Counsellors Can Help Solve Problems in their Communities
The nonprofit sector serves an important role in today’s society, providing the aid and necessary services to citizens at the local, national, and global levels in ways that governing bodies might not be able to fully address. Counsellors who work in nonprofit organisations not only have a rewarding and lucrative career path, but they are also part of a field that helps meet the needs of senior citizens, veterans, disabled individuals, and children, as well as several other under served populations.
Local and national organisations such as the Children’s Defence Fund, the World Bank, teach for America and others employ counsellors who combine their skills in mental health services, career counselling, and mentorship with their passion for addressing social problems in their communities.
What do nonprofit counsellors do?
The nonprofit sector is one of the most diverse sectors in the field of human services. Nonprofit organisations fill several niche services to populations that are generally underserved, or whose needs cannot be met by the state or federal government. Counsellors in the nonprofit sector can expect to work with some of the country’s most marginalized populations in women’s shelters, homeless shelters, and LGBTQ outreach centres.
Due to their narrow focus, many nonprofits can tailor programmes to meet the needs of a particular population. They tend to be more responsive to the needs of their workers and clients as they can quickly adjust to emergent circumstances in their organisation, without the bureaucratic headache that state-run organisations can sometimes experience.
Counsellors that work in the nonprofit sector can form deep and meaningful connections with their clients and members of the community, due to ongoing and lengthy contact. Because of this connection, nonprofit counsellors report some of the highest rates of job satisfaction in the human services field.
How can counsellors help charities find volunteers?
Perhaps one of the biggest barriers to young people achieving their potential is not knowing the full range of jobs that exist or understanding the different pathways into employment available to them. This is particularly the case with students for whom traditional academic routes either don’t appeal or are unachievable.
This is where the counsellors come in. Their real-world experience can be used to help students understand the full scope and responsibilities of a future job they may be interested in. By introducing these students to the world of volunteering they are spreading awareness on charities and nonprofit organisations that need fresh new volunteers to survive.