Residential Crisis Counselor

Apis Services Inc • Quincy Township, PA

6d • $0 - $23 • Onsite

About The Position

The Residential Crisis Counselor is not a general residential counselor role. This is a dedicated clinical resource position for someone who has spent meaningful time in behavioral health, mental health, or psychiatric settings and who understands, from direct experience, what it looks like when a teenager is in psychological crisis — and how to bring them back from the edge. The core mission of this role is de-escalation, prevention of harm, and connection to appropriate mental health supports, before situations require physical intervention or emergency hospitalization.
Abraxas primarily serves court-adjudicated youth whose delinquency is frequently driven by untreated or inadequately treated mental health conditions: trauma and PTSD, mood disorders, impulse control disorders, anxiety, co-occurring substance use, and other behavioral health issues. This position is designed to bridge the gap between the juvenile justice lens that traditionally guides residential programming and the mental health lens that many of our residents actually need — particularly in moments of crisis.
In addition to direct crisis response, the Residential Crisis Counselor will serve as an internal liaison with Abraxas's Medical Department and coordinate with outside psychiatric resources when a resident's mental health needs require a higher level of care — including facilitating psychiatric hospitalization or identifying more suitable placements for youth whose conditions exceed what Abraxas's programs are equipped to manage.

Requirements

• 4 years of direct crisis intervention work in a psychiatric residential setting, including de-escalation, experience with adolescent populations with trauma, PTSD, depression, bipolar disorder, impulse control disorders, ADHD, oppositional defiant disorder, anxiety, dissociation, suicidal ideation, and co-occurring substance use.
• Experience with facilitating psychiatric hospitalizations or higher-level-of-care placement and knowledge of navigating mental health placement systems
• Experience/comfortable in operating in a structured, secure, residential environment serving challenging adolescent males — and who does not personalize aggression, hostility, or provocative behavior from youth in distress.
• Ability to stand, walk, and remain active and engaged throughout an 8-hour residential shift
• Must be physically able to perform Safe Crisis Management (SCM) protocols as trained and certified, including any required safety response procedures
• Ability to work in a secure, controlled-access residential facility environment
• Ability to respond quickly and appropriately to safety emergencies

Nice To Haves

• Associate’s degree or 60+ college credits in Human Services, Psychology, Social Work, Counseling, Criminal Justice, or a related behavioral sciences field preferred
• OR High school diploma or GED plus relevant experience in behavioral health, mental health, crisis intervention, or psychiatric residential care

Responsibilities

• Working knowledge of adolescent mental health conditions: trauma and PTSD, mood disorders, impulse control disorders, ADHD, conduct disorder, anxiety, co-occurring substance use, suicidal ideation, and psychotic features
• Ability to recognize and respond to acute psychiatric symptoms requiring medical or psychiatric escalation
• Practiced proficiency in verbal de-escalation with individuals in active behavioral or emotional crisis — applied in real settings, not just training
• Knowledge of the regional mental health and psychiatric system, including crisis stabilization, inpatient psychiatric, and residential treatment resources for adolescents
• Ability to communicate effectively with medical and psychiatric professionals in clinical terms regarding a resident's mental health presentation
• Familiarity with the process of initiating and coordinating psychiatric evaluation, voluntary or involuntary psychiatric hospitalization, and higher-level-of-care placement
• Ability to build genuine therapeutic rapport with adolescents, including youth who are hostile, withdrawn, or deeply distrustful of adults
• Understanding of trauma-informed care principles and their application in a residential milieu
• Ability to remain calm, grounded, and clinically effective under high-pressure, high-stakes conditions
• Skill in reading a person's emotional state, triggers, and escalation pattern quickly and accurately
• Ability to work collaboratively with residential staff, supervisors, and clinicians in a structured environment
• Competency in clear, accurate, timely written documentation using facility paper-based records
• Cultural competency in working with diverse youth populations
• Orientation toward restraint-free de-escalation; physical intervention viewed as a last resort

Benefits

• Competitive pay
• Comprehensive benefit options that help make your life easier and healthier, with a focus on providing choice when it comes to physical, emotional and financial wellness.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Education Level: High school or GED