Being a juvenile counselor can be a rewarding, but extremely demanding profession, whether you are working in the juvenile court system or as a licensed therapist outside the court system. Here’s a look at the different types of juvenile counselors.
Juvenile Court Counselor
In the court system, you will be working with juveniles convicted of crimes. They may be incarcerated in jails or prisons, or out on parole or probation. Generally, responsibilities for these juvenile counselors include managing individual cases, providing counseling and supervising delinquents to make sure they follow court orders.
- Job Responsibilities. Juvenile court counselors must be able to handle complex cases that may require considerable judgment and analytic abilities. They must also have a thorough understanding of juvenile law, counseling and treatment, and crisis intervention techniques.
- Training and Experience. A juvenile court counselor should have a bachelor’s degree from a four-year college in the human services field. Specific degrees include social work, psychology, counseling or criminal justice.
- Salary. The job market for juvenile court counselors is fairly good. Salary largely depends on geographic location and your level of education and experience. The general annual salary range is between $30,000 and $86,000.
Licensed Juvenile Counselor or Therapist
If you are interested in becoming a licensed counselor who works with troubled youth outside the criminal justice system, you should have the opportunity to work in a variety of settings, such as in a private practice, a school, or a group home or juvenile treatment facility.
- Job Responsibilities. Responsibilities for these juvenile counselors depend largely on the work setting. For instance, in a private setting, you might counsel juveniles with a variety of emotional and mental health issues, including depression, anxiety, sexual abuse and trauma. In a school setting you might be a guidance counselor who helps provide students with career, educational, social or personal counseling. In a group home or juvenile treatment facility, you will likely treat individuals with emotional and mental health issues, but also substance abuse and behavioral problems.
- Training and Experience . While education requirements vary with the area of specialization and also from state to state, generally you’ll need a master’s degree in counseling or family therapy to become licensed or certified as a counselor. In addition, you may be required to accumulate a certain amount of supervised clinical experience and also take a state-recognized exam.
- Salary. In general, prospects for counseling jobs look good, but it may vary by specialty. According to the Bureau for Labor Statistics, overall employment is expected to increase by 18 percent between now and 2018; jobs for substance abuse and behavioral disorders counselors are expected to grow by 21%, which is considered much faster than average. The mean annual wage for a juvenile counselor is $44,380. It is $35,780 for individual and family counselors, $58,700 for school counselors and $40,810 for substance abuse and behavioral disorders counselors.
Now you know how to become a juvenile counselor—whether it is working in the court system or as a therapist. While working in juvenile counseling careers can be hectic, helping children and young adults overcome hardship can be fulfilling.