How To Become A Direct Care Counselor: What It Is and Career Path

What is a direct care counselor and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

Quoted expert

Dr. Tommy Casarez Ph.D.

Direct care counselors are experts that deal with young people and individuals with developmental or intellectual disabilities. They may help these people conduct everyday duties, provide transportations for errands like doctor appointments, and monitor medication intake. These professionals usually work in the government, group homes, or day program sites. It is a gratifying job of supporting others who are less fortunate.

The primary responsibility of a direct care counselor is to promote well-being by way of therapy, behavioral interventions, and skill-building. They also help clients know and understand their rights. Work locations for direct care counselors vary depending on their specialization. You will typically find them in treatment centers, recovery clinics, or youth organizations.

Generally, direct care counselors have at least a high school diploma or equivalent. Having completed courses in algebra, home economics, and health can be very useful for this role. Some employers searched for applicants with bachelor's degrees or with 1-3 years of experience working with disabled populations. Shifts for this role can extend more than the regular working hours.

What general advice would you give to a direct care counselor?

Dr. Tommy Casarez Ph.D.

Dr., Assistant Professor of Historical and Systematic Theology, Vanguard University

Opportunities come in many different shapes and sizes, but they are still out there. Whether you are seeking to land a job in education or the non-profit sector, you will need to familiarize yourself and get used to all things digital, for the sake of communicating effectively. The younger your student or service partner's mindset, the more digitally savvy you will need to be, especially in the classroom and in the non-profit world.

ScoreDirect Care CounselorUS Average

Salary

2.6

Avg. Salary $33,422

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

8.0

Growth rate 36%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

6.4

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 1.12%

Asian 8.31%

Black or African American 11.43%

Hispanic or Latino 17.59%

Unknown 4.30%

White 57.25%

Gender

female 68.53%

male 31.47%

Age - 50

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 50

Stress level

8.0

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity level

7.8

Complexity level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work life balance

9.6

Work life balance is excellent

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a direct care counselor

Explore direct care counselor education requirements

Most common direct care counselor degrees

Bachelor's

50.3 %

Associate

18.3 %

High School Diploma

14.0 %

Start to develop specific direct care counselor skills

Skills	Percentages
Crisis Intervention	12.09%
Autism	10.57%
CPR	10.41%
Developmental Disabilities	9.92%
Incident Reports	8.92%

Gain additional direct care counselor certifications

Direct care counselor certifications can show employers you have a baseline of knowledge expected for the position. Certifications can also make you a more competitive candidate. Even if employers don't require a specific direct care counselor certification, having one may help you stand out relative to other applicants.

The most common certifications for direct care counselors include Medical Assistant and First Aid, CPR and AED Instructor.

More About Certifications

Research direct care counselor duties and responsibilities

Obtain SCIP-R, CPR, and AMAP certifications.
Provide training to residents in improving ADL and independent living skills per the IHP and any/all relate behavior or medical requirements.
Obtain AMAP certification and administer medications under the supervision of assign nursing staff.
Provide direct care assistance for campers with autism, intellectual disabilities, and/or developmental delays.

Prepare your direct care counselor resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your direct care counselor resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a direct care counselor resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose from 10+ customizable direct care counselor resume templates

Build a professional direct care counselor resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your direct care counselor resume.