How to hire a lead residential counselor

How to hire a lead residential counselor, step by step

Here's a step-by-step lead residential counselor hiring guide:

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

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   The lead residential counselor 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

   Hiring the perfect lead residential counselor also involves considering the ideal background you'd like them to have. Depending on what industry or field they have experience in, they'll bring different skills to the job. It's also important to consider what levels of seniority and education the job requires and what kind of salary such a candidate would likely demand.

   Here's a comparison of lead residential counselor salaries for various roles:

   Type of Lead Residential Counselor	Description	Hourly rate
   Lead Residential Counselor	Mental health counselors and marriage and family therapists help people manage and overcome mental and emotional disorders and problems with family and other relationships. They listen to clients and ask questions to help the clients understand their problems and develop strategies to improve their lives.	$13-22
   Counselor/Case Manager	A Counselor provides advice for coping with everyday situations, relationships, health challenges, or disabilities of patients. Case Managers develop, monitor, and evaluate treatment plans and the progress of patients within the social service departments, healthcare companies, hospital networks, etc.	$15-22
   Group Counselor	A group counselor provides counseling services primarily in a group setting, aiming to provide clients with a supportive and healthy environment where they can work on different issues and reach personal goals. They typically conduct research and assessments, establish program objectives and guidelines, arrange various activities, and facilitate positive interactions to support one another... Show more	$6-52

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Autism
   • Social Work
   • Medication Administration
   • Crisis Intervention
   • CPR
   • Developmental Disabilities
   • Direct Support
   • Mental Illness
   • Direct Supervision
   • Residential Treatment Facility
   • Residential Program
   • Behavior Management
   • Therapeutic Environment
   • Mental Health Issues

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Engage, educate and empower participants to access community base resources in order to achieve greater self-determination, rehabilitation and recovery.
   • Promote continuity of care by accurately and completely communicating to other caregivers the status of patients for which care is provided.
   • Assist in maintaining IEP goals in order to avoid regression.
   • Deliver evidence-based treatment to children with ADHD and other behavioral disorders.

   More lead residential counselor duties

3. Make a budget

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

   Average lead residential counselor salary

   $36,902yearly

   $17.74 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level lead residential counselor salary

   $29,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 20, 2026

   Average lead residential counselor salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$47,277	$23
   2	Massachusetts	$45,305	$22
   3	Colorado	$43,235	$21
   4	Arizona	$42,847	$21
   5	Illinois	$41,914	$20
   6	Rhode Island	$41,159	$20
   7	Connecticut	$39,710	$19
   8	Pennsylvania	$39,592	$19
   9	Texas	$38,873	$19
   10	Indiana	$37,566	$18
   11	New Jersey	$35,616	$17
   12	Utah	$34,575	$17
   13	Wisconsin	$33,340	$16
   14	Tennessee	$30,671	$15
   15	Florida	$29,159	$14
   16	North Carolina	$29,111	$14

   Average lead residential counselor salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Boston Higashi School	$44,619	$21.45	1
   2	Care New England Health System	$41,104	$19.76	33
   3	SummitStone Health	$40,948	$19.69	2
   4	Community Health Network	$38,785	$18.65
   5	State of West Virginia	$38,710	$18.61	39
   6	Gilbane Building Company	$38,556	$18.54
   7	RH	$38,354	$18.44	4
   8	Melmark New England	$38,246	$18.39	12
   9	Stantec	$38,171	$18.35	5
   10	Vinfen	$37,147	$17.86	335
   11	Curiouser Products Inc.	$36,941	$17.76
   12	Aptiv	$36,908	$17.74
   13	Maid Right	$36,882	$17.73
   14	Eliada	$35,612	$17.12	5
   15	Titan Security Group	$35,051	$16.85
   16	Ability Beyond	$33,983	$16.34	3
   17	Familylinks, Inc.	$33,313	$16.02	3
   18	Chrysalis	$31,690	$15.24	26

4. Writing a lead residential counselor job description

   A job description for a lead residential counselor role includes a summary of the job's main responsibilities, required skills, and preferred background experience. Including a salary range can also go a long way in attracting more candidates to apply, and showing the first name of the hiring manager can also make applicants more comfortable. As an example, here's a lead residential counselor job description:

   Lead residential counselor job description example

   The Lead Staff will help the Residential Manager with the day to day operation of the residential program by assisting the Residential Manager in providing direct services to the people of Chrysalis. The Lead Staff will ensure people's medical and recreational needs are met by providing transportation to and from medical and other appointments. It is the responsibility of the Lead Staff to follow the direction from the Residential Manager in the required tasks of the home. The Assistant Manager needs to be available to be on call for the home.
   Essential Duties and Responsibilities:
   
   * Maintain individuals' health
   * Assist in developing, implementing, and reporting on the Person Center Plans
   * Oversees Behavior Plans and Supervision Guidelines to ensure they are followed
   * Plan weekly menus for proper nutrition
   * Assist individuals in making appropriate purchases at the grocery store
   * Teach individuals basic finance skills
   * Keep all house supplies in stock.
   
   MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:
   
   21 years of age or older, a high school diploma or GED, and experience in the disability field. Capable of communicating well in both verbal and written form. Demonstrated supervisory skills, ability to prioritize work, and able to complete all assigned program documentation accurately and within the allotted time frames. Have good judgment and able to handle crisis situation. Have good public relations skills in working with a variety of outside professional and state employees. Need to have a flexible schedule to accommodate client office needs. Able to effectively manage personnel and program issues. Continually improve the quality and profitability of the program.
   
   DESIRED REQUIREMENTS:
   
   * Experience and/or equivalent education in working with handicapped individuals.
   * Knowledge of person centered plans and ability to develop and write effective goals.
   * Understanding of DSPD policies.
   * Have good judgment and able to handle crisis situations.
   * Have good general writing skills and can articulate oneself on a variety of issues.
   * Able to understand and manage personnel issues and deal with staff in a positive manner.
   * Conduct job coach meetings and attend manager meetings.
   * Computer skills.
   * Have good public relations skills in working with a variety of employers.
   * Multitask and Prioritize tasks effectivel

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find the right lead residential counselor 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 lead residential counselors they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit lead residential counselors 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 lead residential counselor job on Zippia to find and recruit lead residential counselor 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 lead residential counselors, 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.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents. You can move on to the technical interview if a candidate is good enough for the next step.

   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 lead residential counselor

   Once you've selected the best lead residential counselor 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 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 lead residential counselor. 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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