Why did you choose to work at Youth Villages?
I really wanted to help children and people who were less fortunate than me. I studied psychology in college because I was interested in people who had deviant behaviors, and I wanted to find out why. So working with youth and their families to help correct their referral behaviors seemed like the perfect job.

What positions have you held?
I started as an overnight teacher-counselor (OTC) at the Youth Villages Coteswood group home. After 10 months, I became a family counselor with Youth Villages’ Intercept program, an intensive in-home services program. I eventually became a clinical liaison for my team. I am now a family counselor and assessor with Intercept, so I complete assessments and run 21-day meetings, but I also still carry Intercept or even Transitional Living cases from time to time when it is needed.

What do you love about your current job?
I love still being able to go out in the field and meet with the families and children, but I also enjoy running the 21-day meetings that help to determine what direction a child will be going in when he or she leaves the residential program.

What does a typical day in your current position look like?
I typically call the Department of Children’s Services (DCS) and family members to schedule assessments for upcoming 21-day meetings that I cover. I may send out reminders to others covering assessments as well. I complete any assessments that I have scheduled for that day, and if I am carrying a case, I complete any sessions. Then I type up the assessments and any therapy notes from my assessments and sessions. I may have to drive by families’ homes when I cannot reach families over the phone. We do whatever we can to keep in contact with children’s families, and sometimes, that means extra work. But we gladly do that. My meetings may last anywhere from two to three hours. I also type up outcome e-mails and send those out to all parties involved.

What were some of the biggest challenges you faced in your first year at Youth Villages, and how did you overcome them?
In my first year here, I was working at a group home. I really enjoyed working with the children, and I loved the young teens that I had. But being an overnight teacher-counselor was hard work, mostly because of the hours. It was hard to function with the kids without a good night’s sleep, and when I had to sleep over at the group home, it was hard to sleep at all. But there were many good days, and I had a lot of fun with the boys. I did end up realizing that working at the group home would not be a long-term job for me. As a family counselor, we work irregular hours as well, and we get calls at all times of day and even at night sometimes. But the schedule is still more regular.

How did you go from working at a group home to becoming a family counselor?
I went to an open house that Intercept was holding when I had been working at the group home for about 10 months and applied for a family counselor position. There was a small interview on the spot there, and I got called back for another interview, and then I got a call where I was offered the job. The first six months in Intercept were hard work, but I am so glad that I was able to hang in there because I have loved working in Intercept! There are many advancement opportunities here. I have been promoted to clinical liaison and then started assessments, and I love my current position.

What is one piece of advice you would give someone who is considering working for Youth Villages?
I would tell them that this is a great job and a great organization! If they want to help children and families, then try it out. The first six months can be very difficult, but if a person is willing to work hard, and if a person has organizational skills or is willing to learn those skills, then after that six-month mark a counselor will settle into the position and just be able to help people.

What has been the most rewarding experience so far at Youth Villages?
I really enjoy watching new counselors come into the office. Having a hand in training them and watching them grow, going out on sessions with them and then seeing them develop in the office and take on leadership roles themselves is a great feeling. That means that they really have been able to help their families and are able to help new counselors in the office to help grow Youth Villages.