forms and ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc. They should also ensure that new employee files are created for internal recordkeeping.

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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