How to hire a therapist and program manager

How to hire a therapist and program manager, step by step

Here's a step-by-step therapist and program manager hiring guide:

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

What does a therapist and program manager do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you post your therapist and program manager 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 therapist and program manager 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

   A therapist and program manager's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, therapist and program managers from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

   Here's a comparison of therapist and program manager salaries for various roles:

   Type of Therapist And Program Manager	Description	Hourly rate
   Therapist And Program Manager	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.	$17-40
   Clinical Social Worker	A clinical social worker is a professional in social work, which provides help to individuals in need of improving their lives and their well-being. Clinical social workers must work with different individuals to help them address difficulties that they are trying to overcome... Show more	$20-44
   Addictions Counselor	An Addictions Counselor helps patients overcome personal addiction problems, such as dependence on drugs, alcohol, and other substances. They evaluate the condition of their client through examining, asking questions, and recommending the proper treatment options.	$15-32

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Social Work
   • Patients
   • Crisis Intervention
   • Home Health
   • Eating Disorders
   • Compassion
   • Therapeutic Services
   • Patient Care
   • Social Services
   • Rehabilitation
   • Discharge Planning
   • Chemical Dependency
   • Therapy Services
   • Community Resources

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage ventilator and BiPAP's and create or update care plans per patient needs.
   • Facilitate supportive group therapy and educational groups with patients receiving inpatient psychiatric treatment for psychiatric disorders and/or chemical dependency.
   • Work with a client base which consist of adults seeking detoxification and rehabilitation within a dual diagnosis therapeutic environment.
   • Maintain client files according to Medicaid an
   • Conduct DBT in a partial hospital setting, including both individual and group therapy.
   • Provide case/care management of Medicare, Medicaid, private insurance, and private paying clients.

   More therapist and program manager duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your therapist and program manager job description is a great way to entice the best and brightest candidates. A therapist and program manager salary can vary based on several factors:

   • Location. For example, therapist and program managers' average salary in massachusetts is 70% less than in california.
   • Seniority. Entry-level therapist and program managers earn 56% less than senior-level therapist and program managers.
   • Certifications. A therapist and program manager with a few certifications under their belt will likely demand a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for a prestigious company or an exciting start-up can make a huge difference in a therapist and program manager's salary.

   Average therapist and program manager salary

   $56,150yearly

   $27.00 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level therapist and program manager salary

   $37,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 21, 2026

   Average therapist and program manager salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$94,979	$46
   2	Washington	$60,649	$29
   3	Minnesota	$55,237	$27
   4	Texas	$49,474	$24
   5	Colorado	$49,111	$24
   6	Iowa	$48,171	$23
   7	Utah	$47,452	$23
   8	Wisconsin	$46,499	$22
   9	New York	$44,710	$22
   10	District of Columbia	$44,138	$21
   11	Ohio	$42,877	$21
   12	Virginia	$42,457	$20
   13	Montana	$41,004	$20
   14	Illinois	$40,758	$20
   15	Indiana	$40,750	$20
   16	Arizona	$39,023	$19
   17	Nebraska	$36,284	$17
   18	Georgia	$36,239	$17
   19	Missouri	$34,264	$16
   20	Florida	$32,336	$16

   Average therapist and program manager salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	OAKWOOD SCHOOL	$79,129	$38.04
   2	Hca Hospital Services Of San Diego	$75,763	$36.42
   3	Baptist Hospitals of Southeast Texas	$74,537	$35.84	2
   4	Houston Healthcare	$72,309	$34.76	5
   5	Montage Health	$71,468	$34.36	8
   6	Halifax Health	$70,337	$33.82	8
   7	Christian Family Center, Inc.	$68,817	$33.09
   8	Southern Healthcare	$67,686	$32.54
   9	Huntington Hospital	$67,663	$32.53	2
   10	Loudoun County Social Svc	$66,680	$32.06
   11	Fort Bend County	$65,872	$31.67	1
   12	Children's Minnesota	$62,537	$30.07	9
   13	Care New England Health System	$60,089	$28.89	79
   14	Prince William County	$58,945	$28.34	5
   15	Ascension Michigan	$57,600	$27.69	48
   16	Kaiser Permanente	$57,553	$27.67	149
   17	SAS Safety	$57,162	$27.48
   18	Catholic Health Initiatives - Colorado	$57,162	$27.48	18
   19	ROCKY MOUNT	$57,162	$27.48
   20	HealthPRO	$57,133	$27.47	20

4. Writing a therapist and program manager job description

   A good therapist and program manager 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 therapist and program manager job description:

   Therapist and program manager job description example

   The Primary Therapist is responsible for facilitating the clinical/client interface. The Primary Therapist fulfills direct service, including individual, couple/family and group psychotherapy, consultations and crisis interventions.
   Responsibilities
   
   Strong knowledge of, substance use dependence, family system, mental health, and recovery resources in the community. Knowledge of current legal standards pertaining to professional practice, reporting requirements, professional boundaries and related issues.
   
   Knowledge of company's policy and procedures, DHCS, Joint Commission and Utilization Review standards and regulations. Adhere to all regulations and documentation requirements in regards to client care and compliance of all client care. Insure that clients charts are up to date at all time.
   
   Conducts assessments of client at the time of admission and re-assessments as required. Conducts mental status examinations, suicide risk assessments and nutrition screens. Responsible for conducting case management; individual/family therapy, clinical assessment, treatment plan, treatment plan reviews, utilization reviews, progress notes, discharge planning for all assigned clients, and maintain appropriate documentation. Intervenes and assists as needed clinically with all clients, families and referral sources.
   
   Assumes responsibility of knowing when clients are in need of extensions or referrals, and actively participates in obtaining appropriate extensions/referral. You are the contact for appropriate referral source and family of assigned clients throughout treatment. Insure referrals are made to:Outside therapist/psychiatrists, Doctors etc.
   
   To continuing levels of care both within our system and to other programs. Confirm appropriate medical care/medications are being provided to client. Approve ancillary appointments, and verify they are being kept. Work directly with MD and Psychiatrists. Assure the milieu is therapeutic and physically safe at all times.
   
   Participate in case conference reviews. Attends weekly clinical meeting. Keep an open line of communication regarding clients condition, appointment, requests and approvals, and room changes with Clinical/Program Director and Case Managers, Review shift log daily for treatment implications.
   
   Participates in staff meeting, providing training with regard to therapeutic services and, mental health topics.
   
   Participates in alumni and referral source events pertinent to the facility. Available if needed for tours.
   
   You may maintain a private practice as long as your responsibilities at our Facility come first. You may not take our clients into your private practice without written authorization from CEO. Your practice cannot interfere with your duties at CFD.
   
   Responsible for client charting, assessment, treatment plan, therapy and progress notes, exit plan and discharge summary.
   
   Must follow all policy & procedures in reporting and record keeping. Must be knowledgeable in all DHCS, Joint Commission, Utilization Review standards and regulations and adhere to those procedures.
   
   Responsible to ensure clients safety.
   
   Participates in extensions and referrals.
   
   Must have an understanding of the required documentation, the ability to document properly, and in a timely manner.
   
   Attends weekly Clinical meeting, any other job-related responsibilities as assigned by Program Director or Clinical Director.
   
   Perform other duties unrelated to clinical activities by working directly with CEO on marketing, media, and transcripts/writings for our publications.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find the right therapist and program manager 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 therapist and program managers they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit therapist and program managers 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 therapist and program manager job on Zippia to find and recruit therapist and program manager candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   To successfully recruit therapist and program managers, 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 therapist and program manager

   Once you've decided on a perfect therapist and program manager 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.

   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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