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Job outlook for intensives in-home counselor in the United States
Intensive in-home counselor job growth summary. After extensive research, interviews, and analysis, Zippia's data science team found that:
The projected intensive in-home counselor job growth rate is 17% from 2018-2028.
About 40,400 new jobs for intensives in-home counselor are projected over the next decade.
Intensive in-home counselor salaries have increased 10% for intensives in-home counselor in the last 5 years.
There are over 3,505 intensives in-home counselor currently employed in the United States.
There are 122,300 active intensive in-home counselor job openings in the US.
The average intensive in-home counselor salary is $51,428.
Are intensive in-home counselor jobs in demand?
Intensive in-home counselor job and salary trends over time
Intensive in-home counselor jobs over time
Intensive in-home counselor job growth rate over time
| Year | # of jobs | % of population |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 3,505 | 0.00% |
| 2020 | 3,471 | 0.00% |
| 2019 | 3,468 | 0.00% |
| 2018 | 3,296 | 0.00% |
| 2017 | 3,081 | 0.00% |
Average intensive in-home counselor salary over time
Intensive in-home counselor salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $51,428 | $24.73 | +3.1% |
| 2024 | $49,869 | $23.98 | +2.4% |
| 2023 | $48,678 | $23.40 | +2.5% |
| 2022 | $47,487 | $22.83 | +2.0% |
| 2021 | $46,578 | $22.39 | +2.3% |
Intensive in-home counselor jobs by state
Most common states for intensives in-home counselor
| Rank | State | Population | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Massachusetts | 6,859,819 | 3,944 | 57% |
| 2 | Montana | 1,050,493 | 314 | 30% |
| 3 | Maine | 1,335,907 | 393 | 29% |
| 4 | Minnesota | 5,576,606 | 1,478 | 27% |
| 5 | District of Columbia | 693,972 | 186 | 27% |
| 6 | Alaska | 739,795 | 196 | 26% |
| 7 | Delaware | 961,939 | 228 | 24% |
| 8 | New Jersey | 9,005,644 | 2,072 | 23% |
| 9 | Connecticut | 3,588,184 | 834 | 23% |
| 10 | Washington | 7,405,743 | 1,599 | 22% |
| 11 | Oregon | 4,142,776 | 896 | 22% |
| 12 | North Dakota | 755,393 | 163 | 22% |
| 13 | Iowa | 3,145,711 | 664 | 21% |
| 14 | Indiana | 6,666,818 | 1,338 | 20% |
| 15 | New Mexico | 2,088,070 | 425 | 20% |
| 16 | Vermont | 623,657 | 126 | 20% |
| 17 | Illinois | 12,802,023 | 2,463 | 19% |
| 18 | Wyoming | 579,315 | 111 | 19% |
| 19 | New Hampshire | 1,342,795 | 242 | 18% |
| 20 | Missouri | 6,113,532 | 1,057 | 17% |
Most common cities for intensives in-home counselor
| Rank | City | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl | Avg. salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Baltimore | 1 | 0% | $60,710 |
Intensive In-Home Counselor job outlook: Expert opinions
Our panel of intensive in-home counselor experts
Western Illinois University
Northeastern Illinois University
Florida Institute of Technology
SUNY College at Oswego
San Francisco State University
Western Illinois University
Marymount University
St. John Fisher College
Penn State College of Medicine
Louisiana State University at Shreveport
Boston College
Monmouth University
Augustana University
Tiffin University
Freed-Hardeman University
Concordia University Irvine
Loyola University Chicago
Lindsey Nichols
Associate ProfessorWhat general advice would you give to an Intensive In-Home Counselor?
Lindsey Nichols: Your career path is a journey not typically a single destination. You will be exposed to professions, organizations, people etc. all the time and that networking and those relationships are so important. Unfortunately, social media, movies, etc. give a false impression to viewers about what counselors (of many specialty areas like school counseling, mental health, addictions, etc.) actually do. If you know licensed/certified counselors follow-up with them, ask them questions about their day-to-day activities, and volunteer or work so you can get more exposure to the helping professions, I think about the Boys-and-Girls Club, substituting in your local school district, organizations that provide helping services to people at all ages.
