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Youth counselor skills for your resume and career

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
Quoted experts
Dr. Steven Toepfer Ph.D.,
Kacie Blalock Ph.D.
Youth counselor example skills
Below we've compiled a list of the most critical youth counselor skills. We ranked the top skills for youth counselors based on the percentage of resumes they appeared on. For example, 8.4% of youth counselor resumes contained direct care as a skill. Continue reading to find out what skills a youth counselor needs to be successful in the workplace.

15 youth counselor skills for your resume and career

1. Direct Care

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

Here's how youth counselors use direct care:
  • Provided direct care and assistance to adolescents who suffered from mental disabilities, physical disabilities and substance abuse.
  • Provided direct care and counseling for youth with severe emotional and behavioral challenges in a residential setting

2. Mental Health

Mental health is the state of wellbeing in which an individual can cope with the regular stresses and tensions of life, and can work productively without having any emotional or psychological breakdown. Mental health is essential for a person of any age and helps them make the right decisions in their life.

Here's how youth counselors use mental health:
  • Completed intake procedures with newly admitted residents including evaluations to determine mental health status, educational needs and appropriate housing assignments.
  • Organized and initiated individualized program and treatment plans for juvenile delinquents resulting in successful program completions and improved mental health behaviors.

3. Crisis Intervention

Here's how youth counselors use crisis intervention:
  • Provided services in a client-centered and culturally appropriate manner, Facilitated crisis intervention, conflict resolution and group problem-solving as needed.
  • Monitored and provided safety and structure to teenage residents by utilizing a level system as well as non-violent crisis intervention techniques.

4. 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 youth counselors use cpr:
  • Participated in CPR certification, Fire Safety certification, and Safety something certification.
  • Certified in assisting with Oral Medication C. Certified in CPR and First Aid D. Certified in dealing with blood borne pathogens.

5. Social Work

Here's how youth counselors use social work:
  • Work in collaboration with health professionals, educational professionals, social workers, nurses and occupational therapists and physiotherapists.
  • Communicated with social workers and other interdisciplinary team members about residents' progress and areas requiring additional resources.

6. Necessary Paperwork

Here's how youth counselors use necessary paperwork:
  • Completed any necessary paperwork required for periodic monitoring of clients and maintained detailed log book of clients activities within respected pod.
  • Ensured necessary paperwork on critical and significant events completed thoroughly, accurately and punctually.

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7. Behavioral Issues

Behavioral issues are the tendencies of individuals displaying unpleasant behavior as a result of sickness or addiction.

Here's how youth counselors use behavioral issues:
  • Supervised children and young adults under intensive treatment for psychiatric and behavioral issues in a residential, courtyard-based treatment facility.
  • Maintained a therapeutic milieu while supervising and assisting youth with behavioral issues by providing individual and group counseling and support.

8. Emergency First Aid

Here's how youth counselors use emergency first aid:
  • Provide emergency first aid and summon medical assistance when necessary.
  • Provided emergency first aid and called for medical assistance when required.

9. Direct Supervision

Direct supervision is a term used to indicate that a person is supervising a certain task or a certain person while being physically present or in close proximity. It refers to the presence of a person and the availability of their supervision in something if it is needed.

Here's how youth counselors use direct supervision:
  • Provided counseling to individuals to identify and solve complex personal and family problems under direct supervision of the program director.
  • Provided direct supervision and crisis intervention of residents while developing behavioral treatment plans, objectives and communication skills.

10. CPI

CPI Consumer Price Index is a monthly comprehensive measurement of the prices of goods and services representing the economy's consumption expenditure. This presents the inflation or rising of prices and deflation or falling prices. CPI keeps track of the costs of around 700 goods and services utilized by a typical household, and CPI shows how their price change each month. The changes in CPI are used to assess price changes related to the cost of living.

Here's how youth counselors use cpi:
  • Gained knowledge of youth behavior, through providing care and counseling services to youth, used DBT and CPI techniques.
  • Maintained a safe program environment through ongoing CPI training, appropriate responses, and proper physical restraints techniques.

