How to Get a Job Working With Troubled Teens
The adolescent and teenage years can bring many challenges to a teen's life. Dealing with social issues, such as peer pressure and bullying, as well as a difficult home life, may often trigger depression and emotional problems, behavioral misconduct, substance abuse and other problems. Community resources and special programs can help teenagers and youths deal with these types of issues. As a professional or a person who's interested in working with troubled teens and youth, many career and job opportunities exist.
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Become a mentor, camp counselor or field guide at a wilderness therapy, outdoor education program, youth ranch or summer camp for troubled youth and teens. The requirements to get a job in these environments depends on the nature and type of camp to which you're applying. For example, some require only that you have a high school diploma, a love for the outdoors and a desire to work with youth. Others may require specialized knowledge or experience, such as a Wilderness First Responder certification or previous experience working with youth. More intensive wilderness programs and youth camps may require a bachelor's degree in psychology or a human services field.
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Apply for a staff position in a community youth diversion program. You can often find these programs intertwined with correctional facilities, sheriff's offices and human or social services agencies. As a youth diversion staff member, you may engage the youth in community service projects and field trips, teach interpersonal skills and participate in other mentoring activities designed to help teens avoid the juvenile justice system. Each youth diversion program has its own hiring requirements since the specific types of activities you'll provide vary from program to program. In general, you need to meet state requirements if you're hired to provide counseling or behavior modification therapy. Some programs require a bachelor's degree in other fields. Lesser qualifications may be necessary if the program offers more modest services.
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Seek employment in a therapeutic boarding school for troubled teens. Boarding schools for at-risk youth typically offer counseling and therapeutic services, academic services, mentoring and other services to teens who struggle with academic, social and emotional and substance abuse problems. To work at a boarding school, you must have the professional qualifications to deliver teaching, counseling or therapy services, which often requires a master's degree in those fields. Some boarding schools also hire staff members to act as a daily life coach, mentor or role model for the teens, which may only require a bachelor's degree, lesser qualifications or other related experience.
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Work as a counselor in a residential treatment center. Residential treatment centers are often structured as psychiatric inpatient hospitals. You may provide substance abuse counseling, counseling for handling difficult family issues, eating disorders and other mental health problems. For these types of programs, you need to be licensed to provide counseling and therapy services, which involves earning a master's degree in most states.
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Become licensed as a social worker and seek employment within a school, human services or social services agency. Many agencies and schools require a minimum of a bachelor's degree in social work; some require master's degrees in the field. As a social worker in this type of environment, you'll be providing services directly to teens and their families. For example, you may provide family counseling sessions and help students deal with stress, emotional and behavioral problems and academic challenges.
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