Residential Support Provider Jobs for Former Teachers in Virginia

Help Others Grow and Learn From Home in Virginia

Teaching is a fun and rewarding job that allows you to make a positive impact on the families in your community. But many teachers find that the long hours, large class sizes, administrative requirements, and low pay make it very easy to burn out. Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, teacher’s responsibilities and children’s needs have increased exponentially, pushing many teachers to seek out new jobs.

If you’re looking to quit teaching, there are still ways to support yourself while using all of your essential teacher skills.

Wall Residences knows that Virginia’s teachers are caring, patient, intelligent, and generous. You’re well equipped to help people build their social skills, get involved with their community, learn new things, and lead a healthy lifestyle. 

By becoming a residential support provider for adults with disabilities, former teachers can use their skills and educational background/degree to help people have fulfilling lives. Becoming a sponsored residential provider for Wall Residences is the perfect second career for exceptional teachers. Teachers are excellent candidates for this type of work-from-home job.

Career Caregivers and Their Companions

Wall Residence’s Residential Support Providers are tasked with caring for adults with disabilities and/or mental health issues. This care happens in homes across Virginia with most of our providers opening up their household to 1 to 2 adults. There are a select few households where 3 to 4 residents live.

This home-based support allows adults with disabilities to live comfortably while building independence from their families while avoiding long-term care facilities or institutionalized care. You get the benefits of working from home, earning a good wage, and having opportunities to have fun in your community.

Our providers and the individuals with intellectual/developmental disabilities who come to live with them become like family. The pairings made by Wall Residences are designed to be long-term, creating stability for everyone! There are dozens of Wall Residences providers and supported individuals who have been together for over a decade. Many teachers appreciate this opportunity to build lasting bonds as opposed to classroom dynamics changing each school year. You get to witness the growth in the people you support and see the difference you made.

Each of our providers is an independent contractor who gets to establish how many residents they would like to serve. If you have any specifications such as physical limitations or a household design that might pose issues for some residents, Wall Residences will assure the individuals you are matched with are not affected by that. For instance, if your available bedrooms are on an upper level, we would be sure the resident you work with can use stairs without support. Do not worry if you have children or animals as many of our successful and well-loved providers also do!

Providing Disability Services through Wall Residences

Providers are at the center of  the services Wall Residences offers. When people open their hearts and homes to serve adults with disabilities, it allows them to have the genuine and nurturing environment that they deserve.

You don’t have to provide care on your own. Wall Residences has built up a network of dedicated and passionate caregivers to mentor you and create a community of peers. Many teachers work with 20 children a day without regular help. As a residential provider, you will have access to various kinds of support.

You choose the people who work with you by hiring a team of backup workers to continue care when you have other obligations. You’ll also get help from Wall Residences’ program staff and can access additional Wall Residences’ professionals who work in nursing, behavior management, and more.

Expanding Home Care into Your Community

One of the most fun and rewarding parts about working as a Sponsored Residential Provider is getting to spend more time in your community. Wall Residences encourages our providers and residents to seek out fun and constructive activities to do together. 

You can spend time outside of the home doing each of your favorite things. Virginia has so much to offer whether it’s a mountainside picnic in Southwest Virginia, a museum in D.C, a walk by the ocean in Virginia Beach, or a fun lunch in Richmond.

As a teacher, you most likely took students on fun field trips, but probably not as often as you would have liked. Now as a provider, you have the chance to revisit some of your favorite spots like petting zoos, pumpkin patches, bowling alleys, art exhibits, aquariums, and historical sites. All of these places are great for spending time with the residents in your care.

You can also help individuals build a sense of independence and accomplishment by connecting them with meaningful paid or volunteer opportunities. Paid or volunteer work is a great way for residents to meet new people, use their unique talents, develop new skills, and gain a sense of pride.

Is Residential Care a Normal Next Step?

There are many suggested alternative jobs for teachers leaving the education field such as occupational therapy assistant, medical assistant, substance abuse counselor, guidance counselor, and nurse. Most of these jobs look for similar skill sets as Wall Residences but would require you to obtain another degree which can be costly and reduce your earning years in your new career. As a Wall Residences professional caregiver, you will likely jump immediately into earning a living.

Many teachers have already obtained a bachelor’s degree in addition to 1 to 2 years of post-graduate schooling to get their Teacher’s Certification or Master’s Degree in Education. Going back to school would be a tall task and it may also mean accruing student loan debt.

If you already have experience teaching students in a special education program, you may find that you are exceptionally well-prepared to join our team. However, Wall Residences is confident that most Virginia teachers are capable of comfortably filling provider roles due to years of managing student behavior and learning in their classroom.

Wall Residences is dedicated to properly training our providers and setting them up for success. Training is offered on an ongoing basis to help get new caregivers up to speed in their first days and to ensure long-term growth. Access to education is one of our core company values! Before you begin offering care at home, if you like, you’ll get the chance to work in a Wall Residences setting as a back-up worker to get acclimated to the policies, procedures, and documentation requirements.

All our providers will also need to be up to date on first aid and CPR classes which many teachers already have a head start on.

Residential Care Providers often spend the rest of their careers focusing on in-home care but if you have another job change in your future, you’ll enter it with a unique and valuable skill set.