What is an intensive in-home counselor and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

Quoted expert

Lesley Casarez Ph.D.

An intensive in-home counselor is a mental health professional who provides therapy and support to families. They work with families who are experiencing significant challenges, such as behavioral or emotional issues with children, communication breakdowns, or difficulty managing daily life tasks. The counselor works closely with the family to identify issues and create a treatment plan. They may use a variety of therapeutic techniques to help families improve communication, build relationships, and develop coping skills.

What general advice would you give to an intensive in-home counselor?

Lesley Casarez Ph.D.

Director, Quality Enhancement Plan Program Coordinator, M.S. Professional School Counseling Associate Professor, Curriculum and Instruction, Angelo State University

Curriculum and instruction are such a broad field that graduates can tailor their job searches to fit their particular interests. Whether a candidate wants to focus on pedagogical development, curriculum development, instructional strategies, or program evaluation and data analysis, advanced degree programs in curriculum and instruction allow them to do so. The job market is changing right now, with many educational entities shifting to either a hybrid or entirely virtual model for students. With this change, graduates will need to adapt to a more technological-based environment in which they operate.

ScoreIntensive In-Home CounselorUS Average

Salary

4.0

Avg. Salary $51,428

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

8.4

Growth rate 17%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

4.5

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.38%

Asian 3.23%

Black or African American 11.28%

Hispanic or Latino 12.21%

Unknown 5.91%

White 67.00%

Gender

female 71.01%

male 28.99%

Age - 39

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 - 39

Stress level

8.4

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity level

9.9

Complexity level is advanced

7 - challenging

Work life balance

7.8

Work life balance is good

6.4 - fair

What are the pros and cons of being an intensive in-home counselor?

Pros

The flexibility of scheduling appointments around the needs of the client and their family
A sense of autonomy and independence in the job
Opportunities for professional development and growth
Competitive compensation and benefits packages
The ability to see the positive effects of your work on a daily basis

Cons

Dealing with challenging behaviors from clients and their families
Working long hours with irregular schedules
The need to manage paperwork and documentation outside of direct client care time
Limited opportunities for advancement
Exposure to trauma and difficult situations

Key steps to become an intensive in-home counselor

Explore intensive in-home counselor education requirements

Most common intensive in-home counselor degrees

Bachelor's

65.3 %

Master's

23.8 %

Associate

7.0 %

Start to develop specific intensive in-home counselor skills

Skills	Percentages
Family Therapy	9.56%
Mental Health Issues	9.26%
Crisis Intervention	8.02%
Intensive In-Home	6.59%
Community Resources	6.56%

Complete relevant intensive in-home counselor training and internships

Accountants spend an average of Less than 1 month on post-employment, on-the-job training. New intensives in-home counselor 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 an intensive in-home counselor based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real intensive in-home counselor resumes.

Research intensive in-home counselor duties and responsibilities

Conduct group check-in and co-lead group psychotherapy sessions to help clients identify and manage problems associate with psychiatric conditions.
Assist in preventing altercations between the youth by using TCI.
Complete the required MANDT training, medical tech and CPR training.
Coordinate with ABA program consultants, other teachers and parents of the child.

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