Dr. Tiffany Bainter PhD LCPC NCC
Associate ProfessorWestern Illinois University
Clinical, Counseling And Applied Psychology
What Intensive In-Home Counselor skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Dr. Tiffany Bainter PhD LCPC NCC: Education and Credentials: Obtain relevant certifications and advanced degrees in counseling or related fields. Specializations or additional training in areas such as trauma therapy, substance abuse counseling, or marriage and family therapy can increase your market value. Gain Experience: Seek opportunities to gain practical experience through internships, volunteer work, or entry-level positions. Building a strong track record of successful counseling outcomes and client satisfaction can lead to higher-paying roles. Specialize: Consider specializing in a niche area within counseling, such as working with specific populations (e.g., children, veterans, LGBTQ+ individuals) or focusing on particular issues (e.g., trauma, addiction, grief counseling). Specialization often commands higher salaries due to the specialized expertise required. Stay Current: Stay updated with industry trends, research, and best practices in counseling. Attend conferences, workshops, and continuing education programs to enhance your knowledge and skills, making you more valuable to employers. Negotiate Skillfully: When negotiating salary with potential employers, research industry standards and average salaries for your role and location. Highlight your qualifications, experience, and unique skills during negotiations. Be confident, but also realistic and flexible in your salary expectations. Explore Different Settings: Consider working in different settings such as private practice, community mental health centers, schools, hospitals, or corporate counseling programs. Each setting may offer different salary structures and opportunities for advancement. Build a Reputation: Develop a strong professional reputation by delivering quality counseling services, building positive relationships with clients and colleagues, and receiving positive feedback and referrals. A good reputation can lead to increased demand for your services and potentially higher fees. Network and Market Yourself: Network with other professionals in the counseling field, join professional organizations, and promote your services effectively. Building a strong professional network and marketing yourself can lead to new opportunities, higher-paying clients, and consulting or speaking engagements. Consider Additional Income Streams: Explore opportunities for additional income streams such as offering workshops, writing articles or books, providing supervision or consulting services, or teaching courses related to counseling.
What will help Intensives In-Home Counselor increase their earning potential?
Dr. Pamela Fullerton: I think having diverse experiences in the field will be helpful when trying to make yourself stand out from the crowd of other clinicians. I also think adding specialty training and certifications to your resume may help in maximizing salary potential.
What Intensive In-Home Counselor skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Mariana Juras Ph.D.: I believe multiple language and cultural knowledges and experiences are great assets to have, and also to integrate human specific and technology integration with the mental health field, by also considering ethics, culture, and humane relevancy. Neuropsychology is also a developing field and integration with mental health treatment is increasing.
What Intensive In-Home Counselor skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Jodi Mullen PhD LMHC RPT-S: The bulk of the work a mental health counselor does is clinical, meaning you meet with clients and provide counseling. There is also record keeping, preparation, and administrative responsibilities. New and seasoned counselors alike spend some time in supervision and consultation with other counselors. Supervision is a time to discuss cases with a more experienced professional where there are opportunities for growth professionally and personally. Consultation involves either meeting with others connected to your clients, like parents of children clients, or with professionals in mental health and other fields that can help the counselor sort out a challenge. In that case it may be an attorney or a trauma specialist.
What will help Intensives In-Home Counselor increase their earning potential?
Jodi Mullen PhD LMHC RPT-S: There are so many opportunities for mental health counselors entering the field. The need for our services is at an all time high. Recently, there has been a great deal of focus on self-care for professional counselors to ward off compassion fatigue. There is much more being offered for counselor self-care than when I entered the field three decades ago.
What will help Intensives In-Home Counselor increase their earning potential?
Elif Balin: As prospective counselors, it's essential to recognize that your career journeys begin when you start exploring and applying for training programs. The curriculum, faculty expertise areas, availability of training opportunities (e.g., internship sites), diversity of an active alumni network, and other aspects of these programs will significantly influence your career readiness and transition to jobs. After graduation, I strongly suggest you stay connected to your training programs, mentors, and alumni networks. This will help you access the hidden job market (e.g., potentially upcoming job openings and priorities for hiring criteria) in your areas of interest or work settings and make you feel supported and part of a community. In case you think your training program did not adequately prepare you for the job market, keep searching for mentors, which can be a one-time meeting or email exchange to learn about what helped them find employment or a longer-term connection that provides you with more insight and feedback about your ongoing areas of growth. Remember that your first job is most likely the first stepping stone toward the following opportunities. Even if you feel discontent with some aspects of a first job, it can lead to meaningful connections and happenstances to create future opportunities. Be aware of your most important needs and values that you can’t sacrifice for your physical and mental well-being, and aspire for a job that gets you what you need to continue growing and making connections toward more desirable next steps. When possible, self-advocate and seek additional resources (e.g., family, community, local or regional professional development grants, additional jobs) that may help you get started with some meaningful first experience and sustain your ongoing career planning.
