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How to hire a prevention specialist

Prevention specialist hiring summary. Here are some key points about hiring prevention specialists in the United States:

  • In the United States, the median cost per hire a prevention specialist is $1,633.
  • It takes between 36 and 42 days to fill the average role in the US.
  • Human Resources use 15% of their expenses on recruitment on average.
  • On average, it takes around 12 weeks for a new prevention specialist to become settled and show total productivity levels at work.

How to hire a prevention specialist, step by step

To hire a prevention specialist, consider the skills and experience you are looking for in a candidate, allocate a budget for the position, and post and promote the job opening to reach potential candidates. Follow these steps to hire a prevention specialist:

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

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

What does a prevention specialist do?

Prevention specialists are professionals who are work with at-risk youth by conducting education about substance abuse and other high-risk activities. These specialists must plan and implement programs in schools or communities to encourage young adults to have a drug and alcohol-free lifestyle. They are required to work with families who are involved with child abuse and domestic violence while facilitating training for rape crisis workers. Prevention specialists must also provide education on mental health promotion by conducting assessments to individuals and families.

Learn more about the specifics of what a prevention specialist does
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  1. Identify your hiring needs

    Before you post your prevention 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 a prevention 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?

    You should also consider the ideal background you'd like them a prevention 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 a prevention specialist that fits the bill.

    This list shows salaries for various types of prevention specialists.

    Type of Prevention SpecialistDescriptionHourly rate
    Prevention SpecialistFire inspectors examine buildings to detect fire hazards and ensure that federal, state, and local fire codes are met. Fire investigators determine the origin and cause of fires and explosions... Show more$15-35
  2. Create an ideal candidate profile

    Common skills:
    • Social Work
    • Patients
    • Mental Health
    • Substance Abuse Prevention
    • Community Outreach
    • Prevention Programs
    • Prevention Services
    • Prevention Education
    • Prevention Curriculum
    • Community Resources
    • Data Collection
    • Crisis Intervention
    • Health Education
    • Technical Assistance
    Check all skills
    Responsibilities:
    • Complete basic plumbing, electrical, carpentry and HVAC duties.
    • Train in CPR and respond to any emergency calls.
    • Schedule job routes using personal GPS and map books.
    • Monitor, identify and evaluate risk factors on wires and ACH transfers
    • Perform ink and electronic fingerprinting to meet DCJS and/or DoD requirements.
    • Maintain roof, parking lot, lighting, plumbing, and electrical equipment.
    More prevention specialist duties
  3. Make a budget

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

    Average prevention specialist salary

    $49,353yearly

    $23.73 hourly rate

    Entry-level prevention specialist salary
    $33,000 yearly salary
    Updated December 15, 2025

    Average prevention specialist salary by state

    RankStateAvg. salaryHourly rate
    1Ohio$61,240$29
    2California$61,207$29
    3Colorado$57,797$28
    4New York$57,656$28
    5Texas$56,337$27
    6New Mexico$55,758$27
    7Michigan$53,792$26
    8Virginia$50,421$24
    9Arizona$48,755$23
    10Iowa$46,200$22
    11Kansas$44,344$21
    12Missouri$43,368$21
    13Minnesota$41,330$20
    14Wyoming$39,415$19
    15North Carolina$38,063$18
    16Florida$36,781$18
    17Oklahoma$36,478$18

    Average prevention specialist salary by company

    RankCompanyAverage salaryHourly rateJob openings
    1AbbVie$94,326$45.353
    2City of Fairfield$74,086$35.62
    3University of California-Berkeley$68,944$33.15
    4Polk County Sheriff's Office$65,602$31.54
    5Terros Health$64,600$31.062
    6IPRO$64,161$30.85
    7Brandywine Counseling$64,067$30.803
    8East Alabama Health$63,408$30.48
    9University at Albany$63,251$30.41
    10El Paso County$63,077$30.33
    11Sanford Health$62,255$29.936
    12City of Houston$61,210$29.43
    13Washington State University$60,543$29.11
    14Nebraska Methodist Health System$58,764$28.251
    15University of Kentucky$58,491$28.12
    16HealthRIGHT 360$57,611$27.701
    17University of Colorado Boulder$57,587$27.69
    18West Virginia University$56,246$27.04
    19Mental Health Systems$55,996$26.921
    20Health Research, Inc.$55,524$26.691
  4. Writing a prevention specialist job description

