A career as a halfway house supervisor might be a great fit for you if you’re looking for a career that combines the fields of human services and criminal justice. Here are some highlights of working in this field:
• A chance to help offenders re-integrate into society
• Little formal education is needed to get in
• A variety of working hours/schedules available
• A mix of duties: administrative, housekeeping, and resident supervision
If we’ve piqued your interest, then have a look below; we’ll fill you in on what you would be doing for a living, how much you could earn, and what education, experience, skills and training you’ll need!
Education Needed to Become a Halfway House Supervisor
Most employers prefer candidates with a diploma, associate’s degree, or bachelor’s degree in a relevant field, such as social work/human services, criminal justice, criminology or any similar field.
Work Experience Requirements
In addition to education, many employers will want you to have relevant work experience. Some may accept equivalent work experience in place of formal education. Typically, any work in a correctional, counseling or human services/community setting would count as relevant experience.
For example, similar experience may include working with people who are in conflict with the law, or dealing with addictions and/or mental health issues. It may also include social recreation program planning, working with volunteers, or any work that involved developing group facilitation skills.
Training You May Need
It’s a good idea to have training in the following areas if you want to work as a halfway house supervisor. In fact, many employers will require it as a condition of employment*.
• Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASIST)
• Non-violent Crisis Intervention (NVCI) Certificate
• Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) Certificate
• First Aid Certificate
*Some employers will hire you without this training, but will require that you get it soon after being hired. They may even arrange the training for you.
General Job Description
As a halfway house supervisor, you would be responsible for providing around the clock supervision and counseling to offenders who are serving out the remainder of their sentence while conditionally released into the community and residing in a halfway house.
Typical Job Duties & Responsibilities
Although your duties would likely vary from job to job, most would share a similar set of basic duties, including:
• Ensuring the safety of residents, staff and the surrounding community
• Ensuring the security of the building
• Conducting room checks on a regular basis
• Supervising the work of support staff
• Ensuring residents are adhering to the conditions set in the terms of their probation or parole
• Initiating court action when the terms of probation or parole have been violated
• Conducting regular interviews with residents in order to monitor the progress they are making towards their goals
Skills Needed, and Other Requirements
Most employers will require you to have certain intangible skills, and meet certain basic criteria, including:
• A clean criminal record
• Having your own mode of transportation
• Basic food preparation skills
• Basic housekeeping skills
• Ability to supervise the activities of 5-25 people
• Ability to work with minimal supervision
• Ability to work with culturally diverse groups
• Ability to work with people with mental health and/or learning disabilities
• An understanding of the reintegration needs of men leaving custody
Who Employs Halfway House Supervisors?
As a halfway house supervisor, you would be employed by either the corrections department of your local, regional or federal government, or by a private, non-profit or community based organization that is contracted by the government to provide correctional services.
Many halfway house supervisors work on a part-time basis, although full-time positions aren't uncommon.
Average Salary Level
The salary level you could earn as a halfway house supervisor can vary, depending on the following factors:
• Your level of education
• Your level of experience
• The size and type of your employer
• The region in which you work
• The scope of your job duties
Unfortunately there is no salary information available from reliable sources for the specific occupation of "halfway house supervisor". We can however, get a good idea of what you might earn by looking at the salary level of workers in closely related fields.
Halfway House Supervisor Salary - Canada: According to the 2016 Alberta Wage and Salary Survey, Albertans working in the "Social Workers" occupational group earn an average salary of $65,593 per year. WorkBC (Province of British Columbia) states that those working in the same field in B.C. earn an annual provincial median salary of $70,132.
Salary - United States: According to the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median salary level of Americans working in the "Social Workers" occupational group is $49,470 per year (May, 2018 figures).
Alternate Titles for "Halfway House Supervisor"
The occupation “halfway house supervisor” is a general term used to describe a human services professional that performs a specific set of duties. The following is a list of alternate titles that can be used to describe the same job:
• Community Based Residential Facility Supervisor
• Community Based Residential Supervisor
• Community Residential Supervisor
• Community Residential Supervisor
• Residential Site Supervisor
Halfway House Supervisor Jobs - Current Opportunities
Our job board below has "halfway house supervisor" postings in Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia, when available. If nothing populates, try your search using one of the alternate titles listed above:
Typical Work Environment
Setting: As a halfway house supervisor, you would work within the halfway house itself. You could potentially work with as few as 5 house residents and no other supervisors, or you may work among dozens of residents, together with multiple supervisors.
Hours: As a halfway house supervisor, your shifts may vary from early morning, to midday, evening, and even late into the night. You could also be scheduled to work during the week, or on weekends, or a combination of both. Being “on-call” in this field is not uncommon.
Conditions: Your job would involve a mix of administrative duties, housekeeping duties, as well as supervision of the residents. You would be responsible for providing crisis intervention services, as well as conflict resolution, when such situations arise.
Similar Occupations in Our Database
Listed below are occupations in our database that have similar responsibilities, and/or require similar skills, or be in the same sector of industry, as "halfway house supervisor":
References
The salary information for this career guide was retrieved from the reputable, government administrated websites listed below. All other information has been compiled from actual job postings from various organizations.
Occupations in Alberta: “Social Worker.” (March 4, 2016). Government of Alberta - Alberta Learning Information Service (ALIS). Retrieved August 8, 2019.
Explore Careers: “Social workers (NOC 4152).” (n.d.). Province of British Columbia - WorkBC. Retrieved August 8, 2019.
Occupational Outlook Handbook: “Social Workers.” (June 18, 2019). United States Department of Labor - Bureau of Labor Statistics. Retrieved August 8, 2019.
Scholarships for Becoming a Halfway House Supervisor
The scholarships in our system that are relevant for becoming a halfway house supervisor are all of those that can be found on the following pages:
Success Tip: Be sure to apply for any scholarships that you even barely qualify for, as there are millions of dollars of scholarships that go unused every year due to a lack of applicants!
Relevant Fields of Study
Studying one of the university majors listed below can serve as an excellent educational foundation for this career:
