How to hire a trained counselor

How to hire a trained counselor, step by step

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

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you start hiring a trained 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 trained 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 trained counselor that fits the bill.

   This list presents trained counselor salaries for various positions.

   Type of Trained Counselor	Description	Hourly rate
   Trained Counselor	School counselors help students develop academic and social skills and succeed in school. Career counselors assist people with the process of making career decisions by helping them develop skills or choose a career or educational program.	$10-28
   Activities Director	An activities director is responsible for planning engaging events for the participants, considering individual interests and the safety of procedures and resources. Activities directors guide the activity staff on assisting the participants, ensuring that they are comfortable with joining the activities... Show more	$12-35
   Program Lead	A program lead is responsible for managing a business program's operation from its conceptualization to implementation. Program leads must have excellent communication and researching skills to monitor current industry trends, adjusting program techniques and strategies to meet society's demands... Show more	$28-82

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Mental Health
   • Group Therapy
   • Substance Abuse
   • Intake Interviews
   • CIT
   • CPR
   • Child Care
   • Group Supervision
   • Role Model
   • Training Sessions
   • Crisis Intervention
   • Group Sessions
   • Leadership
   • Practicum

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage the dispute resolution/litigation process; responding to and resolving threaten litigation; responding to subpoenas and regulatory inquiries and investigations.
   • Participate in CPR class learning how to resuscitate people when they are choking or cannot breathe.
   • Work on the development of a web resource page of events which include community fairs and CPR training.
   • Develop and run behavior modification programming.
   • Display a superior talent for collaborating with other counselors and providing newly diagnose children with leadership and encouragement.
   • Manage the dispute resolution/litigation process; responding to and resolving threaten litigation; responding to subpoenas and regulatory inquiries and investigations.

3. Make a budget

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

   • Location. For example, trained counselors' average salary in oklahoma is 56% less than in new jersey.
   • Seniority. Entry-level trained counselors earn 63% less than senior-level trained counselors.
   • Certifications. A trained counselor 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 trained counselor's salary.

   Average trained counselor salary

   $37,061yearly

   $17.82 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level trained counselor salary

   $22,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 26, 2025

4. Writing a trained counselor job description

   A trained counselor 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 trained counselor job description:

   Trained counselor job description example

   • Responsible for completing EMR notes within 24 hours of holding a group.
   • Ensure patients are acting appropriately and respectfully during groups and are not leaving groups for unexcused reasons. If a patient does leave, their name should be removed from the attendance sheet unless they have attended the majority of the group and/or had an appointment.
   • Ensure patients are signing into group meetings and that group members are being monitored.
   • Review patient handbook and orient patient to the program
   • Provide educational and support groups for patients
   • Support staff with AMA blocking
   • Help support clinical department by assisting with individual and group caseloads.

   Qualifications-
   

   • High school diploma or GED
   • Counselor in Training Certificate
   • Ability to work in and adapt the culture of a multi-cultural, community-based organization
   • Commitment to maintain confidentiality
   • Understanding of the Agencys mission and culture and the ability to maintain appropriate boundaries with staff and clients in all circumstances
   • Employment contingent upon clear UDS and criminal history record
   • Good inter-personal skills.
   • Must be able to ascend and descend up to three flights of stairs throughout the course of a normal workday.
   • Satisfactory drug screen, background check, and references

   Physical Requirements-
   

   While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to sit, stand, walk, reach with hands and arms, twist and occasionally stoop, kneel, crouch or crawl. The employee will also regularly be required to use hands, talk, and hear. Additionally, this employee will frequently be required to stand, walk, reach with hands and arms, twist, stoop, kneel, crouch or crawl in an eight (8) hour workday. Specific vision abilities include close, peripheral depth perception, and ability to adjust focus will also be necessary.
   
   

   Benefits:

   • Competitive salary
   • Comprehensive benefits package including medical, dental, vision and 401(K)
   • Generous paid time off accrual
   • Excellent growth and development opportunities
   • Satisfying and rewarding work striving to overcome the opioid epidemic

   
   COVID-19 considerations:

   Everyone will be asked to be in compliance with the most recent COVID guidelines from CDC, State, County and City

   Here is what you can expect from us:

   Mount Sinai a progressive substance abuse treatment organization is committed to the highest quality of patient care in a comfortable outpatient clinic setting. Our ultimate goal is to address the physical, emotional, and mental aspects of opioid use disorder to help each of our patients achieve long-term recovery and an improved quality of life.

   Mount Sinai is committed to Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) and to compliance with all Federal, State and local laws that prohibit employment discrimination on the basis of race, color, age, natural origin, ethnicity, religion, gender, pregnancy, marital status, sexual orientation, citizenship, genetic disposition, disability or veterans status or any other classification protected by State/Federal laws.

   
   
   

   PI194288154

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5. Post your job

   There are various strategies that you can use to find the right trained counselor for your business:

   • Consider promoting from within or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to find candidates who meet your education requirements.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

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

6. Interview candidates

   To successfully recruit trained 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 trained counselor

   Once you've selected the best trained 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 equally important to follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   After that, you can create an onboarding schedule for a new trained 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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