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Direct care counselor skills for your resume and career

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
Quoted expert
Melissa Boas
Direct care counselor example skills
Below we've compiled a list of the most critical direct care counselor skills. We ranked the top skills for direct care counselors based on the percentage of resumes they appeared on. For example, 12.1% of direct care counselor resumes contained crisis intervention as a skill. Continue reading to find out what skills a direct care counselor needs to be successful in the workplace.

15 direct care counselor skills for your resume and career

1. Crisis Intervention

Here's how direct care counselors use crisis intervention:
  • Escorted clients on medical appointments *Implemented behavior plans and crisis intervention when necessary.
  • Utilized the TCI method of crisis intervention to therapeutically deescalate crisis situations.

2. Autism

Here's how direct care counselors use autism:
  • Performed one-on-one supervision of children with disabilities including autism, complex mental health problems, and complex behavioral problems.
  • Provided direct care assistance for campers with autism, intellectual disabilities, and/or developmental delays.

3. CPR

Cardiopulmonary resuscitation or CPR is a medical procedure that involves chest compression to help a patient breathe. This artificial ventilation helps in keeping the brain function in place and regulates blood throughout the body. CPR is a lifesaving procedure that is used in emergencies.

Here's how direct care counselors use cpr:
  • Maintain certification in CPR, First Aid, CIT and other required training.
  • Completed First Aid, CPR, and a Medication Administration Program.

4. Developmental Disabilities

Here's how direct care counselors use developmental disabilities:
  • Worked with Mental Retardation/Developmental Disabilities.
  • Coordinated and implemented activities and daily living assistance for individuals with developmental disabilities living in community residences, and kept accurate records

5. Incident Reports

An Incident Report, in a medical facility such as hospitals and nursing homes, is a type of paperwork filled out immediately after and in the case of an incident of some sort, with the goal of describing the incident and its consequences, as well as the measurements taken after or during the incident, as well as any other information relevant to said incident. Such an incident might be a patient acting out or a patient being injured.

Here's how direct care counselors use incident reports:
  • Distributed consequences and punishments to residents when required, Documented daily incident reports, provided behavioral therapeutic counseling to residents.
  • Provided counseling to at-risk youths and complete daily paperwork such as milieu notes, incident reports, critical, etc.

6. Data Collection

Data collection means to analyze and collect all the necessary information. It helps in carrying out research and in storing important and necessary information. The most important goal of data collection is to gather the information that is rich and accurate for statistical analysis.

Here's how direct care counselors use data collection:
  • Record daily data collection in client's record; completes other charts, forms and records.
  • Perform daily record keeping, data collection, daily logs and exchange information with next shift.

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7. Community Integration

Community integration pertains to the different procedures that help patients integrate and become well-functioning members of a community.

Here's how direct care counselors use community integration:
  • Assist individuals with their daily activities of living, goal implementation, socialization, community integration and recreation.
  • Facilitated improvement in the areas of personal responsibility, social skills, community integration and behavior.

8. Medical Appointments

A medical appointment is a scheduled / specific day and time for a person to be examined or treated by a physician, nurse, or other licensed healthcare professional. The aim of the medical appointment is for the physician to be able to identify health problems or illnesses at an early stage.

Here's how direct care counselors use medical appointments:
  • Help individuals perform daily life activities, provide transportation for errands or medical appointments and monitor medication intake.
  • Provided transportation in company vehicles and accompanied clients to medical appointments, personal and group recreational activities.

9. ISP

Here's how direct care counselors use isp:
  • Analyze and present Individual Support Plan (ISP) reports to managers and directors during monthly reviews.
  • Work one on one with clients, implementing goals directly from their ISP's.

10. SCIP

Here's how direct care counselors use scip:
  • Arranged and supervised medical trips; administered authorized SCIP techniques when appropriate.
  • Completed the following certifications: AMAP, CPR/AED, MIPS, SCIP, Defensive Driving.

11. AMAP

Here's how direct care counselors use amap:
  • Obtain AMAP certification and administer medications under the supervision of assigned nursing staff.
  • Dispensed medication to individual according to AMAP policy.

12. Adaptive

Here's how direct care counselors use adaptive:
  • Completed all adaptive equipment and various other daily documentation.
  • Maintain medical and adaptive equipment in good working order.

13. Residential Program

Here's how direct care counselors use residential program:
  • Provide direct care to emotionally/behaviorally juvenile in a residential program under the Department of Juvenile Justice.
  • Screen residents for appropriateness for residential programming through collateral reports and conducting intake assessments.

14. Meal Preparation

Here's how direct care counselors use meal preparation:
  • Interact with individuals with meal preparation * residence maintenance * daily recreation
  • Supervised individuals with meal preparation and housekeeping duties.

15. Direct Care

Direct care is the act of identifying people with special needs and offering the necessary care for them.

Here's how direct care counselors use direct care:
  • Support Staff/Direct Care are responsible for maintaining a safe, supportive, and therapeutic environment for individuals who are developmentally disabled.
  • Direct Care supervises and assists students in all program related activities using professionally acceptable methods and techniques.
top-skills

What skills help Direct Care Counselors find jobs?

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What direct care counselor skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?

Melissa BoasMelissa Boas LinkedIn profile

Director of Professional School Counseling, Assistant Professor, Lancaster Bible College

I believe the most important skill to enhance if taking a gap year is self-awareness. Understanding oneself and why and how self-awareness directly relates to future career decision making is instrumental in ensuring the right decisions are made. Self-awareness is extremely beneficial in all areas of life not just in choosing a career pathway.
Do you want to know more?
Read more about what experts have to say about direct care counselor

List of direct care counselor skills to add to your resume

Direct care counselor skills

The most important skills for a direct care counselor resume and required skills for a direct care counselor to have include:

  • Crisis Intervention
  • Autism
  • CPR
  • Developmental Disabilities
  • Incident Reports
  • Data Collection
  • Community Integration
  • Medical Appointments
  • ISP
  • SCIP
  • AMAP
  • Adaptive
  • Residential Program
  • Meal Preparation
  • Direct Care
  • ADL
  • Mental Health
  • Provide Emotional Support
  • Emotional Support
  • Independent Living
  • Direct Supervision
  • Administer Medications
  • Behavioral Issues
  • Vital Signs
  • Community Inclusion
  • Behavior Management
  • Community Resources
  • Substance Abuse
  • Patient Care
  • Community Outings
  • Group Therapy
  • Therapeutic Environment
  • Physical Disabilities
  • Group Homes
  • Group Sessions
  • Mental Illness
  • Blood Pressure
  • DCF
  • Intellectual Disabilities
  • Continuous Care
  • Medication Management
  • Emergency Situations
  • Anger Management
  • Household Chores
  • Mental Disabilities
  • Crisis Situations
  • Doctor Appointments
  • Adult Residents
  • Mental Retardation
  • Home Management

Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

Updated January 8, 2025

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