Residential Youth Counselor — Growth, Safety & Impact

Valley Youth House; Bethlehem (Northampton County); On-site; USD 26,000 - 29,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive compensation with PTO

Comprehensive health, dental, vision

401(k) with company match

Short- and long-term disability

Pre-tax spending accounts (FSA)

Health and wellness programs

Referral program

Tuition reimbursement

Job summary

Valley Youth House is seeking a full-time Residential Youth Counselor for a Sun.- Thurs. schedule, 2pm–10pm, with a pay range of $19–$21 per hour. The role focuses on safety, supervision, and guiding youth through individualized plans in a trauma-informed, culturally responsive framework.

The position emphasizes goal planning, life skills development, and collaboration with families, schools, and community resources to support housing stability and youth independence.

Qualifications

• Must be 21 years of age or older and able to identify with and adapt to the goals and philosophies of the Shelter program.
• Minimum of a high school diploma or GED, combined with at least one year of experience working with adolescents.
• Basic cooking knowledge to prepare nutritious meals and teach cooking as a valuable life skill to youth.
• Possess sound judgment and knowledge of adolescent development and behavior.
• Display strong organizational skills and the ability to manage multiple tasks and assignments effectively.
• Demonstrate creativity, flexibility in approaches to people and projects, and the ability to work with diverse populations.
• Must have and maintain a valid driver's license, vehicle insurance, and inspection on any vehicle used for daily work or transportation of clients.
• Must pass an annual motor vehicle clearance to operate agency vehicles.
• Proficient in computer skills, including Microsoft Windows software; familiarity with the Google Suite is desired.
• Must have no history of prohibited criminal or child abuse offenses.
• Never have been convicted of any prohibited criminal or child abuse offense.

Responsibilities

• Spend a minimum of 95% of working hours providing quality in-person goal planning, direct supervision, and safety monitoring on the floor.
• Engage youth/clients in implementing their individual plans using positive youth development, trauma-informed, and culturally appropriate frameworks.
• Support activities of daily living, including academic and career planning, permanent relationships and mentoring, housing and household management, priority setting, money management, preparing meals, and health and wellness.
• Facilitate life skills groups and other structured activities that support youth development, social-emotional growth, and independent living skills.
• Intervene and report any crisis or critical incident according to agency, county, state, or federal protocols, including completion of preliminary safety plans.
• Maintain accurate and timely client documentation, including entering group notes into Credible by the end of every shift, and assist with other client-related records.
• Attend all required internal and external training(s), including a minimum of 40 hours of mandatory training annually, and participate in team meetings and supervision sessions prepared with agendas.

Job description

Valley Youth House is seeking a full-time Residential Youth Counselor for a Sun.- Thurs. schedule, 2pm–10pm, with a pay range of $19–$21 per hour. The role focuses on safety, supervision, and guiding youth through individualized plans in a trauma-informed, culturally responsive framework.

The position emphasizes goal planning, life skills development, and collaboration with families, schools, and community resources to support housing stability and youth independence.