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Together for Youth
Albany, New York

NSD Senior Children's Counselor (5389)

CounselorIncludes weekendsNo callFull-Time

Listed compensation

$21.25-$23.5/hr

The week · per this posting · weekdays assumed

Ask the employer about the work setting, nights and shift pattern, benefits and time off.

Posted 1mo ago · Verified live

Job Description

Job DetailsJob Location: Albany, NY 12205Position Type: Full-TimeSalary Range: $21.25 - $23.50 HourlyJob Shift: DayThe Non-Secure Detention Senior counselor position is responsible for supporting daily operations and stepping in as the lead when a supervisor is not present to provide a safe, structured, and therapeutic environment while mentoring youth and guiding staff through daily routines and interventions.

THIS POSITION IS CURRENTLY LOCATED IN CANAAN, NY. THE FACILITY WILL RELOCATE THIS UPCOMING SPRING. UNTIL THE RELOCATION, EMPLOYEES MUST RELIABLY REPORT TO THE CURRENT FACILITY LOCATED IN CANAAN, NY. DescriptionJob

Responsibilities

Under the direction and supervision of leadership, responsible for implementing the shift work plan by assigning shift work to other counselors and monitoring attendance/coordinating coverage as needed.

Under the supervision of leadership, responsible for implementing Serves as a role model/lead counselor by orienting and training new staff; and incident reporting documentation are completed. Maintains accurate documentation and provides detailed documentation pertaining to incident management.

Act as a liaison between facility and on call Director in emergency crisis situation ensuring safety of staff, youth and security of the facility. Ensures end of the shift communication with upcoming communication to promote continuity of care.

Provides daily support, supervision, and mentorship to youth in a non-secure detention setting Models positive behavior and conflict-resolution strategies Assists youth with developing life skills, emotional regulation, and accountability Ensures safety, structure, and consistency within the facility Collaborates with case managers, probation officers, educators, and mental health professionals ensuring youth’s well-being.

Maintains accurate documentation and provides detailed documentation pertaining to incident management.

Performs daily food preparation Adheres to agency policies and procedures; follows and supports agency mission, vision and values including participating in internal surveys and data collection for continuous improvement initiatives. Assist with daily general household tasks including laundry and more.

Transports youth for appointments such as but not limited to medical, court, and in case of emergency. Other duties as assigned. Job

Requirements

Minimum of High School Diploma or GED required with at least 2 years of experience working with youth juvenile detention centers, group homes, youth shelters, youth diversion programs or in a comparable discipline involving work with youth and families is required OR (2) years of college in a social or human service field (equivalent to 30 credits or more) required.

Successful completion of Therapeutic Crisis Intervention (TCI) certification and First Aid/CPR training is required following hire as part of on-the-job training. Must be able to successfully complete training to administer medication under direction of facility or designee.

Must be able to work a flexible schedule with variable hours including day, evening, weekend, and holidays. Must have a valid driver’s license with an acceptable driving history. Ability to work with an economically and culturally diverse population.

Compensation

The hourly pay ranges from $21.25 to $23.50 per hour; commensurate on experience.

Equal Opportunity Employer Together for Youth is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of age, race, creed, color, national origin, sexual orientation, military status, sex, pregnancy, gender identity or expression, disability, marital status, or any other basis covered by appropriate law.

We are committed to fostering an inclusive, equitable, and accessible environment where diversity is valued and recognized as a source of strength and enrichment. We seek to attract talented people from a diverse range of backgrounds and cultures.

As a federal contractor, Together for Youth will not discharge or in any other manner discriminate against employees or applicants because they have inquired about, discussed, or disclosed their own pay or the pay of another employee or applicant.

However, employees who have access to the compensation information of other employees or applicants as a part of their essential job functions cannot disclose the pay of other employees or applicants to individuals who do not otherwise have access to compensation information, unless the disclosure is (a) in response to a formal complaint or charge, (b) in furtherance of an investigation, proceeding, hearing, or action, including an investigation conducted by the employer, or (c) consistent with the contractor’s legal duty to furnish information. 41 CFR 60-1.35(c) #NSDCAN

Key Responsibilities

The Senior Children's Counselor provides daily support, mentorship, and supervision to youth in a non-secure detention setting while ensuring a safe and structured environment. They also act as a lead for other staff, managing shift assignments, incident documentation, and communication to ensure continuity of care.

Requirements

Candidates must have a high school diploma or GED with at least 2 years of relevant experience, or 2 years of college in a social or human service field. A valid driver's license and the ability to work a flexible schedule including weekends and holidays are required.

Key Skills

Youth MentorshipStaff TrainingLife Skills CoachingTransportationMedication AdministrationCase Management Collaboration

Counselor Career Context

The cost-of-living index for New York is 107.9 (US average = 100; BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)), so the posted ~$47k midpoint carries the purchasing power of roughly $43k in an average-cost state. 64.6% of New York clinicians report burnout symptoms in WeekdayDoc's Burnout Index (2026-01 data).

Of the 50 active Counseling listings this role was benchmarked against, 36% are remote, 40% have no call, 54% require no weekends.

Counseling pay on WeekdayDoc is up 11.4% vs. the prior quarter (through Sep 2026).

Work-Life Balance Analysis

WeekdayDoc's proprietary algorithm rates NSD Senior Children's Counselor (5389) at Together for Youth a 6.4 out of 10 for work-life balance — classified as good. This places the position in the Above average in Counseling — ranked against 549 active Counseling listings on WeekdayDoc. Contributing factors include no on-call duties.

Top Counselor Jobs

47 matches · ranked by pay

Salary Distribution47 jobs · 38 employers

15
<$80k
20
$80k-95k
6
$95k-110k
6
$110k-125k

Annual compensation range

Benefits & Perks30 jobs

401k / retirement match
93%
Sign-on bonus
33%
CME allowance
20%
Relocation assistance
7%
PSLF eligible
7%

Share of similar jobs offering each benefit

#1

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Gotham Enterprises · Boulder City, Nevada

$115k-$120k
#2

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Gotham Enterprises · Warren, Michigan

$115k-$120k
#3

NY Licensed DBT Therapist - DBT Master’s or Doctoral - Telehealth - Full-Time

$93k-$120k
#4

Psychotherapist | Integrated Behavioral Health | Sauk Centre

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+ 45 more · ranked by pay

Work-life snapshot

median 6.3this job 6.4
Better work-life than 50% of Counseling listings

Listing-based score, 0–10, across 549 comparable listings. Shaded area = the share scoring below this one.

  • No call
  • Includes weekends

Living in Albany

Typical 3-bedroom home value
$329k
Typical market rent
$1,631/mo
Residents’ average commute
20 min
Metro price indexU.S. average = 100
99.6
State income tax
Up to 10.9%
Sources & methodology

Sources: Zillow home values (Aug 2026), Zillow market rents (Aug 2026), U.S. Census ACS 2024 five-year.

BEA 2024 · Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY metro prices. Housing figures are city-level.

City-level figures. Not a cost-of-living guarantee.