| Detail | For this role |
|---|---|
| Department | NGO and Social Sector |
| Level | Entry level |
| Reports to | Programme Officer |
| Direct reports | None |
| Experience | 1 to 4 years in counselling or community work |
Community Counsellor job description template
Copy this job description, replace the text in square brackets and post it on your careers page or a job portal.
Job title: Community Counsellor
Department: NGO and Social Sector
Reports to: Programme Officer
Location: [City], [office, branch or site]
About the role
A Community Counsellor provides guidance and emotional support to people in the community on issues such as health, family, gender, addiction or livelihood stress. They listen, assess needs, counsel individuals and groups, and refer people to health, legal or welfare services. The role reports to the Programme Officer or Programme Coordinator. A good community counsellor builds trust, handles sensitive cases with confidentiality and care, and helps people take practical next steps while keeping honest case records.
Key responsibilities
- Provide individual and group counselling on the programme's focus issues in the community.
- Listen to and assess each person's situation and needs with empathy and without judgement.
- Help people understand their options and take practical next steps.
- Refer people to health, legal, welfare or de-addiction services and follow up.
- Run awareness sessions on the programme theme for community groups.
- Maintain confidential case records of sessions, referrals and outcomes.
- Identify people at risk and escalate serious cases to the supervisor or a specialist.
- Coordinate with health workers, anganwadi staff and local services.
- Support families and caregivers alongside the primary person where needed.
- Follow safeguarding and confidentiality rules carefully in all counselling casework.
Requirements
- Graduate or postgraduate in psychology or social work
- Counselling certification is an advantage
- Local language fluency
- 1 to 4 years in counselling or community work
KRAs and KPIs for a Community Counsellor
Key result areas for the appraisal form, each with a KPI you can measure every month or quarter.
| Key result area | How to measure it |
|---|---|
| Case load | Counselling sessions delivered meeting the monthly caseload target |
| Referrals | Referrals made and followed up to a known outcome for most cases |
| Follow-up | Ongoing cases followed up at the planned intervals |
| Awareness | Community awareness sessions run to the monthly plan |
| Records | Confidential case records complete and up to date for every case |
| Safeguarding | Safeguarding and confidentiality rules followed with no breach |
Skills and tools
Tools used day to day: Case record formats, Referral directory, Awareness materials, Smartphone for records, Assessment checklists.
Reporting line and career path
Next roles: Senior Counsellor, Programme Officer, Case Manager
Interview questions for a Community Counsellor
- How do you build trust with someone who is reluctant to talk?
- How do you handle a case that is beyond your training or too serious?
- How do you keep case information confidential in a small community?
- How do you refer a person to a service and make sure they actually reach it?
- How do you look after your own wellbeing doing emotionally heavy work?
- Tell me about a difficult case you supported and what you learned.
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What does a community counsellor do?
A community counsellor provides guidance and emotional support to people on issues such as health, family, gender, addiction or livelihood stress. They listen, assess needs, counsel individuals and groups, and refer people to health, legal or welfare services. They build trust, handle sensitive cases with confidentiality, and help people take practical next steps.
What is the difference between a community counsellor and a social worker?
A community counsellor focuses on emotional support and guidance, helping people cope and take decisions on personal and social issues. A social worker takes a wider role, linking people to entitlements and services and mobilising community support. Their work overlaps, but counselling is more about one to one support while social work covers broader casework.
What qualifications do you need to be a community counsellor?
Most community counsellors hold a graduate or postgraduate degree in psychology or social work, and a counselling certification helps. Fluency in the local language is important. Employers look for strong listening and case assessment skills, the ability to keep cases confidential, and the maturity to handle sensitive and emotionally heavy situations.