    A prevention specialist job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. Below, you can find an example of a prevention specialist job description:

    Prevention specialist job description example

    Directions for Youth & Families offers community-based mental health and prevention services that utilize a resiliency-oriented and trauma-informed framework. DFYF has provided innovative, culturally sensitive, and successful programming to the Central Ohio community since 1899, through our predecessor Crittenton Family Services. Presently, DFYF's programs are divided into 3 categories: Treatment, Prevention, and Education. DFYF offers specialized mental health, kindergarten readiness, afterschool and summer programming to meet the diverse needs of our youth and family population. DFYF proudly serves over 5,000 youth, adults, and families each year. All of our programs strive to fulfill our mission to build and inspire hope, healing, and resilience for youth, families, and communities through counseling and education.

    Position summary

    Directions for Youth and Families is seeking an energetic and creative individual to be a part of our After School team and fifacilitating activities, particll the position of Part-time Recreation Prevention Specialist. Responsibilities include lesson planning, engaging youth in fitness and recreational related activities in an after-school environment. i

    Applicant should have experience and knowledge of various activities such as basketball, volleyball, football, and soccer (not limited too), and capable of instructing and educating youth. Recreation Specialist should be capable of creating activities that that are appropriate for various age ranges and implementing values of teamwork, sportsmanship, and communication. Recreation Specialist will oversee groups of no more than 10 youth and able to implement activities from lesson plans.

    Applicants should be comfortable working with youth between the ages of 8 - 18 years of age, completing all required documentation daily, and possess basic computer skills. Afterschool programming days are Monday-Friday, hours 3 - 8 pm, summer hours 9 - 3 pm, team meetings and occasional special events that may require coming in prior or staying later



    Bachelor's degree preferred and experience facilitating various activities and working with youth required

    Applicant should be comfortable working with youth between the ages of 8 - 18 years of age

    Ability to complete all required documentation daily, and possess basic computer skills.

    Applicant should possess a valid driver's licenses, auto insurance and reliable transportation.

    COVID-Vaccination

    Please forward Cover Letter and Resume



    Benefits:
    • Competitive salary
    • Career growth with Resiliency and Trauma Training
    • Amazing co-workers
    • A healthy, positive culture
  5. Post your job

    To find prevention 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 prevention specialists they would recommend.
    • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit entry-level prevention 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 prevention specialist job on Zippia to find and recruit prevention specialist candidates who meet your exact specifications.
    • Use field-specific websites.
    • Post a job on free websites.
  6. Interview candidates

    Recruiting prevention specialists requires you to bring your A-game to the interview process. The first interview should introduce the company and the role to the candidate as much as they present their background experience and reasons for applying for the job. During later interviews, you can go into more detail about the technical details of the job and ask behavioral questions to gauge how they'd fit into your current company culture.

    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 prevention specialist

    Once you've decided on a perfect prevention specialist candidate, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, it should include benefits and perks available to the employee. Qualified candidates may be considered for other positions, so make sure your offer is competitive. Candidates may wish to negotiate. Once you've settled on the details, formalize your agreement with a contract.

    It's also good etiquette to follow up with applicants who don't get the job by sending them an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

    Once that's done, you can draft an onboarding schedule for the new prevention specialist. 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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How much does it cost to hire a prevention specialist?

Before you start to hire prevention specialists, it pays to consider both the one-off costs like recruitment, job promotion, and onboarding, as well as the ongoing costs of an employee's salary and benefits. While most companies that hire prevention specialists pay close attention to the initial cost of hiring, ongoing costs are much more significant in the long run.

Prevention specialists earn a median yearly salary is $49,353 a year in the US. However, if you're looking to find prevention specialists for hire on a contract or per-project basis, hourly rates typically range between $15 and $35.

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