Residential Counselor

City of Alexandria, Virginia; Alexandria (VA); On-site; USD 38,000 - 48,000; Full time

Job summary

The City of Alexandria is seeking qualified candidates for a Residential Counselor position in northern Virginia. This role provides residential services to individuals with serious mental illnesses, substance use disorders, and developmental disabilities, completing assessments and helping develop individualized service plans.

You will document progress, monitor medication, participate in treatment teams, and support residents with daily living skills, transportation, and crisis response.

Qualifications

• Minimum: High School Diploma or GED plus completion of post-high-school training/education pertaining to behavioral health, medical health, substance abuse and/or mental health.
• At least one year of direct work experience with individuals served by the program (Intellectual Disability, Mental Illness, and/or Substance Abuse/Dependence).
• Possess a valid driver's license issued in the state of residence.

Responsibilities

• Complete all applicable assessment documents to develop individualized service plans; write weekly progress notes.
• Maintain clinical records following licensing and Medicaid regulations.
• Instruct and guide residents to develop skills and confidence; monitor and record progress.
• Monitor medication management by observation and reporting concerns to the treatment team.
• Participate in treatment team meetings.
• Assist residents in planning recreational and educational activities.
• Identify and respond to emergencies and crisis with referrals to community resources.
• Report all maintenance issues of the facility.
• Assist residents with grocery shopping, cooking, cleaning, and other ADL skills.
• Provide transportation for residents using City Vehicles.
• Call the relief counselor telephone list to arrange coverage when on leave.

Skills

Empathy

Clear communication

Client supervision

Documentation

Driver's license

Education

High School Diploma or GED

Bachelor's degree preferred

Tools

QMHP training (preferred)

Job description

The City of Alexandria is located in northern Virginia and is bordered by the District of Columbia (Potomac River), Arlington and Fairfax counties. With a population of approximately 150,000 and a land area of 15.75 square miles, Alexandria is the seventh largest city in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Alexandria has a charming waterfront and is a unique and historic place to live and work. If you are interested in working for the vibrant City of Alexandria, we invite qualified candidates to apply for our Residential Counselor position.

An Overview

The Residential Counselor provides residential services to individuals with serious mental illnesses, substance abuse disorders and/or developmental disabilities, completes assessments, provides information to develop service plans, help and train residents in their daily living skills.

What You Should Bring

The Residential Counselor should have good knowledge of large household coordination and maintenance; good knowledge of the nature of mental illness, intellectual disabilities, or developmental delay and the role of residential support services; empathy with the problems of people with mental illness, intellectual disabilities, or developmental delay; ability to identify behavior which indicates movement toward a crisis situation; ability to plan and supervise the work of clients; ability to instruct clients in basic living skills and to identify progress and learning requirements; ability to obtain the cooperation of clients in difficult situations; ability to understand the needs and abilities of mentally ill or intellectual disabled citizens; and the ability to communicate clearly and effectively, both orally and in writing.

The Opportunity

• Complete all applicable assessment documents to develop individualized service plans; write weekly progress notes.
• Maintains clinical records following all applicable licensing and Medicaid regulations.
• Instructs and guides residents in the completion of tasks to ensure the development of skills and confidence, and monitors, evaluates and records resident’s performance through written progress notes.
• Monitors medication management of residents by observation and reporting medication concerns to treatment team and/or supervisor.
• Participates in treatment team meetings.
• Assist residents in planning recreational and educational activities.
• Identifies and responds to personal emergencies and crisis with referral to appropriate community resources and treatment team.
• Report all maintenance issues of the facility.
• Assist residents with grocery shopping, cooking, cleaning, and other ADL skill building.
• Provides transportation for residents using City Vehicles.
• Call the relief counselor telephone list to find coverage for your shift when using sick or annual leave.
• Performs related work as required.

About the Department

The Center for Adult Services (CAS) provides programs and services in Aging; Adult Protective Services; Clinical & Emergency Services; and Community & Residential Support Services for seniors and for persons with mental illness, intellectual disabilities and substance use disorders. CAS provides compassionate and effective person-centered services based on best practices. Our teams support self-determination, safety and recovery for Alexandria residents affected by abuse, neglect, mental illness, intellectual disabilities and substance abuse disorders.

Minimum & Additional Requirements

Minimum: High School Diploma or GED plus completion of post-high-school training/education pertaining to behavioral health, medical health, substance abuse and/or mental health; at least one year of direct work experience with individuals served by the specific program where the position is located (Intellectual Disability, Mental Illness, and/or Substance Abuse/Dependence); or an equivalent combination of experience and training which provides the required knowledge, skills and abilities.

Employees in this class must possess a valid driver's license issued in the state of their residence.

Preferred Qualifications

Possession of a Bachelors’ degree in a human services field; licensed as a Qualified Mental Health Professional – Adult (QMHP-A) or able to be a Qualified Mental Health Professional – Adult (QMHP-A) trainee by the time of hiring. At least one year of experience working with individuals suffering from mental illnesses and/or substance abuse disorder.

Notes

This position requires the successful completion of pre-employment checks to include: Federal Records Check; Drug Testing; Medicare/Medicaid Fraud Database; VA State Child Abuse/Neglect Registry; Driver's License from state of residence and education/certifications.

Schedule

Tuesday 10:00AM to 8:00PM & Thursday - Saturday 1:00PM to 11:00PM

As an Essential Employee, staff will be expected to be at work during weekends, nights, holidays, or inclement weather if they have been scheduled.

Equal Opportunity Employer

The City of Alexandria is an Equal Opportunity Employer and values diversity in its workforce. All qualified candidates will receive consideration without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, marital status, personal appearance, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, family responsibilities, matriculation, political affiliation, genetic information, military status, or disability.

We are proud to welcome you to explore the City of Alexandria's excellent benefits and programs!

Employee Benefits

The benefits referenced on this site, may be changed from time to time without notice. Temporary and some part-time positions are not eligible for these benefits. For further information, please contact the Talent Acquisition Team of Human Resources at [e-mail].