Counselor Jobs in San Francisco, CA
Counselor jobs in San Francisco are in active demand, with openings concentrated in the Mission District, SoMa, and the Tenderloin across community health, school and university settings, and behavioral health nonprofits. Employers hiring right now include University of California - San Francisco, BayMark Health Services, and College Track. Scan the live roles below and apply to whichever ones fit.
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Showing 5 of 321+ Counselor jobs
Overview of Program:
The Warm Line is a non-crisis phone and instant messaging center-managed and staffed entirely by people who have lived experience of mental health challenges-which provides information, resources, and emotional support to the people in California. Warm Line Counselors play the central role in offering 1-on-1 peer support by answering live calls and chats from people with a wide variety of life experiences and needs with a warm, personal, and nonjudgmental approach. Our Counselors come from all walks of life and form a highly diverse and collaborative team. The successful candidate for this position will have their own lived experience of mental health challenges, will be ready to share their own experiences with others, and will thrive in a setting that requires ongoing communication, multitasking, problem-solving, cooperation, and commitment to recovery values.
Responsibilities:
The Warm Line Counselor's responsibilities will include but are not limited to the following:
- Answer incoming calls and instant messages in English, and respond to voicemails
- Use active listening and peer counseling skills to understand the person's needs and respond appropriately
- Gather and record demographic and other survey information
- Keep detailed documentation of all calls and instant messages using the iCarol database program
- Respond to crisis and high-risk calls, when they occur, according to MHASF procedures
- Attend and participate in regular Warm Line staff meetings and 1-on-1 supervision meetings
- Debrief challenging calls, chats, and other situations as needed, and make use of on-call supervisor support
- Adhere to and support the implementation of all policies and procedures, including confidentiality agreements
As job descriptions cannot be exhaustive, the above list of responsibilities is intended to provide a general overview of duties to be assigned and in no way is a comprehensive list of position duties and responsibilities.
Qualifications:
- Personal lived experience of mental health challenges and willingness to share aspects of your own experience with callers and chat visitors; a clinical diagnosis is not required
- Flexibility to work a variable schedule
- Familiarity with the peer support model and the value of peer support
- Professional computer experience (including Microsoft Office Suite), comfort with doing a large amount of typing, and ability to quickly learn new software
- Effective organizational skills and attention to detail
- Ability to manage time, focus, and priorities to complete work despite distractions and interruptions
- Understanding of and commitment to confidentiality practices
- Ability to work in a collaborative, team-based environment
- Willingness to learn from others, take feedback, and make adjustments to communication and behavior
- Affirmative and accepting approach toward people whose needs and experiences differ from your own
- Commitment to mental health consumer empowerment, harm reduction principles, and a nonjudgmental approach to engagement
- Commitment to upholding the mission, vision, and values of MHASF
Overview of Program:
The Warm Line is a non-crisis phone and instant messaging center-managed and staffed entirely by people who have lived experience of mental health challenges-which provides information, resources, and emotional support to the people in California. Warm Line Counselors play the central role in offering 1-on-1 peer support by answering live calls and chats from people with a wide variety of life experiences and needs with a warm, personal, and nonjudgmental approach. Our Counselors come from all walks of life and form a highly diverse and collaborative team. The successful candidate for this position will have their own lived experience of mental health challenges, will be ready to share their own experiences with others, and will thrive in a setting that requires ongoing communication, multitasking, problem-solving, cooperation, and commitment to recovery values.
Responsibilities:
The Warm Line Counselor's responsibilities will include but are not limited to the following:
- Answer incoming calls and instant messages in English, and respond to voicemails
- Use active listening and peer counseling skills to understand the person's needs and respond appropriately
- Gather and record demographic and other survey information
- Keep detailed documentation of all calls and instant messages using the iCarol database program
- Respond to crisis and high-risk calls, when they occur, according to MHASF procedures
- Attend and participate in regular Warm Line staff meetings and 1-on-1 supervision meetings
- Debrief challenging calls, chats, and other situations as needed, and make use of on-call supervisor support
- Adhere to and support the implementation of all policies and procedures, including confidentiality agreements
As job descriptions cannot be exhaustive, the above list of responsibilities is intended to provide a general overview of duties to be assigned and in no way is a comprehensive list of position duties and responsibilities.
Qualifications:
- Personal lived experience of mental health challenges and willingness to share aspects of your own experience with callers and chat visitors; a clinical diagnosis is not required
- Flexibility to work a variable schedule
- Familiarity with the peer support model and the value of peer support
- Professional computer experience (including Microsoft Office Suite), comfort with doing a large amount of typing, and ability to quickly learn new software
- Effective organizational skills and attention to detail
- Ability to manage time, focus, and priorities to complete work despite distractions and interruptions
- Understanding of and commitment to confidentiality practices
- Ability to work in a collaborative, team-based environment
- Willingness to learn from others, take feedback, and make adjustments to communication and behavior
- Affirmative and accepting approach toward people whose needs and experiences differ from your own
- Commitment to mental health consumer empowerment, harm reduction principles, and a nonjudgmental approach to engagement
- Commitment to upholding the mission, vision, and values of MHASF
See All 321+ Counselor Jobs in San Francisco
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Find Counselor JobsCounselor Job Market in San Francisco
Who's Hiring
- University of California - San Francisco88
- BayMark Health Services58
- College Track29
- Progress Foundation29
- La Casa de las Madres29
Top Industries Hiring
- Education
Counselor Jobs in San Francisco: Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get a counselor job in San Francisco?
Focus your search on San Francisco's dense network of community mental health centers, Federally Qualified Health Centers, and the city's well-funded nonprofit sector, particularly organizations concentrated in the Mission, Tenderloin, and Bayview-Hunters Point neighborhoods. SFUSD and the City College of San Francisco also hire school counselors steadily. Candidates who have experience with harm reduction, multilingual populations, or housing-insecure clients stand out in this market.
Which companies hire counselors in San Francisco?
San Francisco counselor roles are posted by University of California - San Francisco, BayMark Health Services, and College Track and others right now, based on current listings on Migrate Mate as of August 2026. Hiring here skews toward large integrated health systems, city-county departments like the San Francisco Department of Public Health, and well-established behavioral health nonprofits.
Are there remote counselor jobs in San Francisco?
Yes, though counselor roles that involve direct clinical or school-based care remain mostly in-person by nature. About 0% of counselor openings tied to San Francisco are remote or hybrid as of August 2026, reflecting the telehealth expansion in the region. Career counseling, employee assistance program roles, and case management coordination tend to offer the most remote flexibility locally.
How can I get a counselor job in San Francisco with little or no experience?
The most realistic entry path in San Francisco is an AmeriCorps placement or a paid internship through one of the city's many community health or youth-serving nonprofits, which regularly bring on candidates completing their supervised hours. Organizations in the Mission and Tenderloin corridors often hire associate-level staff to support licensed clinicians. Fluency in Spanish, Cantonese, or Tagalog meaningfully widens entry-level opportunities across San Francisco's diverse client populations.
Which industries hire the most counselors in San Francisco?
San Francisco counselor roles concentrate in Education, based on current listings on Migrate Mate as of August 2026. The city's scale as both a major healthcare hub and a significant university center, combined with substantial public investment in behavioral health services, sustains consistent counselor demand across those sectors.
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