Youth Counselor Jobs
Youth Counselor jobs are open across residential treatment centers, school districts, community nonprofits, and government agencies, covering specializations in behavioral support, crisis intervention, and substance abuse recovery, from entry-level aide to senior program director. Scan the live roles below and apply to whichever ones fit.
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Showing 5 of 257+ Youth Counselor jobs
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Join a team where your work truly matters. We're proud to have been certified as a Great Place to Work for 8 years by our own employees. We invite you to partner with us in our mission to improve mental healthcare.
Job Title:
Full-Time AM Youth CounselorDivision/Program:
(Youth 24/7 Inpatient) Psychiatric Health FacilityStarting Compensation:
23.00 - 24.00 USD Per HourWorking Location:
Fresno, CAWorking Hours/Shift:
Wednesday-Friday AM 6AM to 630PM (12 hour shifts, full-time)
Why Join Our Team?
- Competitive Compensation: Offering a salary that matches your skills and experience.
- Generous Time Off: Enjoy ample vacation and holiday pay.
Comprehensive Benefits Package:
- Employer-paid medical, dental, and vision coverage.
- Additional voluntary benefits to support your lifestyle.
Professional Growth Opportunities:
- On-the-job training with access to paid CEU opportunities.
- Career development programs designed to help you grow.
- Supervision for BBS hours for AMFT, ACSW, and APCC professionals (where applicable).
Employee Recognition & Rewards: A culture that celebrates and rewards your hard work and dedication
What you bring to SBHG:
Education:
- YCI: High School diploma or equivalent (e.g. GED, HiSET, etc.) required.
- YCII: Associate degree required.
Experience:
- One (1) year experience with seriously emotionally disturbed adolescents preferred.
How you will make a difference:
Responsible for supervising, protecting, and caring for adolescent clients both individually and in group settings while ensuring a safe, supportive, and structured environment. Assisted adolescents in developing self-help skills related to eating, personal hygiene, grooming, positive behaviors, peer interactions, and participation in planned activities. Provided day-to-day supervision and care, including support with activities of daily living, personal care needs, educational activities, and recreational programming. Modeled and reinforced positive youth development and behavioral self-management through encouragement, praise, active engagement, and the use of behavioral incentive systems. Conducted and assisted with both large and small group activities, encouraging appropriate behavior, fostering social development, and providing constructive feedback to support clients' growth and success.
Division/Program Overview:
- Population Served: Serving youth, ages 12-17, dealing with acute psychiatric symptoms
- Facility & Setting: 24/7 inpatient Involuntary program, 16-bed facility
- Clinical Services: Admission; engagement; learning; stabilization and linkage to resources and aftercare
- Skills & Services: Intensive treatment programs with individualized care plans.
Learn more about SBHG at: https://www.starsinc.com/stars-inc/
For Additional Information:
cencaljobs@starsinc.comPartner with us in making a positive change!
Join a team where your work truly matters. We're proud to have been certified as a Great Place to Work for 8 years by our own employees. We invite you to partner with us in our mission to improve mental healthcare.
Job Title:
Full-Time AM Youth CounselorDivision/Program:
(Youth 24/7 Inpatient) Psychiatric Health FacilityStarting Compensation:
23.00 - 24.00 USD Per HourWorking Location:
Fresno, CAWorking Hours/Shift:
Wednesday-Friday AM 6AM to 630PM (12 hour shifts, full-time)
Why Join Our Team?
- Competitive Compensation: Offering a salary that matches your skills and experience.
- Generous Time Off: Enjoy ample vacation and holiday pay.
Comprehensive Benefits Package:
- Employer-paid medical, dental, and vision coverage.
- Additional voluntary benefits to support your lifestyle.
Professional Growth Opportunities:
- On-the-job training with access to paid CEU opportunities.
- Career development programs designed to help you grow.
- Supervision for BBS hours for AMFT, ACSW, and APCC professionals (where applicable).
Employee Recognition & Rewards: A culture that celebrates and rewards your hard work and dedication
What you bring to SBHG:
Education:
- YCI: High School diploma or equivalent (e.g. GED, HiSET, etc.) required.
- YCII: Associate degree required.
Experience:
- One (1) year experience with seriously emotionally disturbed adolescents preferred.
How you will make a difference:
Responsible for supervising, protecting, and caring for adolescent clients both individually and in group settings while ensuring a safe, supportive, and structured environment. Assisted adolescents in developing self-help skills related to eating, personal hygiene, grooming, positive behaviors, peer interactions, and participation in planned activities. Provided day-to-day supervision and care, including support with activities of daily living, personal care needs, educational activities, and recreational programming. Modeled and reinforced positive youth development and behavioral self-management through encouragement, praise, active engagement, and the use of behavioral incentive systems. Conducted and assisted with both large and small group activities, encouraging appropriate behavior, fostering social development, and providing constructive feedback to support clients' growth and success.
