Senior Residential Counselor

Overview

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.

About one-quarter square miles in the city have been designated as a national or local historic district. We proudly embrace our rich history and seize the endless opportunities that lie ahead. If you are interested in working for the vibrant City of Alexandria, we invite qualified candidates to apply for our Senior Residential Counselor position.

We operate under four guiding principles:

• Aligning the work we do with our strategic plan
• Executing against our strategy and ensuring accountability for our results
• Promoting and encouraging a culture of leadership and ownership at all levels of the organization
• Promoting a culture of service excellence, creativity and entrepreneurship

The Senior Residential Counselor (SRC) provides supervision of residential counselors to ensure individuals who live in the home receive quality care, supports and instruction in daily living skills based on the individual’s treatment plan. The SRC oversees daily operations and service provision to individuals with serious mental illness, substance use disorders and/or co-occurring mental health and substance use disorders. They oversee program management of the home by maintaining resident records in accordance with HIPAA standards, assure the program site is clean, safe and in good repair, and monitor compliance with state licensing, city and department policies and regulations.

• Thorough knowledge of mental and physical handicaps
• Thorough knowledge of household coordination and maintenance
• Thorough knowledge of the nature of mental illness, intellectual disabilities or developmental delay and the role of residential support services
• Empathy with the problems associated with intellectual disabilities
• Ability to conduct task analysis and collect behavioral data
• Ability to conduct individual and group classes for consumers with mental and physical handicaps
• Ability to utilize observations to record and document consumer performance and progress
• Ability to identify behavior indicating movement toward a crisis
• Ability to plan and lead the work of subordinate counselors
• Ability to obtain cooperation of others in difficult situations

Minimum & Additional Requirements
Two-Year College Degree; two years of experience working with clients with intellectual disabilities, mental illness, Substance Use Disorder or domestic violence in a residential setting and supervisory experience; or an equivalent combination of experience and training. Employees must possess a valid driver’s license issued by the state of their residence.

Preferred Qualifications
Four-year college degree in Human Service or a related field; at least two years working in a residential setting with clients diagnosed with substance use disorder(s), serious mental illness and/or co-occurring mental health and substance use disorder; at least one year of supervisory experience.

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.

Monday through Friday 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM, including some weekends, nights and/or holidays to meet with staff or to cover a shift, as needed. As an Essential Employee, staff will be expected to be at work during weekends, holidays, or inclement weather if they have…