How to hire a Mental Health Worker

How to hire a mental health worker, step by step

Here's a step-by-step mental health worker hiring guide:

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

What does a Mental Health Worker do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   First, determine the employments status of the mental health worker you need to hire. Certain mental health worker roles might require a full-time employee, whereas others can be done by part-time workers or contractors.

   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 mental health worker 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 mental health worker that fits the bill.

   Here's a comparison of mental health worker salaries for various roles:

   Type Of Mental Health Worker	Description	Hourly Rate
   Mental Health Worker	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.	$13-28
   Program Counselor	A Program Counselor is an essential part of a school's faculty. It's the counselor's responsibility to ensure that students are benefiting from the school's educational curriculum... Show More	$15-27
   Residence Counselor	Residence counselors are professionals who are responsible for providing services such as one-to-one therapy and crisis support to clients who are living in group homes or assisted-living facilities. These counselors must assist adults with moderate intellectual disabilities to find employment while monitoring their work performance... Show More	$13-20

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common Skills:

   • Patients
   • Crisis Intervention
   • Social Work
   • CPR
   • Vital Signs
   • Rehabilitation
   • Mental Illness
   • Direct Supervision
   • Substance Abuse
   • Patient Safety
   • Mental Health
   • Direct Patient Care
   • Therapeutic Environment
   • Mental Health Issues

   Check All Skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Respond to and assist in behavioral codes working as a team member to successfully manage patient using methods obtain in CPI training
   • Train in provision of CPI, CPR, food handling, infection control and basic nursing care.
   • Provide direct care to patients under direction and guidance of professional nursing personnel within a mental illness psychiatric outpatient hospital.
   • Assist patients in becoming accustom to hospital routine and encourage them to participate in social and recreational activities to promote rehabilitation.
   • Provide referrals to appropriate multidisciplinary services, including mental health, drug/alcohol rehabilitation services, and medical and physical/occupational therapy services.
   • Conduct crisis stabilization via sanction CPI techniques with staff assistance.

   More Mental Health Worker duties

3. Make a budget

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

   Average mental health worker salary

   $41,081yearly

   $19.75 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level mental health worker salary

   $28,000 yearly salary

   Updated March 30, 2025

   Average mental health worker salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. Salary	Hourly Rate
   1	California	$56,001	$27
   2	New York	$53,496	$26
   3	New Jersey	$52,471	$25
   4	Texas	$41,790	$20
   5	Minnesota	$39,680	$19
   6	Maine	$38,412	$18
   7	Rhode Island	$38,248	$18
   8	Illinois	$37,817	$18
   9	Massachusetts	$36,936	$18
   10	Colorado	$35,144	$17
   11	Michigan	$34,688	$17
   12	Pennsylvania	$33,278	$16
   13	Montana	$27,908	$13

   Average mental health worker salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average Salary	Hourly Rate	Job Openings
   1	Pacific Northwest National Laboratory	$67,751	$32.57
   2	Southern California Hospitals	$61,426	$29.53
   3	Brigham and Women's Hospital	$55,736	$26.80	37
   4	Mission Regional Medical Center	$55,466	$26.67	83
   5	Prime Healthcare	$54,682	$26.29	97
   6	East Alabama Health	$51,994	$25.00	9
   7	University of California	$50,795	$24.42	31
   8	University of California-Berkeley	$50,111	$24.09
   9	United Health Centers Of The San Joaquin Valley	$48,796	$23.46	8
   10	Central Transport	$48,748	$23.44	9
   11	Oregon Health & Science University	$47,623	$22.90	16
   12	Sutter Health	$47,549	$22.86	21
   13	COUNTY OF MERCED	$47,466	$22.82	12
   14	Telecare	$46,857	$22.53	211
   15	Pacific Asian Counseling Services	$46,810	$22.50
   16	Augusta Health	$46,232	$22.23	8
   17	Alvarado Parkway Institute	$45,771	$22.01	7
   18	Kaiser Permanente	$45,597	$21.92	215
   19	Prospect Medical Holdings	$45,194	$21.73	5
   20	State Bar of Michigan	$45,185	$21.72	83

4. Writing a Mental Health Worker Job Description

   A job description for a mental health worker role includes a summary of the job's main responsibilities, required skills, and preferred background experience. Including a salary range can also go a long way in attracting more candidates to apply, and showing the first name of the hiring manager can also make applicants more comfortable. As an example, here's a mental health worker job description:

   Mental Health Worker job description example

   -Must be at least 18 years old to work on Inpatient

   -Must be at least 21 years old to work on PRTF, as a state requirement

   Job Functions:

   The skills needed for this position are excellent communication skills, the ability to multi task, good writing skills in order to complete documentation, interpersonal skills, conflict resolutions skills, the ability to provide care that is appropriate to the age of the patient, and the ability to consistently set boundaries.

   Shifts Available:

   -Day Shift: 7:00 am - 3:00 pm; full-time (prtf only)

   -Evening Shift: 3:00 pm - 11:00pm; full-time

   (Part-time or PRN opportunities may be discussed in interview depending on availability)

   ***Every other weekend is required***

   ABOUT PRAIRIE VIEW :

   Prairie View, Inc. is a Behavioral & Mental Health facility located in Newton, KS. Just a short 20 minute drive from the Wichita area and situated just off the beaten path, yet close enough to the conveniences of the city, Prairie View’s campus is nearly 80 acres of natural Kansas plain. A number of evidence-based mental health services are provided, including hospitalization, outpatient services, a community support program, an adventure course, a special purpose school and more.

   Prairie View’s additional outpatient locations in Hillsboro, McPherson and Wichita provide services to children, adolescents, adults and older adults for a complete range of behavioral and mental health issues.

   Prairie View is accredited by The Joint Commission and licensed by the Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services. Prairie View is also a member of Mennonite Health Services, an organization that brings Anabaptist-related health and human service providers together.

   Benefits:

   Affordable health, dental and vision insurance with different deductible plans to choose from to best fit the needs of you & your family, retirement plan (401K) match after 1 year of employment, attractive PTO accruals with an average of 5 weeks off in the first year and company paid life and disability insurance. Insurance benefits and PTO eligibility based on budgeted hours. In addition, we offer schedule flexibility to encourage work/life balance along with a collaborative and supportive work environment.

   Copy This Example

   

5. Post your job

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

6. Interview candidates

   During your first interview to recruit mental health workers, engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. During the following interview, you'll be able to go into more detail about the company, the position, and the responsibilities.

   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 mental health worker

   Once you have selected a candidate for the mental health worker 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 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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How much does it cost to hire a mental health worker?