In Home Counselor
(Female, Age 25) from Norwalk, CA
This is a REAL-LIFE job profile written by a Female aged 25 who works as a In Home Counselor in Norwalk, CA. We have removed all names and personal information in order to protect privacy. This professional kindly spent a bit of their time to complete one of our job profile surveys so that prospective job seekers like you could read their insights. Please excuse any punctuation or grammatical errors in this profile.
At a Glance
Current Job
Basic data on your current job
| Job Title | In Home Counselor |
|---|---|
| Salary | $42,400 |
| Other Compensation | None Set |
| Hours/Week | 40 |
| Company Size | (not answered) |
| Location | Norwalk, CA |
| Years Experience | 5 years |
Career Ratings
Opinions on your CAREER overall (i.e. not just your current job)
| Years in Career | 0 |
|---|---|
| Education | (not answered) |
| Income Rating | 0 / 10 |
| Interest Rating | 0 / 10 |
| Work-Life Rating | 0 / 10 |
| Fulfilment Rating | 0 / 10 |
Current job Q&A
Describe the type of organization you work for.
I work for a non-profit agency, which serves low-income and working poor families in the community of Southeast Los Angeles County.
Describe your job role and responsibilities.
I am an in-home counselor for the Family Preservation Program. I provide situational counseling as well as case management services to 13 families.
Please list an additional benefits (beyond compensation) that you receive.
2 weeks vacation, Paid sick leave, HMO health insurance, dental, vision
Do you feel you are under/over or well/fairly compensated at your current position?
I feel undercompensated at my current position. However, social work is a low paying field.
Does your job entail you working with others on a daily basis? Is this something you like/dislike about your job? Please explain.
Yes, my job entails working with others on a daily basis. My clients are children and families. I see each of my clients four times per month. Additionally, I work with other professionals as a part of a multidisciplinary team. I enjoy working with others as a part of my job and cannot imagine a social work position which would not require working with others on a daily basis.
Do you work collaboratively with supervisors/managers?
Yes
Do you work collaboratively with your co-workers?
Yes
Describe your work location (e.g., office, home, theatre, in the field) and what you like/dislike about working in it.
Please rate each of the following aspects of your current job on a scale of 1-10 (10 being the highest/best):
Income: 2
Benefits: 4
Hours: 3
Co-Workers: 5
Supervisors: 6
Job Title: 8
Level of Responsibility: 7
The Actual Work: 1
A day in the life of…
Please describe a typical workday for you in your current job:
| 5am to 6am | |
| 6am to 7am | |
| 7am to 8am | Driving in traffic…gotta love the commute in SoCal! I go to my second job (remember, I said social work doesn’t pay very well). |
| 8am to 9am | I do data entry for a couple of hours a day at another agency. |
| 9am to 10am | Still doing data entry… |
| 10am to 11am | Driving from my second job to my “real job.” |
| 11am to 12pm | I check my voicemail and email and return messages. The calls are from clients and other social service providers. I work on getting referrals for my clients. This entails searching the internet and making more phone calls. |
| 12pm to 1pm | I work on written documentation of the services I have provided to all of my clients. This involves writing progress notes in a computer-based system. The services I document are my in home counseling sessions, as well as any other face-to-face contacts and also all of the telephone calls that are made on behalf of my clients. I also send faxes and file my paperwork. |
| 1pm to 2pm | I attend group supervision with the other clinical staff in my agency. This is led by the Clinical Director and lasts for 2 hours. |
| 2pm to 3pm | During group supervision, we address several areas. We do case consultations and practice diagnosing clients according to DSM-IV criteria. We also work on treatment plans and learn different therapeutic techniques. |
| 3pm to 4pm | I use www.mapquest.com to map out my home visits for the remainder of the day. I gather all of the necessary paperwork and materials for my home visits and drive to the first home visit. |
| 4pm to 5pm | I arrive for the scheduled home visit. The client is not home, so I call them. They have forgotten about the appointment and arrive 20 minutes late. During the home visit we address parenting issues. The children are being defiant and the mother is overwhelmed. I educate the mother regarding appropriate parenting techniques, including time out and loss of privileges. I also demonstrate the time out technique and encourage the mother to participate. |
| 5pm to 6pm | I drive to my next home visit. I meet with the mother and father to address communication issues. I spend the next hour educating them on healthy communication patters and facilitating a discussion on what improvements can be made in their communication. We discuss how their poor communication skills negatively impact their marriage and their parenting skills. I give them homework to complete before our next home visit. |
| 6pm to 7pm | I drive to my next home visit. I am meeting this family for the first time. I utilize the home visit in order to explain my job and the role I will have with the family. We go over initial paperwork and I begin gathering information for my initial intake assessment. I work on building rapport with the family. |
| 7pm to 8pm | After finishing all of my home visits, I go home… |
| 8pm to 9pm | |
| 9pm to 10pm | |
| 10pm to 11pm | |
| 11pm to 12am |
Table of Contents
How you got your job
How did you get your current job?
