Residential Counselor Duties & Responsibilities

• Residential facilities are therapeutic environments that offer specific supportive services to people with many different needs. These settings vary depending on the type of residents and can be either short-term or long-term stays. A background in counseling or social work is useful for residential counselors. Most residential settings require flexibility on the part of staff, as counselors need to fulfill many different responsibilities.

Settings

• Work in a residential setting depends upon the type and purpose of the residence. Residential settings and group homes are used for people with different life challenges, including troubled youth, AIDS patients, abused spouses, former prisoners, people with mental and physical disabilities, and alcohol and drug abusers. These can become even more specific in nature. Some homes are long-term, permanent residences for people with mental retardation, and some are short-term, such as those for people transitioning from incarceration or long-term drug treatment back into society. The specifics of the work depend on the setting. In a substance abuse program, the counselor discusses skills in rehabilitation from addiction and prepares the home to host AA meetings. In a domestic violence shelter, the counselor runs groups to educate women on safety and patterns of domestic violence.

Counseling and Support

• The primary work of a residential counselor is to offer counseling, emotional and practical support to residents. Counselors trained in counseling or social work offer psychotherapy and one-on-one sessions to residents to teach them skills to deal with psychological, psychiatric or social and relationship problems they are dealing with and to develop skills for coping with ongoing problems. Counselors also conduct group therapy and support groups for residents. Residential counselors also do community outreach and bring community and educational programming to the residents.

Administrative

• Residential counselors also perform administrative and organizational tasks. Counselors prepare and maintain records and case files on individual clients. They also participate in case management tasks such as helping connect residents to resources outside of the residence and coordinating care. This includes helping residents with employment services, medical care, food stamps and other social services not available at the residence. Residential counselors also assist with discharge planning, helping the client to find the support she will need when her stay at the residence is over.