What Intensive In-Home Counselor skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Donna Sheperis PhD, LPC, NCC, CCMHC, ACS, BC-TMH: There are so many different employment positions that a mental health counselor could take that a day could be incredibly different depending on their area of specialty. A private practitioner could have a full day of hour long individual sessions. A hospital based counselor might spend time running groups or doing crisis stabilization. A home-based counselor might travel from site to site providing family therapy or assessing living situations for child placement. Someone working in a substance use rehabilitation facility might find themselves Providing individual, group, and family therapy all within the span of several hours. In other words, a mental health counselor is going to be very flexible and able to provide a number of different services depending on the type of work that interests them and that they find themselves seeking specialty training and credentialing in.
What general advice would you give to an Intensive In-Home Counselor?
Katherine Stavrianopoulos Ph.D.: Education and Credentials: Invest in obtaining advanced degrees and relevant certifications that enhance your qualifications and marketability. A master's or doctoral degree in counseling psychology, along with licensure or certification in your jurisdiction, can significantly increase your earning potential. Specialization and Niche Expertise: Develop expertise in specialized areas of counseling psychology that are in demand or command higher fees. Consider focusing on niche populations, such as children and adolescents, trauma survivors, couples therapy, family therapy and acquire specialized training or certifications to differentiate yourself in the market. Clinical Experience and Internships: Gain diverse clinical experience through internships, practicum placements, and supervised training opportunities. Continuing Education and Professional Development: Stay abreast of emerging trends, research findings, and evidence-based practices in counseling psychology through continuing education, workshops, and professional development opportunities.
What Intensive In-Home Counselor skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Katherine Stavrianopoulos Ph.D.: Digital Literacy and Teletherapy Skills: With the continued integration of technology in mental health care, counselors will need to enhance their proficiency in digital platforms and teletherapy modalities. This includes utilizing secure video conferencing tools, managing electronic health records (EHR), and maintaining ethical standards in online therapy settings. Cultural Competence and Diversity Awareness: As awareness of cultural diversity and social justice issues grows, counselors must deepen their understanding of intersectionality and cultural humility. Competence in working with diverse populations and addressing systemic barriers to mental health care will from an antiracism lens will be essential for providing inclusive and culturally responsive services. Trauma-Informed Care: Given the prevalence of trauma and its impact on mental health, counselors will need to adopt trauma-informed approaches across various settings. This includes recognizing the signs of trauma, creating safe environments for disclosure, and integrating trauma-sensitive interventions into counseling practice. Resilience-Building and Positive Psychology: In addition to addressing mental health challenges, there will be a greater emphasis on promoting resilience and well-being. Counselors will incorporate positive psychology principles, such as strengths-based interventions and mindfulness techniques, to empower clients and enhance their coping skills. Collaborative and Interdisciplinary Care: With the recognition of the interconnectedness of physical and mental health, counselors will collaborate more closely with other healthcare professionals in integrated care settings. Strong communication skills and the ability to work collaboratively within multidisciplinary teams will be essential for providing holistic and comprehensive care to clients. Data Literacy and Outcome Measurement: Increasing emphasis on evidence-based practice and outcome measurement will require counselors to develop skills in data collection, analysis, and outcome evaluation. Ethical Decision-Making in Complex Situations: As counseling scenarios become increasingly complex, counselors will face ethical dilemmas that require nuanced decision-making. Strengthening skills in ethical reasoning, consultation, and ethical sensitivity will enable counselors to navigate challenging ethical issues with integrity and professionalism.
