How to hire a primary counselor

How to hire a primary counselor, step by step

Here's a step-by-step primary 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 primary counselor job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new primary counselor
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you start hiring a primary counselor, identify what type of worker you actually need. Certain positions might call for a full-time employee, while others can be done by a part-time worker or 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 a primary counselor 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 primary counselor that fits the bill.

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

   Type of Primary Counselor	Description	Hourly rate
   Primary Counselor	Substance abuse and behavioral disorder counselors advise people who suffer from alcoholism, drug addiction, eating disorders, or other behavioral problems. They provide treatment and support to help the client recover from addiction or modify problem behaviors.	$14-30
   Clinician	A clinician specializes in providing diagnosis, treatment, and direct care to patients with different illnesses. A clinician's duties mainly revolve around conducting extensive research and analysis, providing medical care through various therapies, and improving one's overall health condition... Show more	$16-49
   Counselor/Art Therapist	A counselor/art therapist is responsible for conducting art sessions as part of patients' therapy treatments, letting them express their human nature and emotions through artistic discovery. Counselors/art therapists guide the patients throughout their recovery process, identifying their needs and conditions by analyzing their crafts... Show more	$26-52

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Group Therapy Sessions
   • Mental Health
   • Crisis Intervention
   • Patients
   • Intake Assessments
   • Substance Abuse Treatment
   • Rehabilitation
   • Discharge Planning
   • Relapse Prevention
   • Chemical Dependency
   • ASAM
   • Community Resources
   • Mental Illness
   • Individual Therapy Sessions

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Coordinate individual client treatment plans to achieve individual and department rehabilitation goals.
   • Conduct intake screenings and assessment for treatment entry and appropriateness per ASAM criteria.
   • Develop and implement individualized treatment plans base on patient needs and ASAM criteria.
   • Maintain accurate and complete chart documentation regarding patient attitude and progress in the rehabilitation process following program protocols.
   • Facilitate group activities, arrange for outside recovery-orient NA/AA meetings, and provide a safe environment for recovering patients.
   • Facilitate substance abuse group counseling sessions to assist patients in recognizing causal factors of substance abuse and in developing coping behaviors.

3. Make a budget

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

   • Location. For example, primary counselors' average salary in north carolina is 38% less than in hawaii.
   • Seniority. Entry-level primary counselors 51% less than senior-level primary counselors.
   • Certifications. A primary counselor 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 a primary counselor's salary.

   Average primary counselor salary

   $44,580yearly

   $21.43 hourly rate

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   Entry-level primary counselor salary

   $31,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 31, 2026

4. Writing a primary counselor job description

   A good primary counselor 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 a primary counselor job description:

   Primary counselor job description example

   Outreach is seeking a qualified candidate for the position Primary Counselor for our OH I adolescent residential program located in Ridgewood, NY. The Primary Counselor is responsible for the delivery and implementation of long term supervision, support and clinical services to a population of chemically dependent adolescents with co-occurring and mental health problems .The Primary Counselor serves as a member of the interdisciplinary treatment team. The schedule for this position is: Friday & Saturday- OFF; Monday, 9 AM to 5PM; Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, 2 PM to 10 PM; Sunday 7 AM to 3 PM (Floor Day).

   What You Will Do:

   · Provides weekly caseload group sessions to assist residents in developing and obtaining goals, including those noted in the treatment plan.

   · Provides bi-weekly individual counseling session to assist resident in developing and obtaining goals, including those noted in the treatment plan.

   · Initial and ongoing screening of resident and resident property in accordance with unit procedure.

   · Document and chart all aspects of resident progress through the use of plans, progress notes and other agency forms and tools.

   · Document, facilitate and supervise daily group formats.

   · Participate in both individual and group supervision.

   · Communicate all pertinent information, incidents and emergencies using the appropriate system including the SAC communication log, incident reports and 24 hour on-call supervisor.

   · Provide crisis interventions and follow up including documentation of the incident, accident and/or elopement reports.

   · Overall supervision and management of client population in the facilitation of the daily house schedule.

   Who You Are:

   · Advanced degree required; LMSW, LCSW, LMHC, MSWLP or higher preferred

   · CASAC, masters level candidate, or limited permit with relevant experience will be considered

   · 2-3 years of experience with substance abuse disorders

   · 1-2 years of experience working with adolescents with co-occurring and mental health problems

   · 1-2 years of experience working in in an OASAS funded facility a plus

   · Commitment to providing quality services and outcome driven performance measures.

   · Strong networking and public relations skills with the ability to engage a wide range of stakeholders, populations, and cultures.

   · Action-oriented, adaptable, and innovative approach to program planning

   · Ability to work effectively in collaboration with diverse groups of people

   · Experience with AVATAR electronic health records a plus

   At Outreach, we enjoy a strong work-life balance, excellent benefits, and ongoing professional training. Our enthusiastic employees love what they do and the positive impact they make every day. Outreach embraces diversity and promotes a workplace in which individual differences are recognized, appreciated and respected.

   Our employees are the reason Outreach ranks among the most respected health and human services providers in New York City and Long Island. In fact, we have been named one of the “Best Companies to Work for in New York” a total of nine times since 2010.

   Communities throughout Queens, Brooklyn and Long Island turn to Outreach for a vast array of treatment and training needs. We customize our services to increase our access to a wide range of individuals and groups including Families, Justice System, Aspiring Professionals, EAPs/MAPs and Community Members. Outreach’s treatment services are licensed by the New York State Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services (OASAS) and employ best practices in line with the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services’ (SAMHSA) indicators of quality treatment.

   An EEO employer, we enjoy exceptional workforce retention – many of our employees have been with Outreach for 10 years or more, some starting as part-timers and now working in full-time senior management.

   Adding to our outstanding benefits, some members of Outreach’s clinical and professional staff may be eligible for student loan forgiveness and repayment plans for persons working in public service, education, and health care, including the federal Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) Program, Income-Driven Repayment (IDR) Plan, or the New York State Licensed Social Worker Loan Forgiveness (LSWLF) Program. Outreach’s NYC outpatient programs are also approved for the National Health Service Corps (NHSC) Substance Use Disorder Loan Repayment program, for eligible clinicians.

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5. Post your job

   There are a few common ways to find primary counselors for your business:

   • Promoting internally or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to meet candidates with the right educational background.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to recruit passive job-seekers.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your primary counselor job on Zippia to find and recruit primary counselor candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   To successfully recruit primary counselors, your first interview needs to engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. You can go into more detail about the company, the role, and the responsibilities during follow-up interviews.

   Remember to include a few questions that allow candidates to expand on their strengths in their own words. Asking about their unique skills might reveal things you'd miss otherwise. At this point, good candidates can move on to 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 primary counselor

   Once you've decided on a perfect primary counselor 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 important to follow up with applicants who do not get the job with an email letting them know that the position is filled.

   After that, you can create an onboarding schedule for a new primary counselor. Human Resources and the hiring manager should complete Employee Action Forms. Human Resources should also ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc., and that new employee files are 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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