I was referred by a friend.
What was the application process?
I submitted a resume.
Did you have to interview for your current job? If yes, what did the interview process entail?
Yes, I interviewed for my current position. I completed one individual interview, in which 2 management-level staff interviewed me.
If you can remember, what questions were you asked during the interview?
I was asked about my experience and why I was interested in the job I was applying for. I was also asked situational questions (about what I would do in certain job-related circumstances. I was also asked about my professional boundaries with clients.
Do you feel your employer properly prepared you for your job? Explain.
I was not prepared by my employer for my job, based on their assumption that my past experience was preparation enough. Their assumption was (somewhat) true.
Was there training for your current position? If yes, what did it entail?
There was not formal training for my current position. However, I attend occasional job related trainings.
Do you feel your educational background prepared you for your job? Explain.
Yes. My social work education and training is invaluable. I would not have been hired for my position without my educational background.
If applicable, do you feel your internship experience helped you prepare for your job?
Yes, I had two internships, which both taught me social work skills that have been useful for my current position.
If someone wanted to go about getting a job similar to yours, what would you recommend for him or her to do?
I would recommend that they get at least a four year degree in a major that would be useful in a helping profession. A bachelor’s degree in sociology, psychology, human services or social work would be appropriate. A Master’s Degree in social work or marriage and family therapy would be most useful.
What skills do you think a person should have if they want to pursue a position like yours?
A person in the field of social work should be a “people person” who enjoys interacting with others. They should be empathetic and compassionate, as well as organized and able to work independently. In many social work positions, they will also need a valid driver’s license, insurance and their own car. They should not have any felony convictions.
Do you feel that you need a certain level of education or training to be successful in your job?
Yes
What advice would you give to someone who was about to start work in your position/ line of work?
Learn from others in the profession. Make self-care a priority, or else you’ll get burnt out!
Long-term career plans
Is your current employment part of your overall career plan? Why or why not?
Yes, I plan to work in the field of social work for the remainder of my career.
What are your current career goals?
I would like to obtain my LCSW (Licensed Clinical Social Worker). I am also interested in doing therapy with adolescents in a corrections setting.
Is there anything else you would like to share about your career?
I absolutely LOVE being a social worker. It’s not for everyone, but I have never regretted my decision to enter this field. However, be aware that it is NOT a high paying field!
Prior work history
Please list your most recent jobs prior to this current job:
| Title | Length | Salary | Description | |
| Prior Job 1 | Social Services Clinician Intern | 11 months | Unpaid | As an intern, I was responsible for doing individual and group therapy. I worked with an adolescent population in a corrections setting. |
| Prior Job 2 | Children’s Social Worker I | 11 months | 34620 | I was an Emergency Response Children’s Social Worker. I completed investigations for reports of suspected child abuse and neglect. |
Educational background
Please list your educational background:
High School GPA:3.5
| GPA | School | Degree | |
| College (Undergraduate) or Technical/Vocational |
3.975 | Azusa Pacific University | Bachelor of Social Work |
| Graduate or Professional (Masters or Doctorate) |
4 | California State University, Long Beach | Master of Social Work |
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