Leigh Ann Tipton-Fisler, PhD, BCBA
Associate Professor and Program Coordinator of Specialist in School Psychology and Clinical/ Community Mental Health Graduate ProgramsWestern Illinois University
Clinical, Counseling And Applied Psychology
What general advice would you give to an Intensive In-Home Counselor?
Leigh Ann Tipton-Fisler, PhD, BCBA: - The best I can give to graduates is to focus on taking small steps at first. Often the first year in the field can be exciting and overwhelming at the same time. The system we work in (the helping profession broadly) often has a lot of challenges, and new professionals want to re-envision a path for changes. This is tangible, but at first, it is important to understand the roles and functions in the workplace before flipping everything upside down. I suggest taking one small change at a time in an area that is important to you and build relationships and trust with your professional colleagues before overloading yourself with the new job and new goals.
Stephanie Chalk
Associate Director of the School of Counseling at Marymount UniversityMarymount University
Clinical, Counseling And Applied Psychology
What general advice would you give to an Intensive In-Home Counselor?
Stephanie Chalk: Competence in trauma-informed care is very important and will only continue to become more important to our work as counselors in a post-COVID world. Counselors will need to have a strong understanding of how to assess for trauma and environmental stressors, and how trauma can impact clients and communities. Having the skills to adequately assess and support client safety, enhance client choice and empowerment, and the ability to work collaboratively as an interdisciplinary team with other professionals is going to become an even more valuable skill set for counselors. Counselors often work with psychiatrists, clinical psychologists, nurse practitioners, school systems, social workers, occupational therapists, and many other professionals as a part of a care team. Having strong collaboration, leadership, and interpersonal skills are becoming more important as the role of counselors is becoming more salient in healthcare.
What Intensive In-Home Counselor skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Stephanie Chalk: My first piece of general advice is to gain knowledge about their state's requirements of post-graduate clinical requirements for independent licensure. When students begin studying at a clinical mental health counseling graduate program, they often believe that once they graduate, they will be free to practice counseling independently and will be licensed. Clinical mental health counseling licensure requires post-graduate clinical supervision and training, and these vary by state or jurisdiction. New graduates should identify what state they want to work in and become familiar with those post-graduation requirements, especially if they are planning to move after graduation. I would also tell new graduates to be selective with where they work after graduation. Some students are very eager to find work after graduation, and finding a good placement can be anxiety-provoking. It is OK to take your time to find a good fit for your interests and needs. Do not be afraid to ask questions about pay, benefits, expectations, supervision, and clinical specializations of the site and the supervisor. There is a wide range of clinical specialties for counselors, and it's worth exploring your interests and finding a site that can fulfill your needs. Lastly, there's many different things that a counselor can do! Besides clinical mental health services, counselors can also get hired as consultants, researchers, organization and advocacy leaders, and more. There are many great career opportunities that new graduates can explore.
What will help Intensives In-Home Counselor increase their earning potential?
Stephanie Chalk: Competence in trauma-informed care is very important and will only continue to become more important to our work as counselors in a post-COVID world. Counselors will need to have a strong understanding of how to assess for trauma and environmental stressors, and how trauma can impact clients and communities. Having the skills to adequately assess and support client safety, enhance client choice and empowerment, and the ability to work collaboratively as an interdisciplinary team with other professionals is going to become an even more valuable skill set for counselors. Counselors often work with psychiatrists, clinical psychologists, nurse practitioners, school systems, social workers, occupational therapists, and many other professionals as a part of a care team. Having strong collaboration, leadership, and interpersonal skills are becoming more important as the role of counselors is becoming more salient in healthcare.
John Kiweewa Ph.D.
Associate ProfessorSt. John Fisher College
Wegmans School of Nursing
What soft skills should all Intensives In-Home Counselor possess?
John Kiweewa Ph.D.: Receptivity to Feedback: Openness to consistently accept feedback in a respectful way is a vital quality, especially for new graduates. Such openness is important not only to feedback from supervisors but from colleagues and clients. Agreeing to or feeling bound to act on the feedback received is not as important as communicating appreciation for the effort of others in giving feedback. In this case, display of behaviors such as anger, annoyance, frustration, defensiveness, excessive/exaggerated self-criticism, or withdrawal gets in the way of learning and/or being a member of a team.