11. Behavior Management

Here's how youth counselors use behavior management:
  • Developed and implemented therapeutic groups, behavior management and crisis intervention, and teaching basic daily living skills.
  • Established rapport and trust with youth residents and implemented behavior management program/techniques and appropriate intervention technique.

12. Community Resources

Community resources are a set of resources that are used in the day to day life of people which improves their lifestyle in some way. People, sites or houses, and population assistance can come under the services offered by community resources.

Here's how youth counselors use community resources:
  • Case managed clients to aid with community resources to improve economic stability, academic achievement and pro-social involvement with the community.
  • Assisted youth with necessary community resources/referrals to advance youth plans, including escorting youth to appointments as appropriate.

13. Meal Preparation

Here's how youth counselors use meal preparation:
  • Supervised youth during daily activities, medication administration, meal preparation, and learning objectives.
  • Participated in and monitored recreational, educational, and meal preparation activities.

14. 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 youth counselors use incident reports:
  • Prepared and maintained individual youth records, implemented recommendations for use in placement or court proceedings, including incident reports.
  • Provide ongoing mentoring, daily documentation and preparing incident reports, preparation of hearing packets, monitoring detained youth.

15. Independent Living

Here's how youth counselors use independent living:
  • Prepare and implement activities for residents to develop independent living skills and understanding cultural differences to become productive members of society.
  • Maintained a safe residential living option for adjudicated youth and provided education with an emphasis on developing personal independent living skills.
top-skills

What skills help Youth Counselors find jobs?

Tell us what job you are looking for, we’ll show you what skills employers want.

What skills stand out on youth counselor resumes?

Dr. Steven Toepfer Ph.D.Dr. Steven Toepfer Ph.D. LinkedIn profile

Associate Professor of Human Development & Family Studies, Kent State University

Generally, resume skills that might stand out include hands-on experience, leadership examples, and various skills related to technology. Always try to tailor your resume to the job you are applying!

What soft skills should all youth counselors possess?

Kacie Blalock Ph.D.

Associate Professor; Director, Master of Counseling, Louisiana State University at Shreveport

Soft skills that are essential for counselors include emotional intelligence, empathy, multicultural competency, interpersonal abilities, and authenticity.

What hard/technical skills are most important for youth counselors?

Kacie Blalock Ph.D.

Associate Professor; Director, Master of Counseling, Louisiana State University at Shreveport

It is important that counselors are able to effectively take notes and summarize progress, interpret assessments, memorize and recall information, and keep clear yet concise records.

What youth 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.

What type of skills will young youth counselors need?

Chris Hennington Ph.D.Chris Hennington Ph.D. LinkedIn profile

School Counseling Program Coordinator, Lubbock Christian University

School counselors will be tasked with the usual school counseling responsibilities while also encountering trauma that students experience outside of school and in school. Being well versed in trauma response is going to be a vital aspect of being a school counselor. Kids are experiencing more trauma, but we are getting better at recognizing and treating trauma as well.
Do you want to know more?
Read more about what experts have to say about youth counselor

List of youth counselor skills to add to your resume

Youth counselor skills

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

  • Direct Care
  • Mental Health
  • Crisis Intervention
  • CPR
  • Social Work
  • Necessary Paperwork
  • Behavioral Issues
  • Emergency First Aid
  • Direct Supervision
  • CPI
  • Behavior Management
  • Community Resources
  • Meal Preparation
  • Incident Reports
  • Independent Living
  • Intake Services
  • at-Risk Youth
  • Role Model
  • Substance Abuse
  • Conflict Resolution
  • Hygiene Products
  • Therapeutic Environment
  • Crisis Intervention Training
  • Group Therapy Sessions
  • Therapeutic Interventions
  • Behavior Modification
  • Therapeutic Crisis
  • Residential Treatment Facility
  • TCI
  • Behavioral Problems
  • Medical Appointments
  • Anger Management
  • Emotional Support
  • Crisis Situations
  • Social Development
  • Eating Disorders
  • Leadership
  • Juvenile Offenders
  • Doctor Appointments
  • Teenage Girls

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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