Apis Services Inc logo

Residential Crisis Counselor

Apis Services Inc
4 hours ago
Full-time
On-site
Quincy Township, Pennsylvania, United States
Bachelor's

Position: Residential Crisis Counselor

Location: Abraxas Youth Center (AYC) OR Abraxas Leadership Development Program (ALDP)

Salary: Starting at $23.00 per hour

Schedule: 2nd Shift, 1:00 PM – 9:00 PM; Tuesday–Saturday or Sunday–Thursday (schedule assigned at hire)


The Residential Crisis Counselor is not a general residential counselor role. This is a dedicated clinical resource position for someone who has spent meaningful time in behavioral health, mental health, or psychiatric settings and who understands, from direct experience, what it looks like when a teenager is in psychological crisis — and how to bring them back from the edge. The core mission of this role is de-escalation, prevention of harm, and connection to appropriate mental health supports, before situations require physical intervention or emergency hospitalization.

Abraxas primarily serves court-adjudicated youth whose delinquency is frequently driven by untreated or inadequately treated mental health conditions: trauma and PTSD, mood disorders, impulse control disorders, anxiety, co-occurring substance use, and other behavioral health issues. This position is designed to bridge the gap between the juvenile justice lens that traditionally guides residential programming and the mental health lens that many of our residents actually need — particularly in moments of crisis.

In addition to direct crisis response, the Residential Crisis Counselor will serve as an internal liaison with Abraxas's Medical Department and coordinate with outside psychiatric resources when a resident's mental health needs require a higher level of care — including facilitating psychiatric hospitalization or identifying more suitable placements for youth whose conditions exceed what Abraxas's programs are equipped to manage.

Job Duties

  • Working knowledge of adolescent mental health conditions: trauma and PTSD, mood disorders, impulse control disorders, ADHD, conduct disorder, anxiety, co-occurring substance use, suicidal ideation, and psychotic features
  • Ability to recognize and respond to acute psychiatric symptoms requiring medical or psychiatric escalation
  • Practiced proficiency in verbal de-escalation with individuals in active behavioral or emotional crisis — applied in real settings, not just training
  • Knowledge of the regional mental health and psychiatric system, including crisis stabilization, inpatient psychiatric, and residential treatment resources for adolescents
  • Ability to communicate effectively with medical and psychiatric professionals in clinical terms regarding a resident's mental health presentation
  • Familiarity with the process of initiating and coordinating psychiatric evaluation, voluntary or involuntary psychiatric hospitalization, and higher-level-of-care placement
  • Ability to build genuine therapeutic rapport with adolescents, including youth who are hostile, withdrawn, or deeply distrustful of adults
  • Understanding of trauma-informed care principles and their application in a residential milieu
  • Ability to remain calm, grounded, and clinically effective under high-pressure, high-stakes conditions
  • Skill in reading a person's emotional state, triggers, and escalation pattern quickly and accurately
  • Ability to work collaboratively with residential staff, supervisors, and clinicians in a structured environment
  • Competency in clear, accurate, timely written documentation using facility paper-based records
  • Cultural competency in working with diverse youth populations
  • Orientation toward restraint-free de-escalation; physical intervention viewed as a last resort

Hiring Requirements

This position is built around real-world experience and practical skill. We are looking for individuals who have been in the room with someone in psychological crisis — whether in a psychiatric residential facility, an emergency department, a crisis stabilization unit, a community mental health program, or a similar setting — and who know from experience how to reach a person in that state and guide them back to safety.

  • 4 years of direct crisis intervention work in a psychiatric residential setting, including de-escalation, experience with adolescent populations with trauma, PTSD, depression, bipolar disorder, impulse control disorders, ADHD, oppositional defiant disorder, anxiety, dissociation, suicidal ideation, and co-occurring substance use.
  • Experience with facilitating psychiatric hospitalizations or higher-level-of-care placement and knowledge of navigating mental health placement systems
  • Experience/comfortable in operating in a structured, secure, residential environment serving challenging adolescent males — and who does not personalize aggression, hostility, or provocative behavior from youth in distress.
  • Associate’s degree or 60+ college credits in Human Services, Psychology, Social Work, Counseling, Criminal Justice, or a related behavioral sciences field preferred
  • OR High school diploma or GED plus relevant experience in behavioral health, mental health, crisis intervention, or psychiatric residential care
  • Ability to stand, walk, and remain active and engaged throughout an 8-hour residential shift
  • Must be physically able to perform Safe Crisis Management (SCM) protocols as trained and certified, including any required safety response procedures
  • Ability to work in a secure, controlled-access residential facility environment
  • Ability to respond quickly and appropriately to safety emergencies


Why Should You Consider Abraxas?

At Abraxas, we celebrate the richness of our diverse employees and the communities we serve. We are actively committed to building a culture of awareness and belonging, as we strive to ensure we are a welcoming, inclusive, and culturally competent organization.

As we work to make a difference in people’s lives, we are dedicated to respect, equity, and the engagement of those we serve and our employees.

As a provider of trauma-informed care, we firmly believe in recovery and that our clients can lead fulfilling and meaningful lives, and we consider it an honor and a privilege to assist them in their journey.

Whether you’re looking to begin a rewarding career or you’re a seasoned professional wanting a new challenge, we have a place for you and opportunities for development at all levels.

At Abraxas, everything we do centers around people. That is why we are committed to providing you with competitive pay and comprehensive benefit options that help make your life easier and healthier, with a focus on providing choice when it comes to physical, emotional and financial wellness. Our benefit options meet you where you are in your life and set you up for success both in and outside of work.

If you want to have a positive impact in the lives of others, come join us!


Equal Opportunity Employer

Abraxas Youth & Family Services, an affiliate of Apis Services Inc., offers a rewarding career for those passionate about making a difference in the lives of others. Abraxas is a great place to start your career whether you have a high school diploma or GED, military experience, some college, or a bachelor or advanced degree. If you are interested in counseling, juvenile justice, psychology, social work, teaching or just want to make a difference, we have a career path for you.


Apis Services Inc. (a wholly owned subsidiary of Inperium, Inc.) provides a progressive platform for delivering Shared Services to Inperium and its Constellation of affiliate companies.

Apis Services provides equal employment opportunities for all employees and applicants for employment in compliance with all federal and all applicable state and local laws and regulations, including nondiscrimination in hiring and employment.

All employment decisions are made without regard to race, color, religion, gender, national origin, ancestry, age, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, disability, genetic information, marital status, pregnancy/childbirth, veteran status or any other basis protected by law. This policy of non-discrimination and equal employment opportunities extends to every phase and aspect of hiring and employment.