Appropriate Self-Disclosure: The ability for mental health practitioners to 'use' themselves for the benefit of their clients is one of the cornerstones of effective counseling. Such a quality is most evident when one only shares information about themselves that fits the nature and purpose of the interaction with a particular client. When personal information is revealed, it is tasteful, relevant, and is not upsetting, distracting, or confusing to others. Prospective employers are keenly aware of the ways self-serving or self-aggrandizing disclosure of personal information can negatively impact the ability to provide meaningful services to clients.
Reliability and Follow Through: Mental health professionals work in a helping profession that requires the professional to be consistently dependable, reliable, and able to follow through with tasks and assignments in a timely and thorough manner. This includes meeting deadlines, being punctual to sessions with clients and for agency meetings, being prepared, and having a reputation as one who can be counted on to do their part when functioning as a team or project member.
Flexibility and Adaptability: This quality is most evident when a mental health counseling professional consistently demonstrates a willingness to change or compromise in the face of new information, circumstances, and contexts. Situations such as the COVID-19 pandemic, for instance, require mental health practitioners to have an openness to solutions that match the needs of their service recipients and organizations.
Sense of Humor: There is little to cheer about in the professional life of mental health professionals. We spend the majority of our working time listening to the most painful and vulnerable aspects of people's lives. This quality is most evident when a mental health counselor assumes an orientation to life that acknowledges to self and others the value of looking at the "lighter side" of life to maintain a balance; when they find enjoyment in laughing with others and recognize laughter as a way of reducing tension and as an important aspect of social discourse.
Confidence Balanced with Humility: Confidence in one's abilities (self-efficacy) is a general challenge for beginning mental health counselors. Some may appear over-confident as a way to compensate for lack of experience in the field and to project an image of competence. It is, therefore, important that new graduate is able to act with self-assurance by consistently expressing themselves in a clear, deliberate, and unassuming manner. It is not helpful to "put on airs" or flaunt knowledge or skills in order to bring attention to oneself. What is important is to convey appreciation for the privilege to partake in other people's life journeys and struggles.
Martha Peaslee Levine M.D.
Medical Director of the PHP and IOP, Director of the Office of Professional Mental HealthPenn State College of Medicine
Adolescent Medicine, Psychiatry
What soft skills should all Intensives In-Home Counselor possess?
Martha Peaslee Levine M.D.: Good communication skills are important. Working as a therapist involves interacting with someone. It will be important to demonstrate being able to listen effectively and being able to communicate clearly. Active listening is important in therapy and in an interview. Be engaged; listen to the interviewer so that you are clearly providing the information that they need. For example, I often ask interviewees to tell me about a case that they found rewarding or challenging. From this, I want to know how someone thinks through a clinical situation. I want to hear how they describe their client (anonymously, of course) and how they put together the important parts of the story. If it was challenging and they now recognize ways to handle it differently, that lets me know that they have thought about this. It also shows that they are willing to reflect on difficult situations and learn from them. If someone cannot relate a story or discuss a client with me, that makes me wonder about their skills as a therapist and their interest in their patients. These clinical interactions can come from your work in school, shadowing someone in training, or internships. It is recognizing and describing the important elements of the case. Another important skill is good written communication. Check your resumes for spelling mistakes. Reread any emails to make certain they are clear. Send thank-you notes. Keep things professional--use the interviewer's professional title when you write. Be on time and have a question or two to ask about the position or place of employment. Examples can be, what are they looking for in a counselor? What have they found the most rewarding working in this office? Find your own go-to question, but interviewers what to know that you are interested.
What hard/technical skills are most important for Intensives In-Home Counselor?
Martha Peaslee Levine M.D.: Certainly, these days, individuals will need to know who to use electronic medical records. With the pandemic, understanding telehealth options are important. Outside of that, demonstrating skills in evidence-based techniques will be helpful. Training in CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy), DBT (Dialectical Behavioral Therapy), or MBSR (mindfulness-based stress relief) can be some important skills. Think about the population you will be working with and consider if there are techniques that have been shown to be especially helpful. Then try to develop skills and strengths in that area. Mindfulness and stress reduction techniques can be very helpful with many groups of clients.
Kacie Blalock Ph.D.
Associate Professor; Director, Master of CounselingLouisiana State University at Shreveport
Department Of Psychology
What skills stand out on Intensive In-Home Counselor resumes?
