6 free templates for group and private practice, matched by license and setting, each with the HIPAA, classification, and credentialing guidance generic templates skip. Download as DOCX.
A mental health therapist assesses clients, builds treatment plans, and delivers evidence-based therapy. For a group or private practice, hiring one well means more than a duties list: you have to name the right license, decide whether the role is a W-2 employee or a 1099 contractor, and plan for HIPAA training and credentialing. Those are exactly the points generic templates skip.
These six templates cover the role across its licenses and settings: a general baseline, a group practice version, a license-matched clinician template for LCSW, LPC, LMFT, or LMHC, a behavioral health version, an outpatient version, and a solo-to-group first-hire version. Each is ready to use, with the HIPAA, classification, and credentialing guidance built in. For the fundamentals behind any posting, the guide to writing a job description is a useful companion.
TL;DR
A mental health therapist is a licensed clinician, usually master's-level, holding an LCSW, LPC, LMFT, or LMHC license, who assesses and treats mental, emotional, and behavioral concerns. The closest federal category reports a median of $59,190 a year, with demand projected to grow much faster than average. The points generic templates skip are the license match, the W-2 versus 1099 decision, HIPAA training before client access, and credentialing. Download six templates as DOCX, by license and setting.
What a Mental Health Therapist Does
A mental health therapist helps people manage mental, emotional, and behavioral concerns through assessment and evidence-based therapy. The work is licensed and clinical: intake assessments, treatment planning, individual, family, or group therapy, progress monitoring, care coordination, and timely documentation, all under HIPAA and professional ethics.
The closest federal occupation is substance abuse, behavioral disorder, and mental health counselors (21-1018), though clinical social workers and other licensed clinicians also fill these roles. What unites them is a master's degree and a state clinical license. Because the title spans several licenses and settings, the templates here are organized by both.
Licenses and Settings
Mental health therapist work varies by license and by setting. Getting both right keeps your posting accurate and attracts candidates who match the actual role.
License
Full title
Typical focus
LCSW
Licensed Clinical Social Worker
Therapy plus systems and resources
LPC / LPCC
Licensed Professional Counselor
Counseling and clinical therapy
LMFT
Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist
Couples, families, relationships
LMHC
Licensed Mental Health Counselor
Mental health counseling and therapy
Associate
License-eligible, supervised
Working toward full licensure
Beyond license, the setting shapes the role: a group practice, a behavioral health program, an outpatient clinic, or a solo practice making its first hire. Each template below matches a common license-and-setting combination, so pick the closest fit and adjust.
Duties and Responsibilities
Mental health therapist duties cluster into four areas: assessment and planning, therapy and care, documentation and coordination, and ethics and compliance. A strong job description picks the specific responsibilities that match your setting, rather than listing every possible task.
Assessment and planning
Conduct intake assessments and screening
Build individualized treatment plans
Set and track measurable goals
Therapy and care
Deliver individual, family, or group therapy
Monitor progress and adjust treatment
Involve support systems where appropriate
Documentation and coordination
Keep timely, accurate clinical notes
Coordinate care and referrals
Support billing and insurance records
Ethics and compliance
Protect client privacy under HIPAA
Follow ethics and license scope
Maintain license and continuing education
A group-practice role weights toward caseload and billing workflow; a behavioral health role toward care coordination. For a structured way to scope the role, the guide to defining job responsibilities walks through the process.
Which Template Should You Use?
Pick the template by license and setting. The core structure is the same across all six, but each emphasizes the framing that fits a specific kind of mental health therapist role. Use this guide to choose the closest fit, then adjust.
General
The flagship version
The baseline for any practice: assess, plan, and deliver therapy, with timely records and care coordination. The starting point to adapt.
Group Practice
The signature version
The differentiator: a caseload role inside a growing group practice, with EHR, credentialing, and W-2 or 1099 classification spelled out.
Licensed Clinician
LCSW / LPC / LMFT / LMHC
One template, four licenses: swap the credential line to match the role. Duties are similar; the license scope changes.
Behavioral Health
Integrated, co-occurring
For a behavioral health program: assessment, therapy, and care coordination, often with substance use and 42 CFR Part 2 in play.
Outpatient
Caseload and EHR
For an outpatient clinic: a steady caseload of therapy clients, in-person and telehealth sessions, and timely EHR documentation.
First Clinical Hire
Solo to group
For the solo owner making a first hire: a hands-on role that helps shape how the practice grows from one clinician to a team.
