Social Care Jobs in America

usher1890

Hi

Does anyone know anything about the social care system in America in relation to residential childcare services and/or autism or disability services.

I am looking for info on salaries, job oppurtunities, job titles in relation to staff, etc...

Thanks

cactusgal

usher1890 wrote: »

Hi

Does anyone know anything about the social care system in America in relation to residential childcare services and/or autism or disability services.

I am looking for info on salaries, job oppurtunities, job titles in relation to staff, etc...

Thanks

From my understanding (I'm American), these types of jobs are very underpaid.
A close family member has to avail of eldercare services, and the staff are all paid at minimum wage.

I know eldercare is not what you mentioned, but social services are quite underfunded in the USA, so I don't think conditions are great. You'd also need a green card / US citizenship to be able to apply.

percy212

Going private can pay well, i.e. in the employ of a single family.

cactusgal

percy212 wrote: »

Going private can pay well, i.e. in the employ of a single family.

My relative employs a private company; it's not cheap, but the staff only receive minimum wage, or slightly above. Insurance/overheads are high.

If you are paid in cash/under the table by a family, that might be a different story.

DM addict

usher1890 wrote: »

Hi

Does anyone know anything about the social care system in America in relation to residential childcare services and/or autism or disability services.

I am looking for info on salaries, job oppurtunities, job titles in relation to staff, etc...

Thanks

So I work as an ABA (behavioural) therapist for kiddos with autism in the PNW. I'm not paid well, but I'm not paid badly either. I work for a company that sends me out to families/schools depending on the needs of the client.

There's plenty of opportunities in ABA in various states at the moment as it's covered by a lot of health insurers.

Can you narrow down your query a bit? What kind of work do you do right now/are you hoping to do?

percy212

Families often hire directly and pay well for live in care. Check Irish publications in the US for ads.

cactusgal wrote: »

My relative employs a private company; it's not cheap, but the staff only receive minimum wage, or slightly above. Insurance/overheads are high.

If you are paid in cash/under the table by a family, that might be a different story.

silja

A lot will depend on your qualifications; for example an ABA line therapist will get paid very differently to a para; a residential caretaker very differently to an experienced therapist with a post-grad degree.

The other question is whether you already have a visa to work in the USA? Of not, your opportunities to find a job that sponsors will be limited, but there is a shortage of qualified therapists, so for example if you are a speech therapist with a specialisation in feeding therapy for autistic kids, a visa is definitely possible.

usher1890

silja wrote: »

A lot will depend on your qualifications; for example an ABA line therapist will get paid very differently to a para; a residential caretaker very differently to an experienced therapist with a post-grad degree.

The other question is whether you already have a visa to work in the USA? Of not, your opportunities to find a job that sponsors will be limited, but there is a shortage of qualified therapists, so for example if you are a speech therapist with a specialisation in feeding therapy for autistic kids, a visa is definitely possible.

I am afraid I don't have a visa, but I am trying to figure out how I would go about it, and whether it is possible to get qualified. If things go my way I will be a qualified behaviour analyst in a years time.

silja

It would be your employer (most likely a US hospital or clinic, perhaps a school district) that would pay for your work visa and organise it; you'd show up for an interview at the US embassy. While we normally say on here it is very difficult to get an employer to sponsor you (it is, and costs them $6000+), you may be able to get one to sponsor you, especially if you have specialised schooling or once you have a few years experience. I have several Irish friends who are speech therapists and got hired on "milk rounds" fresh out of Irish universities.

Your other option, if you are in full time education, is to either do a year's study in the USA on an F1 student visa, and then OPT (Optional Practical Training; ie working for a year in your field of study, based on your F1), or try for a J1 visa, and then impress the employer so that they will sponsor you.

usher1890

silja wrote: »

It would be your employer (most likely a US hospital or clinic, perhaps a school district) that would pay for your work visa and organise it; you'd show up for an interview at the US embassy. While we normally say on here it is very difficult to get an employer to sponsor you (it is, and costs them $6000+), you may be able to get one to sponsor you, especially if you have specialised schooling or once you have a few years experience. I have several Irish friends who are speech therapists and got hired on "milk rounds" fresh out of Irish universities.

Your other option, if you are in full time education, is to either do a year's study in the USA on an F1 student visa, and then OPT (Optional Practical Training; ie working for a year in your field of study, based on your F1), or try for a J1 visa, and then impress the employer so that they will sponsor you.

Unfortunately, I am doing my MSc online so I dont qualify for a J1