POSITION: School Counselor

POSITION GUIDE: Certified Personnel
9 Months
Bargaining Unit Position
Non - Exempt

REPORTS TO: Assistant Superintendent for Student Services
Director of Student Services
Special Services Coordinator
Student Services Coordinator

JOB SUMMARY: School Counselors are highly trained professional who can assist systems to make the transition from ensuring access (e.g. through Child Find) to demand for results. Assessing needs and developing, implementing, and evaluation new modes of service delivery are intended to increase the education success of all students. This employee is responsible for generating implementing programs to remediate behavioral and social problems for students eligible for severely emotionally disturbed and autistic programs; (s) he is also available for consultation and direct services to school personnel and parents of these students. Emotionally handicapped and mentally handicapped students with severe disruptive behaviors in designated schools are also eligible for these services

SUPERVISORY ROLE: None

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS:
1. Professional Educators License - with School Counselor Endorsement
2. Masters Degree

DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS:
1. Master's degree in School Counseling
2. Graduate work beyond the Master's degree.
3. Experience in a like position.
4. Professional Certification and / or Professional Licensure (LCSW, LCPC)

DUTIES OF THIS POSITION INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO:
1. Planning:
a. Actively identifying and addressing systemic barriers to learning.
b. Conducting needs assessment and progress monitoring.
c. Developing, implementing and evaluating programs that address educational and behavioral concerns.
d. Training staff in evidence-based strategies, in addition to the implementation, and evaluation of RTI practices.
e. Providing administrators and staff with resources that promote cultural awareness as it relates to how students with behavior and social problems can achieve academic success.
f. Evaluating student progress specific to behavioral, emotional, and mental health concerns and the effects on academic progress.
g. Serve as a liaison to families, the community members and other stakeholders to ensuring constant communication.
h. Facilitating the delivery of educational and mental health services with and by community agencies and service providers.
i. Continuing professional growth through educational meetings and workshops, visiting related facilities, reading professional literature, and exchanging ideas among the district staff.
j. Supporting special education administrators and teachers with the planning and developing of ESY program.
k. Actively participating as a member of the team for developing and implementing of "mainstreaming procedures".

2. Providing Services to Students:
a. Participating as a team member in the identification of social / behavioral problems.
b. Designing, implementing, and following up on behavioral management programs for students to remediate behavioral and social problems.
c. Participating in the development of the individual educational programs for these students.
d. Participating as a team member in the evaluation of student progress.
e. Providing individual and group counseling to these students on a regular basis to include socialization activities (e.g., reality therapy, play therapy, etc.)
f. Developing and maintaining psychosocial and behavioral data on these students.
g. Assisting other professionals with student crisis intervention.
h. Participating in early intervention initiatives by connecting struggling learners to resources.
i. Ongoing progress monitoring.
j. Comprehensive formal and informal ecological assessment including academic functioning, social/emotional and mental health functioning, adaptive/maladaptive functioning and family and community interactions.
k. Developing of positive behavioral interventions and supports.
l. Designing and monitoring individualized Behavioral Intervention Plans.
m. Comprehensive family service.

3. Providing Services to Teachers:
a. Planning and collaborating with the classroom teachers who have students with behavioral or social problems as requested.
b. Developing and conducting in-service activities regarding techniques for remediating behavioral, social or personal problems of students.
c. Assisting the teacher of these students with the development of crisis prevention plans.
d. Providing training for paraprofessionals with the programs in the areas of behavior management skills.

4. Providing Services to Parents:
a. Coordinating and conducting individual education and counseling sessions with the parents of the students being serviced.
b. Assisting parents with obtaining community resources available for the students and their families.
c. Updating and maintaining information concerning parent training.
d. Assisting in developing and maintaining home-school relations in crisis situations with these students.
5. Reporting:
a. Assisting in the development and implementation of reporting systems to parents.
b. Completing reports for appropriate local and state educational agencies.
c. Participating as a team member in referring those students who require further evaluation or follow-up services to the appropriate school personnel or community agencies.

6. Other :
a. Assisting with the development and maintenance of program evaluation procedures.
b. Assisting with case-management and team problem-solving with other behavioral specialists, agency personnel, and other appropriate professionals on a regular basis.
c. Perform other duties / tasks as assigned by the Director of Student Services and /or designee.

OTHER SKILLS AND ABILITIES:
1. Maintain appropriate confidentiality.
2. Promote a harassment-free environment.
3. Establish and maintain effective working relationships; demonstrate a commitment to teamwork.
4. Ability to learn and utilize office equipment, computers, and software especially as systems is updated.
5. Ability to react well under pressure, handle and balance multiple demands at one time, work with frequent interruptions, and perform duties and tasks at expected levels of professionalism.
6. Extensive knowledge of and ability to perform duties in compliance with all district, Board, state and federal laws, methods, requirements, policies, procedures, and activities pertinent to the duties of this position.
7. Ability to work independently with minimum supervision.
8. Ability to prepare and maintain accurate files and records.
9. Ability to meet strict deadlines.

COMMUNICATION SKILLS:
1. Strong communication, public relation, and interpersonal skills.
2. Ability to communicate clearly and concisely in both oral and written form using a variety of communication techniques and tools to ensure the appropriate flow of information, collaborative efforts, and feedback.
3. Ability to compose correspondence, reports, and/or other required written materials.
4. Ability to read, analyze, and interpret information.
5. Ability to effectively present information and respond to questions, inquiries, and/or complaints.
6. Displays courtesy, tact, and respect when dealing with others.

MATHEMATICAL SKILLS:
1. Ability to perform basic math using whole numbers, common fractions, and decimals consistent with the duties of this position.

REASONING ABILITY:
1. Ability to interpret a variety of instructions and information furnished in written, oral, diagram, or schedule form.
2. Ability to identify and define problem(s), collect and analyze data, establish facts, and draw valid conclusions.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS:
The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to stand, walk, sit, talk, and hear. The employee is frequently required to reach with hands and arms, stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 20 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, and the ability to adjust focus.

WORK ENVIRONMENT:
The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters when performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential duties.

Employee experiences constant interruptions and inflexible deadlines. The noise level in this environment is quiet to moderate. Duties are performed primarily indoors and occasionally outdoors. In-district and out-of-town travel required as necessary for training and/or to carry out duties and responsibilities.