Youth Counselor
Kathleen Fredericks -
2005
HDFS Major
Additional Education: N/A
Job Title: Youth Counselor
Employer: United Methodist Home for Children
Position Description: There are 30-35 children on our campus divided into 4 cottages. I specifically work with 8-10 adolescent girls, ages 13-18. Each child that is in the program is referred to us by the Child Welfare System and has been removed from their home for a variety of reason, i.e. abuse, neglect, aggressive or self-harmful behavior. Every child in the program has a DSM-IV diagnosis and about half are on psychotropic medication. Our job as youth counselors is to run the cottage in which they reside. This includes a multitude of responsibilities, as being a parent does, for them. These children do attend public school and every afternoon and evening is structured for them in hour increments. They have a point system and receive privileges based on their behaviors from the previous day. They all receive individual and group therapy, specifically from a therapist and then of course, all of the day to day counseling they receive from us. Our job also includes physical restraints, which are not necessarily frequent but occur mostly on a case by case basis, depending on the aggressive or self-harmful behaviors of each child. We are responsible for taking them on outings in the community, when their behaviors are safe and they have earned the appropriate level. It’s difficult to say in a few sentences what direct care staff is responsible for. We are basically full time mentors to them, listening, counseling, disciplining, monitoring, driving, phoning, encouraging, doing everything we can to keep them safe and help them make better choices.
Salary Range: Lower twenty thousand
Previously Held Positions: Mental Health Worker for Hoffman Homes
Courses Found Most Helpful: Child, Adolescent Development Classes; Parenting; Interpersonal Communications!; Strategies
How HDFS Helped to Prepare Her: This department has provided me with an excellent base of knowledge in dealing with children and their families. I have grown in my confidence from being challenged by their assignments and high standards and being affirmed by their feedback and encouragement to me They have educated me not only with knowledge and theories, but have truly helped me develop the skills I need to do well in this field, good interpersonal skills, good public speaking skills, confidence in my abilities and motivation to make something better.
How Her Faith Interfaces with Her Work: My faith interfaces with my work every day. If I were to truly answer this, I would be writing pages and pages. I really, honestly, do not know how I would be able to stay in this field without the strength and grace of Christ. There has been so much devastation in each one of these children’s lives; the wounds are larger than any human being could ever manage. My faith has been challenged repeatedly, almost daily in this job. But it is God’s love, not mine that is working through me in these children’s lives and I must be humbled daily to realize that I am only a vessel.
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