Behavioral Youth Counselor

Program Overview

Youth Villages’ residential programs in Tennessee and Georgia provide safe, nurturing environments for youth ages 6 to 17 with complex behavioral and mental health challenges. The programs are offered across three types of facilities—secure facilities, open campuses, and group homes—each designed to meet individual needs and support a range of referral behaviors such as aggression, self‑harm, suicidal ideation, and problem sexual behavior.

The campuses deliver intensive treatment that balances structure and freedom, preparing youth for success outside a residential setting and helping them step down to less restrictive options through trauma‑informed care, clinical interventions, life‑skills building, and recreation therapy.

• Teach youth life skills and provide for their daily physical care.
• Assist in treatment planning for each youth.
• Participate in youth transports to doctors’ appointments, court dates, community outings, home passes, and other locations.
• Participate in recreation therapy sessions with assigned groups of youth.
• Help youth develop and implement positive coping skills using therapeutic interventions.
• Facilitate group therapy sessions to support youth building life skills, social skills, moral reasoning, and anger control.
• Complete daily documentation (contact notes, milieu notes, precautionary notes) in an electronic medical record system (EMR).
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Supervision and treatment of youth require prolonged periods of walking, standing, running, climbing stairs, and physical agility. Applicants must be able to participate in physical interventions, frequently lift and/or move up to 50 pounds, occasionally more than 100 pounds, and be required to complete Crisis Prevention Institute (CPI) and CPR trainings and pass an agility and strength evaluation. A current, valid driver’s license is required.

This position works on a non‑traditional schedule and requires flexibility for evening and weekend shifts. Behavioral Youth Counselors follow a Sunday to Wednesday or Wednesday to Saturday rotation, generally working between 12:00 PM to 10:30 PM. Weekend days may include a 16-hour shift based on campus staffing models. All staff are required to work at least 40 hours per week, with overtime at time and a half for additional hours.

Specific campus schedules and rotation details are discussed during the interview process.

Average annual salary ranges from $54,000 to $64,000, depending on schedule and hours worked. Time‑and‑a‑half pay is provided for worked holidays.

• Bachelor’s degree (required).
• Experience working with at‑risk youth and/or families (strongly preferred).
• Experience working with youth (required).
• Strong organizational skills and attention to detail.
• Excellent written, verbal, and oral communication skills.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities simultaneously.
• Basic computer knowledge.
• Ability to maintain a flexible schedule.

• Medical, dental, prescription drug coverage and vision.
• 401(k) plan.
• Paid time off: 2 weeks (full‑time) / 1 week (part‑time) vacation, 12 paid sick days, 11 paid holidays.
• Paid parental leave.
• Mileage and cell phone reimbursement (when applicable).
• Tuition reimbursement and licensure supervision.
• Growth and development through continuous training.
• Clinical and administrative advancement opportunities.

Benefits are excluded for employees with variable status.

Youth Villages is an equal opportunity employer and provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws. Youth Villages is committed to advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion in the workplace and in its work with children and young adults, and it trains employees to work effectively with the communities it serves.