Question by Paul Kamkong: REHABILATION COUNSELOR?
Please, please help me by answering the questions. Thanks.!!!

1. How long have you worked in this job?
2. How long have you worked for this organization?
3. What are your major responsibilities?
4. What do you perceive to be the major rewards of the job?
5. What do you like most about your work?
6. What are your major frustrations in this job?
7. Can you describe a normal work day?
8. What type of trainings and development is provided?
9. What qualifications does one need to gain an entry level position in your career field?
10. What us an entry salary in this field ?
11. What advice do you have do someone who might wish to do this kind of work?

Best answer:

Answer by Miss Luke
1. How long have you worked in this job? 16 years

2. How long have you worked for this organization? 15 and 1/2 years

3. What are your major responsibilities? Monitoring detained youth during their day-to-day activites: morning chores, hygiene, movement through the building, transport to court, teaching social skills, conducting anger management/violence prevention groups; drug/alcohol counseling; planning and implementing special programs, and ensuring compliance with facility rules.

4. What do you perceive to be the major rewards of the job? Being a positive role model for youth, and knowing that this intervention has definitely helped turn around some really troubled teens

5. What do you like most about your work? Group and individual counseling of youth who reside there

6. What are your major frustrations in this job? Paperwork and recidivism among the youth

7. Can you describe a normal work day? 7AM: Supervise morning chores and hygiene; escort youth to breakfast; escort them to their classes with a break for lunch; escort them to their residence units; conduct afternoon counseling sessions. As needed, meet individually with residents to resolve issues, conduct hearings and mete out consequences for infractions; conduct intake interviews and orientation for new residents; respond to and diffuse crises; transport residents to court; attend “Honors Council” (residents who have maintained appropriate behavior continuously for more than 2 weeks), fill out any relevant paperwork. 3PM; Clock out and return home

8. What type of trainings and development is provided? Counselors are trained to de-escalate potentially volatile situations before they worsen, and are also trained to take down and restrain violently non-compliant residents. They are trained on safety policies and procedures, how to process new residents into the facility, how to conduct searches, complete incident reports and other relevant paperwork, how to use various computer programs, and protocols to follow when residents have iether to leave the building or meet with their caseworkers/legal advisors in-house. There is additional professional development on social issues relevant to these residents, and trainings on how to counsel them more effectively. For supervisors and administrators, there are also trainings on how to be an effective leader and manager.

9. What qualifications does one need to gain an entry level position in your career field? Applicants need to be at least 21 and have a high school diploma or GED. Previous work with youth or a law enforcement/military background are plusses. Applicants must have a clean criminal history: they cannot be listed on any child abuse/sexual offender registries and also cannot have any drug, alcohol, or weapons-violations convictions. Minor misdemeanors will be assessed on a case-by-case record. Degrees in child psychology, criminal justice, or counseling are definitely preferred, but not necessary. (My husband had only a GED when he started there, and he’s worked his way up.)

10. What us an entry salary in this field ? (This is Delaware) Starting salary for a new hire with no relevant experience and only a GED is about $ 30,000, with generous health and pension benefits. After 16 years, my husband currently makes about $ 45,000.

11. What advice do you have do someone who might wish to do this kind of work? You are there to HELP these kids, and if you are lucky, you WILL redirect some of them, but you are not there to be their friend. Realize that the safety and well-being of everybody in the facility — staff, teachers, and residents — depends on EACH individual conscientiously following policy. Be prepared to work hard physically and emotionally. Sometimes, it will be necessary to restrain a resident, but it is NEVER acceptable to harm him. (After all, as big and tough as they try to act, they are still juveniles.) Try to understand things from the residents’ perspectives: how would YOU feel if, in the impulse of the moment, you committed a crime that got you locked up, away from home, and facing some very scary consequences? How would you feel if you made poor choices because you HAD no home structure, and no one ever came to visit you while you were locked up? And finally, be sure to develop a life and interests of your own, or the demands of the job will burn you out.

This is a job NOT for the faint-hearted; it requires toughness and compassion. But if you think you are up to the challenge, I applaud your career choice and wish you well.

Know better? Leave your own answer in the comments!

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