How to hire a rural health consultant

How to hire a rural health consultant, step by step

Here's a step-by-step rural health consultant hiring guide:

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

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   The rural health consultant 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

   You should also consider the ideal background you'd like them a rural health consultant 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 rural health consultant that fits the bill.

   Here's a comparison of rural health consultant salaries for various roles:

   Type of Rural Health Consultant	Description	Hourly rate
   Rural Health Consultant		$12-44
   Social Insurance Analyst	Social Insurance Analyst reviews and evaluates insurance applications to help in accepting or rejecting insurance applications. Most of their day is spent gathering and analyzing requirements such as financial records, conducting research and analyses, verifying client documents, and developing conclusions and recommendations... Show more	$27-55
   Mental Health Consultant	A mental health consultant is responsible for providing counseling and emotional support to manage a client's issue and control behaviors. Mental health consultants must have excellent communication and listening skills to understand and assess the client's situation and evaluate the level of their emotional and psychological distress... Show more	$16-36

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Rural Health
   • Veterans

   Responsibilities:

   • Serve as resource person for family health physicians at clinic on managing psychotropic medications for medical patients with psychiatric problems.
   • Define and document a new application architecture which load client databases with properly format data using in-house develop Java ETL applications.
   • Create customize PowerPoint presentations for meetings.

3. Make a budget

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

   • Location. For example, rural health consultants' average salary in kentucky is 54% less than in new jersey.
   • Seniority. Entry-level rural health consultants 71% less than senior-level rural health consultants.
   • Certifications. A rural health consultant 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 rural health consultant's salary.

   Average rural health consultant salary

   $50,610yearly

   $24.33 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level rural health consultant salary

   $27,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 16, 2025

4. Writing a rural health consultant job description

   A good rural health consultant 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 rural health consultant job description:

   Rural health consultant job description example

   Applicants for all positions must be or become fully vaccinated against Covid-19 if selected for hire. Valid medical or religious exemptions will be considered but serial Covid-19 testing will be required to maintain employment.
   
   The Behavioral Health Consultant provides primary care-based behavioral health services to clients with complex or chronic needs depending on assigned program as determined in the treatment or care plan of the client. Counseling or therapeutic services are provided as part of a team, with primary care-based services being integrated into the care plan directed by the primary care provider. We offer this position at either PsyD/PhD clinical psychologist, or independently licensed Master s-level mental health therapist.
   
   This position is a part-time, 20 hour/week work schedule with benefits.
   What We Offer
   Clinical Psychologist: $5,000.00 hiring bonus paid in first paycheck. Master s-level independently licensed therapist: $2,500.00 hiring bonus in first paycheck, $1,000.00 bonus at 12 months. 100% employer-paid health insurance for employees including Medical, Dental, Vision, Rx, 24/7 telemedicine; profit sharing, 403(b) retirement plan, generous paid time off, paid holidays, continuing education, and more.
   Essential Functions/Responsibilities/Duties
   Responds to requests from primary care providers to address behavioral health needs of medical clinic patients to maintain a warm hand-off for most patient encounters. Provides brief intervention for presenting problems and triage for on-going treatment services as needed. Completes encounters and associated documentation, including coding and billing. Presents case studies and reports to funding sources or as requested by outside organizations. Measures change and adjusts treatment as needed, using appropriate screening tools. Provides cognitive behavioral therapy to individuals, families, groups or communities as assigned. Integrates cognitive behavioral interventions in multiple settings. Enters documentation into the electronic medical record (EMR). Responds to crisis situations, assessing urgency of patient s needs, provides care, and obtains appropriate services as needed. Assists patient and family in obtaining additional services and other resources as needed. Documents all referrals made to other resources. As assigned, participates in various community meetings and serves as a liaison to numerous community agencies and organizations, including school districts, hospitals, law enforcement, Division of Children and Family Services (DCFS) staff, and tribal authorities. Presents mental health/behavioral health findings and recommendations in verbal or written format to appropriate professionals either upon request or as part of a regular case presentation for peer review or clinical meeting. Leads staff training sessions on new therapeutic techniques and practices. Provides training and education on clinical topics to team members, staff and the community, as needed. Performs clinical responsibilities in alignment with The Joint Commission (TJC), Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), and YVFWC requirements.
   Qualifications
   
   Clinical Psychologist Requirements
   Education: PhD or PsyD in Clinical Psychology Licenses/Registration: Licensed Psychologist or the approved state license/registration until you have earned your independent licensure. Licensure as a Psychologist in Oregon is required within 14 months of hire. Experience preferred, but not required.
   Master s Level Therapist Requirements
   Education: Master s degree in Social Work or Psychology Experience: Two years in clinical service delivery with persons with mental or behavioral health needs required. Experience working in primary care or other medical settings strongly preferred. Licenses/Certificates/Registration: License for independent clinical practice in the state you will be practicing or have the necessary clinical training to acquire licensure. Any one of the following licenses is acceptable for this position: Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker (LICSW) Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC) Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) Licensed Advanced Social Worker (LASW)
   Additional Requirements
   Current CPR/First Aid card, or obtained within 45 days of hire. Bilingual (English/Spanish) preferred but not required
   About YVFWC
   
   We serve more than 181,000 patients across 25 medical clinics, 14 dental clinics, 10 pharmacies, and 64 program sites in two states. We are Level 3 Certified as a Patient-Centered Medical Home (PCMH). With integrated services including medical, dental, pharmacy, orthodontia, primary care nutritional counseling, autism screening, and primary care behavioral health, YVFWC s patient-centered model of care offers patients the full spectrum of care and shelter assistance, energy assistance, weatherization, HIV and AIDS counseling and testing, home visits, and four mobile medical/dental clinics.
   
   Working at YVFWC
   
   Working in our organization means being the passionate champion for those who have no voice. It means having the opportunity to work with underserved populations and with peers committed to the same work.
   
   At Farm Workers Clinic
   We will consistently trust one another to work for the common good. We will foster integrity by demonstrating ethical behavior and insisting on doing what we say we will do. We will demonstrate transparency by being candid and truthful no matter the risk. We will create partnerships to strengthen ourselves and our community. We will fight for just treatment for all individuals. We will let joy in. We have the courage to be an agent of change and refuse anything short of excellence.
   Our mission celebrates diversity. We are committed to equal opportunity employment.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are a few common ways to find rural health consultants 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 rural health consultant job on Zippia to find and recruit rural health consultant candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   To successfully recruit rural health consultants, 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.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match your ideal candidate profile. If you think a candidate is good enough for the next step, you 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 rural health consultant

   Once you have selected a candidate for the rural health consultant position, it is time to create an offer letter. In addition to salary, the offer letter should include details about benefits and perks that are available to the employee. Ensuring your offer is competitive is vital, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and it is important to be open to discussion and reach a mutually beneficial agreement. After the offer has been accepted, it is a good idea to formalize the agreement with a contract.

   You should also follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that you've filled the position.

   To prepare for the new rural health consultant first day, you should share an onboarding schedule with them that covers their first period on the job. You should also quickly complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Finally, Human Resources must ensure a new employee file is created for internal record keeping.

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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