“Group facilitator” covers very different jobs in behavioral health. Some are clinical, such as counselors running therapy groups. Others are peer roles built on lived experience, case-support roles, or coordination roles such as wraparound facilitation. The title alone does not tell you which one you are looking at, and the requirements differ a lot. Use this page to tell them apart.
Clinical group roles: counselors who run groups
Group therapy and treatment groups are clinical work. BLS says substance abuse and behavioral disorder counselors (also called addiction counselors) work with clients “individually and in group sessions”. They help clients develop ways of coping with stress and life’s problems that support recovery.
These roles need clinical credentials:
- BLS says all states require mental health counselors to be licensed.
- Substance abuse and behavioral disorder counselors in private practice must be licensed. That requires a master’s degree, supervised clinical experience, an exam and continuing education.
- BLS lists a master’s degree as the typical entry-level education, though it says substance abuse and behavioral disorder counselors typically need at least a bachelor’s degree.
Licensing details vary by state, so check with your state’s counseling or behavioral health board.
Pay and outlook for substance abuse, behavioral disorder and mental health counselors (BLS, May 2025): median annual wage $59,350 ($28.53 an hour). The lowest 10 percent earned under $38,940 and the highest 10 percent over $97,590. BLS projects 18 percent employment growth from 2025 to 2035, much faster than average, with about 50,500 openings a year.
Peer support roles: lived experience as the qualification
Recovery and support groups are also led by peer workers. SAMHSA’s National Model Standards for Peer Support Certification describe a peer worker as a person with lived experience of a mental health and/or substance use condition, either directly or through a dependent. A peer worker supports others facing similar challenges in nonclinical activities, including “group facilitation, skill building, mentoring, goal setting”. Other titles include recovery coach, mentor, peer provider and peer navigator.
SAMHSA describes three general types of peer certification:
- mental health, for lived experience of a mental health condition
- substance use, for lived experience of a substance use condition
- family, for the primary caregiver of someone with either condition
Certification is handled at state level. SAMHSA reports state-endorsed or state-run peer certification programs in 49 of 50 states. Its national standards are guidance and do not replace state certifications. SAMHSA notes that certification often helps peer workers find paid positions. In some cases it also lets employers bill Medicaid, private insurers and other payers for the services.
We have not found a BLS occupation specific to peer support specialists, so this page does not quote a pay figure for them.
Support and case roles around groups
BLS’s social and human service assistants (titles include case work aide, human service worker and addictions counselor assistant) help clients find services. That includes self-help and support groups for people with mental illness and for people dependent on alcohol, drugs, gambling or other substances or behaviors. BLS says these jobs typically require a high school diploma plus short-term on-the-job training.
Pay for social and human service assistants (BLS, May 2025): median annual wage $45,930 ($22.08 an hour). The lowest 10 percent earned under $34,200 and the highest 10 percent over $63,290. BLS projects 7 percent growth from 2025 to 2035.
Wraparound facilitator jobs
The National Wraparound Initiative describes Wraparound as “a comprehensive, holistic, youth and family-driven way of responding when children or youth experience serious mental health or behavioral challenges.” The young person and family “work with a Wraparound facilitator to build their Wraparound team”. The Initiative also calls these staff “Wraparound facilitators (or care coordinators)”. The process has four phases: engagement and team preparation, initial plan development, implementation, and transition.
As the Initiative describes it, the group a Wraparound facilitator works with is the family’s team, not a support or therapy group.
Mental health and support group facilitator jobs: what to check
Before you apply, check:
- Clinical or nonclinical? Words like “therapy”, “treatment” or “clinical” point to a licensed counselor role. “Peer”, “recovery coach” or “lived experience” point to peer work, which may need state peer certification.
- Paid or volunteer? A support group facilitator posting may be a volunteer position. Check before you apply.
- On-site, remote or hybrid? If a posting offers remote or video groups and the work is clinical, ask the employer which states you would need to be licensed in.
- Population: adults, youth, families or a specific community. Some peer certifications are specific to the population served.
Hiring for this role?
If you are hiring a group, peer support or wraparound facilitator in the U.S., get in touch about listing the role on facilitatorjobs.com.