Kacie Blalock Ph.D.: Skills that stand out on Counselor resumes include multilingual, critical thinking, conflict resolution, and leadership skills.
Treniece Lewis Harris Ph.D.
Associate Professor of the Practice, Program Director, Master's Program in Mental Health CounselingBoston College
Department of Counseling, Developmental, and Educational Psychology
What soft skills should all Intensives In-Home Counselor possess?
Treniece Lewis Harris Ph.D.: -compassion
-active listening
-perspective-taking
-open-mindedness and respect for differences
-humility
-curiosity and critical observation
-problem recognition and analytical thinking
-creativity and flexibility
-presentation skills
What hard/technical skills are most important for Intensives In-Home Counselor?
Treniece Lewis Harris Ph.D.: -Differential diagnosis to determine whether a person is experiencing an adjustment problem related to everyday life stressors or mental illness
-Knowledge and application of developmental and personality theory to human behavior.
-Experience in using multiple evidence-based psychotherapy models
-Psychological assessment, especially in neuropsychological testing
-Research design and implementation to study
-Program development
-Curriculum design and teaching skills
What skills will help Intensives In-Home Counselor earn the most?
Alan Cavaiola Ph.D.: Most Clinical Mental Health Counselors who take the time to earn clinical supervision credentials (e.g., the ACS or CCS) to supervise counselors-in-training also become invaluable to treatment programs. Often these clinical supervisors are offered higher salaries and are also more likely to move into administrative positions (e.g., CEOs). Most graduate counseling programs do not offer courses in mental health administration, and many mental health counselors do not see themselves doing administrative work; however, these positions pay more than rank-and-file counselors, especially those working in mental health agencies. If that's an area of interest, it's important to find a mentor who has administrative experience and is willing to share that information.
What skills stand out on Intensive In-Home Counselor resumes?
Alan Cavaiola Ph.D.: Skills that stand out on a resume: What mental health counselors need to emphasize on their resume/CV would be any additional training, certificates, and conferences to help make their resume stand out. For example, some of our students take workshops and training to become certified Disaster Response Crisis Counselors in New Jersey. Others take workshops or trainings in DBT, or they'll take EMDR training or telehealth training. These are definitely the skills employers would see as important and would help put the applicant's resume at the top of the pile. Also, students in our graduate program can specialize in addiction counseling which then helps to make them eligible for both the LPC (Licensed Professional Counselor) and the LCADC (Licensed Clinical Alcohol & Drug Counselor). Having both licenses will increase job possibilities exponentially.
Dr. Benjamin Jeppsen
Associate ProfessorAugustana University
Psychology Department
What skills stand out on Intensive In-Home Counselor resumes?
Dr. Benjamin Jeppsen: In Mental Health Counseling, the ability to work with people from various cultural backgrounds is paramount. Training in multicultural psychology, diversity, and inclusion are all essential in our pluralistic society. I would also emphasize training in empirically supported treatments and a clear theoretical orientation grounded in scientific literature. Finally, the recent pandemic has accelerated the use of teletherapy and remote counseling--effectiveness in connecting with people through technology and making the most of an adapted model for therapy will be very important.
What soft skills should all Intensives In-Home Counselor possess?
Dr. Benjamin Jeppsen: Cultural awareness, knowledge, and skills are important, including openness to work with people with varying religious views. The ability to easily connect with others and put people at ease in your presence is valuable in working with clients and collaborating with a treatment team. As more and more agencies interact with the medical field, spiritual leaders, and other holistic approaches to health, counselors need to see their role in an interdisciplinary approach to healing and work effectively with other departments. With teletherapy/virtual therapy, just the simple difficulty of creating eye contact when one's camera is not directly aligned with their viewscreen can complicate important connections in the therapeutic relationship. Learning to effectively connect through screens is essential.
What hard/technical skills are most important for Intensives In-Home Counselor?
Dr. Benjamin Jeppsen: Obviously, mastering the technology used in teletherapy and virtual counseling is essential. Further, the use of computer programs for therapy notes, documentation, and diagnosis is also important. Assessment and psychometric abilities are also important as psychotherapy research has been very clear about the important role of outcome measurement and objective assessment in psychotherapy. When prospective clinicians demonstrate the ability to work with numbers (and the software needed to make them useful), they show an openness to the objective assessment of their work.
