How to hire an intervention specialist

How to hire an intervention specialist, step by step

Here's a step-by-step intervention specialist hiring guide:

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

What does an intervention specialist do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you post your intervention specialist job, you should take the time to determine what type of worker your business needs. While certain jobs definitely require a full-time employee, it's sometimes better to find an intervention specialist for hire on a part-time basis or as a 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 an intervention specialist 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 an intervention specialist that fits the bill.

   This list shows salaries for various types of intervention specialists.

   Type of Intervention Specialist	Description	Hourly rate
   Intervention Specialist	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.	$16-33
   School Counselor	A school counselor is responsible for monitoring the students' social and personal development, advising them of their career aspirations, and assisting them with their academic achievements and goals. School counselors also ensure that the students receive the highest learning standards to pave their way towards society's advancement and global competitiveness... Show more	$17-32
   Youth Counselor	A Youth Counselor's role is to provide guidance and interact with children or teenagers in need of care and counseling. The duty of a Youth Counselor is diverse, and it highly depends on the organization or employer... Show more	$12-23

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Mental Health
   • Social Work
   • Crisis Intervention
   • Classroom Management
   • Group Sessions
   • IEP
   • Autism
   • Substance Abuse
   • Patients
   • Developmental Disabilities
   • Mathematics
   • Professional Development
   • Data Collection
   • Applied Behavior Analysis

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Conduct mental health triage; make appropriate dispositions to other inpatient units with the local area.
   • Coordinate with parents, general education teachers, service providers in all aspects of the IEP and ETR annual review process.
   • Assist families with children with autism and other developmental disabilities.
   • Track students' GPA, college and career goals.
   • Supervise employees and train for EIS certification through DARS and state of Texas.
   • Perform crisis phone triage, mobile face to face assessments and arrange for respite services.

   More intervention specialist duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your intervention specialist job description is one of the best ways to attract top talent. An intervention specialist can vary based on:

   • Location. For example, intervention specialists' average salary in arkansas is 57% less than in california.
   • Seniority. Entry-level intervention specialists 50% less than senior-level intervention specialists.
   • Certifications. An intervention specialist with certifications usually earns a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for an established firm or a new start-up company can make a big difference in an intervention specialist's salary.

   Average intervention specialist salary

   $50,180yearly

   $24.13 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level intervention specialist salary

   $35,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 15, 2025

   Average intervention specialist salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$73,986	$36
   2	Nevada	$64,550	$31
   3	Washington	$59,915	$29
   4	North Carolina	$59,021	$28
   5	New York	$57,228	$28
   6	Connecticut	$55,659	$27
   7	Virginia	$52,712	$25
   8	Oregon	$52,128	$25
   9	Minnesota	$52,105	$25
   10	Illinois	$50,142	$24
   11	Idaho	$49,610	$24
   12	Colorado	$47,681	$23
   13	Massachusetts	$47,644	$23
   14	Texas	$43,525	$21
   15	Pennsylvania	$42,692	$21
   16	Indiana	$42,628	$20
   17	Ohio	$42,556	$20
   18	Arizona	$42,325	$20
   19	Florida	$33,487	$16

   Average intervention specialist salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Birch	$64,689	$31.10
   2	Therapy Source	$64,199	$30.86	23
   3	Soliant	$63,114	$30.34
   4	ProCare Therapy	$61,262	$29.45
   5	RCM Health Care Services	$61,082	$29.37	14
   6	Clark County	$58,762	$28.25
   7	Carilion Clinic	$57,653	$27.72
   8	University of California-Berkeley	$57,444	$27.62	3
   9	Irving Isd	$57,408	$27.60	9
   10	Akron Children's Hospital	$56,695	$27.26	3
   11	Tenet Healthcare	$56,298	$27.07	6
   12	Accel	$55,816	$26.83	35
   13	University of Washington	$55,700	$26.78	18
   14	Maxim Healthcare Group	$55,596	$26.73	49
   15	PSI Solutions	$55,399	$26.63
   16	URBAN PROMISE MINISTRIES INC	$55,135	$26.51
   17	MGRM Group	$55,012	$26.45
   18	Stark County Board Of Developmental Disabilities	$54,932	$26.41
   19	BayCare Health System	$54,808	$26.35	28
   20	Seneca Companies	$54,804	$26.35	23

4. Writing an intervention specialist job description

   A good intervention specialist 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 an intervention specialist job description:

   Intervention specialist job description example

   The Intervention Specialist ALC is part of a team that provides integrated services to the student. The Intervention Specialist ALC will develop an appropriate individual educational program in multiple content areas for each student in the classroom. The ALC Teacher will focus on creating a learning environment that promotes student learning; assess student progress; and provide appropriate academic and behavioral interventions for each student.
   QUALIFICATIONS:
   Ohio Department of Education licensure as an Intervention Specialist: Mild/Moderate or Moderate/Intensive, or Ohio Department of Education certification in Education of the Handicapped Severe Behavior Handicapped
   Prior experience working with students with severe emotional disabilities preferred.
   
   KSAs: • Knowledge of the Ohio Operating Standards the Education of •Children with Disabilities • Knowledge of FERPA and HIPPA • Knowledge of Ohio’s Academic Content Standards for Fine Arts • Knowledge of IEP development • Knowledge of current testing programs, mandated assessment tools and alternative assessment • Knowledge of current educational issues and best practices • Knowledge of behavior management techniques • Knowledge of classroom management techniques • Knowledge of Crisis Prevention Intervention (CPI) strategies • Knowledge of effective intervention strategies • Knowledge of community agencies that can support students with disabilities • Knowledge of problem solving processes and creative thinking skills • Ability to use technology as both a productivity tool and as a method of communication; proficient in computer applications (e.g. Microsoft Office, Google Docs) • Ability to maintain accurate student records • Ability to assess students intellectually and physically and develop Company DescriptionLocated in the heart of Toledo and established in 1913, the ESC of Lake Erie West is one of the largest educational service centers in the State of Ohio. The ESC of Lake Erie West is part of a statewide network of ESCs in Ohio. Providing services at the local, regional and statewide level.
   
   The ESC of Lake Erie West is the fiscal agent for State Support Team Region 1 (SSTR1), one of sixteen State Support Teams in Ohio.
   
   The ESC of Lake Erie West is the sponsor of community schools located throughout Ohio. As a sponsor, the ESC of Lake Erie West’s community schools staff is primarily focused on two main areas – compliance with state laws and regulations and promoting a strong academic program at each sponsored school.
   
   Many state programs such as preschool accreditation, community schools, ongoing education, gifted education, public preschool, and others have been piloted through the ESC of Lake Erie West.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find intervention specialists for your business, try out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important talent pools for any company is its current employees.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and your current work to ask if they know any intervention specialists they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit entry-level intervention specialists with the right educational background.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter have more than 3.5 billion users, and they're a great place for company branding and reaching potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your intervention specialist job on Zippia to find and recruit intervention specialist 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 intervention specialists, 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.

   You should also ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match the ideal candidate profile you developed earlier. Candidates good enough for the next step can complete 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 intervention specialist

   Once you've selected the best intervention specialist candidate for the job, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, this letter should include details about the benefits and perks you offer the candidate. Ensuring that your offer is competitive is essential, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and you should be open to discussion. After you reach an agreement, the final step is formalizing the agreement with a contract.

   It's equally important to follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   To prepare for the new employee's start date, you can create an onboarding schedule and complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9 forms, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Human Resources should also ensure that a new employee file is 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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How much does it cost to hire an intervention specialist?