Division/Program Overview:
- Population Served: Serving youth, ages 12-17, dealing with acute psychiatric symptoms
- Facility & Setting: 24/7 inpatient Involuntary program, 16-bed facility
- Clinical Services: Admission; engagement; learning; stabilization and linkage to resources and aftercare
- Skills & Services: Intensive treatment programs with individualized care plans.
Learn more about SBHG at: https://www.starsinc.com/stars-inc/
For Additional Information:
cencaljobs@starsinc.comSee All 257+ Youth Counselor Jobs
Find roles that match your experience and apply in just a few clicks.
Find Youth Counselor JobsYouth Counselor Job Market
Who's Hiring
- YMCA of Greater Houston59
- Blue Rose Consulting Group8
- Little Flower Children and Family Services7
- Magellan Health6
- Good Shepherd Services6
Top Industries Hiring
- Healthcare & Medical Services
What Employers Look For
The qualifications that appear most often in youth counselor jobs.
- Bachelor's degree in psychology, social work, counseling, or a related human services field
- Experience working directly with at-risk youth, adolescents, or children in a structured setting
- Current CPR, First Aid, and state-mandated reporter certification
- Ability to pass state and federal background checks including fingerprinting
- Crisis intervention training such as Therapeutic Crisis Intervention or similar program
- Strong documentation skills for case notes, incident reports, and progress tracking
Tips for Your Youth Counselor Job Search
Tailor your resume to setting type
Residential, school-based, and community outreach roles expect different things from your resume. Highlight crisis de-escalation experience for residential settings, IEP collaboration for school roles, and case management hours for community agencies. Generic resumes get screened out fast in this field.
List every relevant certification upfront
CPR, First Aid, Therapeutic Crisis Intervention, and mandated reporter training are frequently listed as requirements, not preferences. Put certifications in a dedicated section near the top of your resume so hiring managers spot them before reading anything else.
Apply early to roles that fit
Migrate Mate lists youth counselor openings from across the United States in one place, so you can find roles that match and apply directly to each listing. Applying as soon as a role appears matters because nonprofits and agencies often close postings once a viable pool forms.
Target postings by population served
Filter openings by the specific population you have the most hours with, whether that is at-risk youth, foster care, juvenile justice, or dual-diagnosis adolescents. Demonstrating focused experience with a particular group makes your application significantly more competitive than a generalist pitch.
Prepare concrete behavior-based interview answers
Interviewers in this field almost always use situational questions drawn from real case scenarios. Practice specific examples of how you handled a client in crisis, managed a difficult family interaction, or coordinated with a multidisciplinary team, using measurable outcomes wherever you can.
Negotiate start dates around background check timelines
Youth counselor roles require fingerprinting and state background clearances that can take weeks to process. When you receive an offer, ask about the clearance timeline upfront and negotiate your start date accordingly so you don't lose paid days waiting on paperwork.
Youth Counselor Jobs: Frequently Asked Questions
Which companies are hiring the most youth counselors?
YMCA of Greater Houston, Blue Rose Consulting Group, and Little Flower Children and Family Services are hiring the most youth counselors right now, with openings concentrated in Texas, New York, and California, based on current listings on Migrate Mate as of November 2026. Nonprofit behavioral health agencies and school districts tend to post the highest volumes year-round.
How many youth counselor jobs are remote?
About 5% of youth counselor openings are fully remote or hybrid as of November 2026, reflecting the hands-on nature of most direct-care roles. The sub-areas most likely to offer remote work are administrative case coordination, telehealth counseling support, and curriculum development positions within larger youth-serving organizations.
How do you become a youth counselor?
Most employers require at minimum a bachelor's degree in psychology, social work, education, or a related field. From there, you complete state-required background clearances and certifications like CPR and mandated reporter training. Entry-level positions in residential programs or after-school settings are the most accessible first roles, and supervised hours in those settings build toward licensure pathways if you pursue clinical work.
How do you get hired as a youth counselor with little experience?
Focus on positions explicitly labeled as entry-level, youth aide, or program assistant, which are designed for candidates still building direct-care hours. Volunteer experience at youth camps, after-school programs, or crisis hotlines carries real weight on a resume in this field. Highlighting relevant coursework, a completed internship, or even babysitting or coaching history with young people helps when paid experience is thin.
What does the youth counselor interview process look like?
Most employers start with a phone screen focused on availability, certifications, and your comfort working with specific youth populations. An in-person or video interview follows, typically including scenario-based questions about handling a client in crisis or a difficult family conversation. Some residential programs add a brief facility tour or a panel interview with frontline staff before extending an offer.
Where can I find and apply to youth counselor jobs?
You can find and apply to youth counselor jobs on Migrate Mate, which lists current openings from employers across the United States. Search for roles that match your experience level, preferred setting, and location, then apply directly to each listing that fits your background.
See All 257+ Youth Counselor Jobs
Find roles that match your experience and apply in just a few clicks.
Find Youth Counselor Jobs