Match the Template to License and Setting
Unsure or flexible: General. A growing group practice: Group Practice. A specific license: Licensed Clinician, swapping LCSW, LPC, LMFT, or LMHC. An integrated or substance-use program: Behavioral Health. An outpatient clinic: Outpatient. A solo practice making its first hire: First Clinical Hire. When unsure, the General version is the baseline to adapt, but always name the specific license you require.
6 Free Mental Health Therapist Job Description Templates
Download all six as a single Word document or copy individual templates. Each follows the same structure: practice and job summary, key responsibilities, qualifications with the license, and how to apply, with an EEO statement and the HIPAA, classification, and credentialing points built in. Fill in the brackets and post.
Download All 6 Job Description Templates
General, group practice, licensed clinician, behavioral health, outpatient, and first hire. All in one DOCX.
Template 1: General (Flagship)
The baseline for any practice: assess, plan, and deliver therapy, with timely records and care coordination. The starting point to adapt to your license and setting.
Compensation: $_____ per year, per session, or fee split
JOB SUMMARY
[Practice Name] is a solo practice growing into a group, and we are making our
first clinical hire. You will join the founder as a Mental Health Therapist,
carry your own caseload in person or via telehealth, and help shape how the
practice grows. This is a hands-on role with room to grow as we add clinicians.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
•Carry a caseload of about [#] client sessions per week
•Assess clients and build treatment plans
•Deliver evidence-based therapy, in person and by telehealth
•Keep timely notes in our EHR
•Help refine intake, scheduling, and client flow
•Support insurance credentialing and billing as needed
•Coordinate with the founder on clinical and practice questions
•Follow HIPAA, ethics, and state licensing rules
REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS
•Master's degree in counseling, social work, or related field
•Active state license (LCSW, LPC, LMFT, or LMHC)
•Comfortable in a small, growing practice
•Self-directed and reliable with documentation
•Telehealth-ready and tech-comfortable
PREFERRED
•Existing caseload or referral network
•Interest in helping build a practice
COMPENSATION AND HOW TO APPLY
Compensation: $_____ per year, per session, or fee split, plus [benefits]
Classification: Confirm W-2 versus 1099 by the actual working relationship
To apply, send your resume and license information to __.
[Practice Name] is an equal opportunity employer.
License, Classification, and HIPAA
This is the part generic templates skip, and it is the part that protects a practice: the license that defines the role, the W-2 versus 1099 decision that carries tax and wage liability, the HIPAA training a mental-health employer must provide, and the credentialing and EHR setup a billing practice needs. Get these right and your posting is both compliant and credible to a licensed clinician.
License defines the role
A mental health therapist is a licensed clinician, usually holding a master's degree and one of four common licenses: LCSW, LPC or LPCC, LMFT, or LMHC. Each has its own scope and state rules, and some hires are license-eligible and working toward full licensure under supervision. State the required license clearly, decide whether you will consider associate or license-eligible candidates, and verify the active license at hire. Tracking license renewal and continuing education is a real, ongoing onboarding obligation. This is general information, not legal advice.
W-2 versus 1099 classification
Group practices often hire clinicians as 1099 contractors, but classification is not a free choice; it depends on the actual working relationship under IRS and Department of Labor tests. If you set the schedule, require specific hours, provide the tools, and direct how the work is done, the clinician likely should be a W-2 employee, not a contractor. Misclassification carries real tax and wage liability. Decide W-2 versus 1099 by the relationship, state it in the posting and the agreement, and when the answer is unclear, treat the role as W-2. This is general information, not legal or tax advice.
HIPAA training before PHI access
A mental-health practice is a HIPAA covered entity, and the Privacy Rule at 45 CFR 164.530(b)(1) requires training each new workforce member within a reasonable period after they join. The defensible standard is to complete HIPAA privacy training and a signed confidentiality acknowledgment before the new clinician accesses any protected health information, with annual refreshers as common best practice, and to keep the training records for six years. Psychotherapy notes receive heightened protection. A small practice carries the same obligation as a large one, so build training into onboarding. This is general information, not legal advice.
Credentialing and documents
Before a new clinician can bill insurance, they usually must be credentialed with each payer, a process that can take weeks to months, so start it at offer, not after the first client. Plan to collect and store the license, NPI, malpractice insurance, and CAQH or payer credentialing paperwork, and verify the active license directly with the state board. The role also runs on an EHR for notes and scheduling. Name the EHR and the credentialing expectation in the posting, and build document collection into onboarding so a new hire can see billable clients sooner. This is general information, not legal advice.
Licensed Role, Demand Growing Fast
Most mental health therapists are master's-level licensed clinicians holding an LCSW, LPC, LMFT, or LMHC. The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects employment of behavioral and mental health counselors to grow 17 percent from 2024 to 2034, much faster than average, with about 48,300 openings a year. This is general information, not legal advice.
