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Residential Counselor Duties, Skills & Responsibilities: a Guide for Employers

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Indeed’s Employer Resource Library helps businesses grow and manage their workforce. With over 15,000 articles in 6 languages, we offer tactical advice, how-tos and best practices to help businesses hire and retain great employees.

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When hiring Residential Counselors, it’s important to properly describe the job opening with the duties, skills and responsibilities of the role. We’ve compiled a guide to Residential Counselor Duties, Skills & Responsibilities using data from actual job postings on Indeed.

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Popular Residential Counselor Duties and Skills

Here are some commonly found skills and other specifications in job postings for Residential Counselors.

Addiction counseling

  • Definition : Skill or experience working with individuals experiencing addiction or substance abuse.
  • Years of experience most commonly required: 1-2
  • How common is it? This skill is found in 8.4% of Residential Counselor job postings on Indeed.

Conflict management

  • Definition : Experience or skill managing disputes among individuals.
  • Years of experience most commonly required: 2-3
  • How common is it? This skill is found in 6.1% of Residential Counselor job postings on Indeed.

Developmental disabilities experience

  • Definition : Experience treating or working with individuals with developmental disabilities.
  • Years of experience most commonly required: 1-2
  • How common is it? This skill is found in 4.3% of Residential Counselor job postings on Indeed.

LPCC

  • Definition : A license to work as a Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor awarded upon passing a state-recognized counselor examination, such as the NCE (National Counselor Examination) or NCMHCE (National Clinical Mental Health Counseling Exam), and completing a certain number of hours of clinical experience. Requires a master’s degree.
  • Years of experience most commonly required: 2
  • How common is it? This skill is found in 3.9% of Residential Counselor job postings on Indeed.

Psychotherapy

  • Definition : Experience providing psychotherapy.
  • Years of experience most commonly required: 0
  • How common is it? This skill is found in 2.9% of Residential Counselor job postings on Indeed.

Experience with children

  • Definition : Experience interacting with children in a variety of roles, functions, and environments.
  • Years of experience most commonly required: 0-1
  • How common is it? This skill is found in 2.7% of Residential Counselor job postings on Indeed.

Crisis management

  • Definition : Experience providing individuals or groups with support and counseling during a crisis.
  • Years of experience most commonly required: 1-2
  • How common is it? This skill is found in 2.6% of Residential Counselor job postings on Indeed.

Crisis intervention

  • Definition : Skill or experience in providing crisis intervention for children, adults, families, or other groups.
  • Years of experience most commonly required: 1-2
  • How common is it? This skill is found in 2% of Residential Counselor job postings on Indeed.

Social work

  • Definition : Experience in social work.
  • Years of experience most commonly required: 1-2
  • How common is it? This skill is found in 2% of Residential Counselor job postings on Indeed.

Special needs

  • Definition : Skill or experience providing care to individuals with special needs.
  • Years of experience most commonly required: 1
  • How common is it? This skill is found in 1.9% of Residential Counselor job postings on Indeed.

Behavioral health

  • Definition : Experience in or knowledge of behavioral health care. This may include administering assessments, providing counseling services, or knowledge of behavioral health theories.
  • Years of experience most commonly required: 1-2
  • How common is it? This skill is found in 1% of Residential Counselor job postings on Indeed.

LCPC

  • Definition : A license to work as Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor awarded upon passing the NCMHCE (National Clinical Mental Health Counseling Exam) and completing a certain number of hours of clinical experience. Requires a master’s degree.
  • Years of experience most commonly required: 1
  • How common is it? This skill is found in 0.9% of Residential Counselor job postings on Indeed.

Motivational interviewing

  • Definition : Experience conducting motivational interviewing as a counseling method.
  • Years of experience most commonly required: 2-3
  • How common is it? This skill is found in 0.9% of Residential Counselor job postings on Indeed.

Behavior management

  • Definition : Knowledge and experience with the tools, strategies and techniques used to maintain control of a group of people, typically in a classroom, but also at an inpatient facility, or other group settings.
  • Years of experience most commonly required: 1
  • How common is it? This skill is found in 0.6% of Residential Counselor job postings on Indeed.

Group therapy

  • Definition : Skill or experience in the psychotherapy that involves leading a group of people who are experiencing similar problems and share their issues to help one another.
  • Years of experience most commonly required: 2
  • How common is it? This skill is found in 0.2% of Residential Counselor job postings on Indeed.
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Duties and Skills Examples

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    Indeed’s Employer Resource Library helps businesses grow and manage their workforce. With over 15,000 articles in 6 languages, we offer tactical advice, how-tos and best practices to help businesses hire and retain great employees.