Group Home Support

Working in-group homes as group home support staff or a group home manager is rewarding and challenging. For people who may not have a college degree or work experience, it provides excellent opportunities.

The work is rewarding as you see the residents learn new skills and appreciate many things that most of us take for granted. To see someone who has been very dependent learn independent skills is a memorable work experience.

When residents exhibit harmful, destructive, aggressive, or inappropriate behaviors in a group home or in the community, it can be challenging to handle it. It is even more challenging to deal with it with grace and calmness.

For those without education or job experience, many companies that provide community living services provide the training needed and will pay for the training. Recognizing that some of the job responsibilities aren’t much different than parenting or childcare makes it easier to feel qualified for the job. Many residents with have similar behaviors and developmental issues as children; they are just in adult bodies. Sadly, many expect them to act like they look even though mentally they are incapable of doing so. Some group homes have residents who need full personal care. This is something that may be hard to do at first, but is easy to get use to.

For students, the hours that a group home is staffed often are very compatible with a school schedule. At night when the residents are sleeping and all responsibilities are fulfilled there may even be time to do homework.

Being a group home support staff isn’t for everyone, but it can provide an opportunity to earn well over minimum wage and receive paid training, work experience, and satisfaction of making a difference in someone’s life.

Group Home Support Blog

To learn more about what it is like to work in a group home and find resources and support. Read at blog.grouphomesupport.com Jan’s Group Home Support Blog.