Mental health therapists are hired on license, clinical skill, and fit with your setting and client population. Scale the requirements to the license and role.
Requirement
What to look for
Education
Master's degree in counseling, social work, or related field
License
Active LCSW, LPC, LMFT, or LMHC; or license-eligible
Clinical skill
Assessment, diagnosis, evidence-based treatment
Documentation
Timely, accurate notes and EHR comfort
Ethics
Confidentiality, sound judgment, HIPAA awareness
Classification
Confirm W-2 versus 1099 by the relationship
Keep the posting neutral and inclusive, since the EEOC prohibits job advertisements that show a preference based on a protected characteristic, and the SHRM guide covers the standard sections of a job description.
Mental Health Therapist Pay
Mental health therapist pay varies by license, setting, and region, and many group practices pay per session or on a fee split rather than a flat salary. Set your range using government data as a baseline, then adjust for license and market.
Median $59,190 (BLS, Closest Category)
The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports a median annual wage of $59,190 for substance abuse, behavioral disorder, and mental health counselors, the closest federal category, as of May 2024. The occupation held about 483,500 jobs and is projected to grow much faster than average. Clinical social workers and fully licensed clinicians can earn more.
Because pay varies widely by license and arrangement, from salaried community roles to fee-split private practice, benchmark to your specific license and setting rather than a blended figure, and state the structure clearly in the posting.
Hiring for a Group Practice
A large hospital or health system hires clinicians through a recruiting and credentialing team. A group practice, counseling center, or solo practitioner growing into a group does not. The owner or clinical director, often a practicing clinician, writes the posting, screens applicants, verifies the license, handles credentialing, and onboards the new hire directly. Because a clinician is a high-stakes hire who handles sensitive records, getting it right matters even more for a small practice.
Same Clinical Rules, Smaller Team
A group practice carries the same license, HIPAA, classification, and credentialing obligations as a large organization, just handled by fewer people, so a clean, repeatable hiring and onboarding process is worth setting up once. That is where FirstHR fits: e-signature for the offer letter, contractor or employee agreement, and confidentiality acknowledgment, HIPAA training as a required onboarding step before client access, document management to store the license, NPI, malpractice insurance, and credentialing paperwork with renewal reminders, and task workflows for license verification and insurance credentialing. FirstHR is an onboarding and HR platform, not an EHR, billing, payroll, or credentialing service, so pair it with those providers. Applicant tracking is coming soon.
From Hiring to Onboarding
The job description is step one. Once a candidate accepts, the same document becomes the basis for the offer and a clinical, HIPAA-aware onboarding. Because a therapist handles sensitive records and needs license verification and insurance credentialing, getting the agreements, credentials, and records right from day one matters.
Send the offer and agreements
Confirm pay, W-2 or 1099 classification, and schedule in writing, with an offer or contractor agreement and confidentiality acknowledgment the clinician can e-sign.
Verify license and start credentialing
Confirm the active license with the state board, collect the NPI and malpractice insurance, and start insurance credentialing right away.
Train on HIPAA and the EHR
Provide HIPAA privacy training before any client access, plus onboarding on your EHR, telehealth, and documentation workflow.
Store documents and track renewals
Keep the signed agreement, license, and HIPAA acknowledgment, and set reminders so license renewal and continuing education never lapse.
Once your offer is ready, the offer letter template handles the next step, and an onboarding template gives the new hire a structured start. FirstHR connects the offer, confidentiality e-signature, HIPAA training, the onboarding workflow, and document management for licenses and credentialing in one place so a group practice can manage the full process from one system. FirstHR is an onboarding and HR platform, not an EHR, billing, payroll, or credentialing tool, so connect those separately. Applicant tracking is coming soon to FirstHR.
Key Takeaways
A mental health therapist is a licensed clinician, usually master's-level, holding an LCSW, LPC, LMFT, or LMHC license.
Use the template that matches both the license and the setting; the general version is the flexible baseline.
The closest federal category reports a median of $59,190 a year, with demand projected to grow 17 percent through 2034.
Decide W-2 versus 1099 by the actual working relationship, not preference, since misclassification carries tax and wage liability.
HIPAA requires training each new clinician within a reasonable period; complete it before any client access and keep records for six years.
Start insurance credentialing at offer, and collect the license, NPI, and malpractice insurance during onboarding.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does a mental health therapist do?