Jonathan Appel Ph.D.
Professor of Psychology, Counseling & Criminal JusticeTiffin University
Department of Behavioral and Social Sciences
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Intensives In-Home Counselor?
Jonathan Appel Ph.D.: The pandemic has exacerbated mental health issues and needs all across the world. People need social interaction for well-being. The pandemic has contributed to increases in mental health and addictive disorders. Knowledge, training, treatment for psychological well-being has become even more critical as a personal and professional required skill across all fields.
Being able to understand and adapt to the limits of distance work will also be a lasting impact.
What certifications/licenses/courses can have the biggest impact for Intensives In-Home Counselor?
Jonathan Appel Ph.D.: Clinical practice license/certifications are often critical for marketability and employment. At Tiffin University we provide a training track for Psychology students to get a Chemical Dependency License to practice with an undergraduate degree. There is a nationwide shortage for licensed addiction specialists. The demand for licensed counselors in this area has increased greater than the supply.
These students are very often among the first of our graduates to get hired. Opportunities are only increasing as the The American Rescue Plan Act will provide $4 billion for substance use disorder and mental health services.
We also provide close advising and assist students to attend graduate school to obtain additional clinical licenses in the fields of psychology, counseling and social work.
What will help Intensives In-Home Counselor increase their earning potential?
Jonathan Appel Ph.D.: Mixing unusual majors and minors-to stand out in the crowd often can help student marketability. For example I recently have been working with a psychology student to establish a business minor. This can prepare the student work in human resource management as well as the human service field.
Obtaining an advanced graduate degree often helps.
Dr. James Dalton Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Clinical Mental Health CounselingFreed-Hardeman University
Counseling Program
What are the biggest trends we'll see in the Intensive In-Home Counselor job market given the pandemic?
Dr. James Dalton Ph.D.: The pandemic has forced a shift to technology-assisted interactions in a wide variety of areas including education. I do not expect education to remain as reliant upon technology-assisted interaction as it has been in the past year. Neither do I expect our nation to return to almost complete reliance upon face-to-face interactions. Instead, I believe we will see technology-assisted education and technology-assisted school counseling integrated into the services of the majority of K-12 schools. Therefore, I believe we will see an increase in distance interactions with students through school counseling. Large districts may long-term employ some school counselors from off-site, or may incorporate off-site counselors into the services they provide.
Additionally, the pandemic has not decreased the mental health and wellness needs of our students, but instead has further demonstrated the existence of these needs and the difficulty many schools and communities have in meeting the needs of our most vulnerable populations. I expect this to lead to an increase in services that are provided by or integrated into schools including mental health counseling and trauma-informed counseling and services.
For both reasons, I expect school counseling jobs to have a greater variety of opportunities in the years ahead.
What's a good job out of college for Intensives In-Home Counselor?
Michael Eschelbach Ph.D.: A good job out of college is any job, some might argue. A better job would be one that employs what you studied in college because it asks you to do what you prepared to do. A still better job is one that offers the opportunity to use the whole college experience in problem-solving, creativity, interpersonal relationships - learning, thinking, and communication skills that allow you to see an opportunity, be inspired by it, and pursue it.
Sheryl Covitt
Adjunct Faculty in the School of EducationLoyola University Chicago
School of Education
What are the biggest trends we'll see in the Intensive In-Home Counselor job market given the pandemic?
Sheryl Covitt: -Diversity in skills: virtual, hybrid, in-person
-Flexibility with assignments: being able to teach multiple groups/topics in a variety of settings
-Use of technology
What skills stand out on Intensive In-Home Counselor resumes?
Sheryl Covitt: I make sure that the resumes candidates share with me are clearly and concisely written and make a positive impression quickly, as this is the first document an interviewer will read. The description of each of their school-based experiences should include action words that describe what they did and with whom. Using key words such as progress monitoring, cultural/racial diversity, differentiation, working with families, relationship building, use of technology (this is a big one!), and collaboration will (hopefully) encourage the interviewer to explore that further with the candidate during the interview. I also let them know that resumes should include skills and accomplishments that are relevant to schools' needs. This requires them to do his/her research about the school district prior to submitting a resume to that school and before going in for the interview.