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What is a group home counselor and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025
2 min read
Quoted experts
Juleen Buser Ph.D.,
Christopher Todd Belser Ph.D.

What general advice would you give to a group home counselor?

Juleen Buser Ph.D.

Professor and Director, School Counseling and Coaching Programs, Rider University

Counseling Services (school counseling concentration) and an MA in Clinical Mental Health Counseling (we have a CMHC concentration and a Dance Movement Therapy concentration in this program). The general advice I would give to graduates starting positions in the counseling field would be to understand the critical importance of the work of helping professionals. Counselors optimally provide a safe space for clients to discuss their fears, worries, anxieties, joys, traumas, insecurities, accomplishments, etc. This ability to be an empathic, listening, accepting presence will be even more crucial for clients in our current situation.
ScoreGroup Home CounselorUS Average
Salary
3.0

Avg. Salary $38,203

Avg. Salary $59,228

Diversity
4.5
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.38%

Asian 3.23%

Black or African American 11.28%

Hispanic or Latino 12.21%

Unknown 5.91%

White 67.00%

Gender

female 61.95%

male 38.05%

Age - 39
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 - 39
Stress level
8.4

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity level
9.9

Complexity level is advanced

7 - challenging

Work life balance
7.8

Work life balance is good

6.4 - fair

Group home counselor career paths

Key steps to become a group home counselor

  1. Explore group home counselor education requirements

    Most common group home counselor degrees

    Bachelor's

    53.8 %

    Associate

    16.5 %

    High School Diploma

    12.6 %
  2. Start to develop specific group home counselor skills

    SkillsPercentages
    Developmental Disabilities14.04%
    Behavioral Problems7.92%
    Community Integration7.80%
    Direct Care5.63%
    Medication Administration5.41%
  3. Complete relevant group home counselor training and internships

    Accountants spend an average of Less than 1 month on post-employment, on-the-job training. New group home counselors learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a group home counselor based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real group home counselor resumes.
  4. Research group home counselor duties and responsibilities

    • Engage, educate and empower participants to access community base resources in order to achieve greater self-determination, rehabilitation and recovery.
    • Provide mentally impair or emotionally disturb patients with routine emotional and psychological care under the direction of nursing or medical staff.
    • Promote continuity of care by accurately and completely communicating to other caregivers the status of patients for which care is provided.
    • Maintain therapeutic relationships with youth through effective teaching and coaching techniques to provide leadership and foster relationship building skills.
  5. Prepare your group home counselor resume

    When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your group home 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 group home 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 group home counselor resume templates

    Build a professional group home 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 group home counselor resume.
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    Group Home Counselor Resume
    Group Home Counselor Resume
  6. Apply for group home counselor jobs

    Now it's time to start searching for a group home counselor job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

    1. Browse job boards for relevant postings
    2. Consult your professional network
    3. Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
    4. Watch out for job scams

How did you land your first group home counselor job

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Are you a group home counselor?

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Average group home counselor salary

The average group home counselor salary in the United States is $38,203 per year or $18 per hour. Group home counselor salaries range between $29,000 and $48,000 per year.

Average group home counselor salary
$38,203 Yearly
$18.37 hourly

What am I worth?

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How do group home counselors rate their job?

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Group home counselor reviews

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A zippia user wrote a review on May 2022
Cons

The system is BROKEN! The clients are either entitled or not truly receiving the help they really need.


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A zippia user wrote a review on Dec 2019
Pros

To help most people out of their respective concern.

Cons

I don't like people perishing, especially the teenagers.


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A zippia user wrote a review on Apr 2019
Cons

The over documentation required by DHS that robs the quality time needed in intervention and treatment. This lopsided demand makes the term “best practices” mere bureaucratic lip service without the means to actually deliver quality hands on services.

Pros

Change agent when people are stuck and need support in the process of restoration. One on one and group processing is powerful.


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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.

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