A mental health therapist assesses clients, builds treatment plans, and delivers evidence-based therapy for mental, emotional, and behavioral concerns. Day to day that means conducting intake assessments, diagnosing where licensed to do so, setting goals, providing individual, family, or group therapy, monitoring progress, involving family or support systems where appropriate, and keeping timely clinical records. The mix shifts by setting: a group-practice clinician carries a steady caseload and works within a credentialing and billing process, while a behavioral health therapist coordinates care across an integrated team. Across settings, the role is licensed, evidence-based, and bound by HIPAA and professional ethics. This is general information, not legal advice.
What license does a mental health therapist need?
Most mental health therapists hold a master's degree and one of four common clinical licenses: LCSW, a licensed clinical social worker; LPC or LPCC, a licensed professional counselor; LMFT, a licensed marriage and family therapist; or LMHC, a licensed mental health counselor. Each has its own scope and state requirements, and full licensure generally requires supervised clinical hours after the master's degree plus a licensing exam. Some practices also hire license-eligible or associate clinicians who are working toward full licensure under supervision. For a posting, name the license you require, decide whether you will consider associate candidates, and plan to verify the active license at hire. This is general information, not legal advice.
What is the difference between a mental health therapist and a counselor?
In everyday hiring the terms overlap heavily, and many of the same licenses apply to both. A mental health therapist and a mental health counselor both assess and treat mental, emotional, and behavioral concerns, and both are usually master's-level licensed clinicians such as an LPC, LCSW, LMFT, or LMHC. Some employers use therapist for a broader clinical role and counselor for a role focused on talk-based counseling, but the distinction is not standardized and varies by practice and state. For hiring, what matters is naming the specific license and scope you need rather than relying on the title alone, since the title carries different meaning in different settings. This is general information, not legal advice.
Should a mental health therapist be a W-2 employee or a 1099 contractor?
Group practices often hire clinicians as 1099 contractors, but classification is not a matter of preference; it depends on the actual working relationship under IRS and Department of Labor tests. If the practice sets the schedule, requires specific hours on site, provides the tools and EHR, and directs how the work is done, the clinician likely should be a W-2 employee. A genuine contractor controls their own schedule and methods and typically serves multiple practices. Misclassifying an employee as a contractor carries real tax and wage liability. The safe approach is to evaluate the relationship against the tests, state the classification clearly in both the posting and the agreement, and when the answer is unclear, treat the role as W-2. This is general information, not legal or tax advice.
Do small and group practices hire mental health therapists?
Yes, and they are the dominant employers. Mental-health care is delivered mostly through small and group practices rather than large institutions, and a solo practitioner growing into a group is the classic moment of a first clinical hire. At a small or group practice the owner or clinical director, often a practicing clinician, writes the posting, screens applicants, verifies the license, handles credentialing, and onboards the new hire directly. The licensing, HIPAA, classification, and credentialing obligations are the same as at a large organization; they are just handled by fewer people. A clean, repeatable hiring and onboarding process is what lets a small practice compete for clinicians. This is general information, not legal advice.
Does a mental health practice have to provide HIPAA training to new hires?
Yes. A mental-health practice is a HIPAA covered entity, and the Privacy Rule at 45 CFR 164.530(b)(1) requires a covered entity to train each new workforce member on its privacy policies within a reasonable period after the person joins. The widely followed standard is to complete privacy training and a signed confidentiality acknowledgment before the new clinician has independent access to protected health information, with annual refreshers as common best practice, and to keep documentation of the training for six years. Psychotherapy notes receive heightened protection under HIPAA. Because the obligation applies regardless of practice size, the safe approach is to make HIPAA training a required onboarding step before any client access. This is general information, not legal advice.
How much does a mental health therapist make?
Pay varies by license, setting, and region, and many group practices pay per session or on a fee split rather than a flat salary. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports a median annual wage of 59,190 dollars for substance abuse, behavioral disorder, and mental health counselors, the closest federal category, as of May 2024. Clinical social workers and some specialized or fully licensed clinicians can earn more, and private-pay or fee-split arrangements in busy practices can exceed the median. For a posting, benchmark to your license type, setting, and local market, and state the pay structure clearly, including whether it is salary, per session, or fee split. This is general information, not compensation advice.
What should a mental health therapist job description include?
Start with the setting and license: general, group practice, a specific license such as LCSW or LMHC, behavioral health, outpatient, or a first clinical hire, since each shifts the framing. Include a short practice summary, a job summary naming the assessment and therapy focus, and responsibilities grouped into assessment and planning, therapy and care, documentation and coordination, and ethics and compliance. State the requirements clearly, especially the master's degree and the specific license, plus the classification and pay structure. The most valuable additions that generic templates skip are the W-2 versus 1099 decision, the HIPAA-training-before-access requirement, and the credentialing and EHR expectations. Close with an equal opportunity statement and apply instructions. This is general information, not legal advice.
