School Counselor

Reports To: Principal

Terms of Employment:  Permanent, 10 Month Position

Nature of Work:

Utilizing leadership, advocacy, and collaboration, school counselors promote student success, provide preventive services, and respond to identified student needs by implementing a comprehensive school counseling program that addresses academic, career, and personal/social development for all the students.

Qualifications and Licensure

• Master’s degree in School Counseling, or enrollment in an accredited school counselor preparation program and completion of a minimum of 24 graduate semester hours of that program; or, completion of a Master’s degree in addiction; career; clinical mental health; clinical rehabilitation; college counseling and student affairs; marriage, couple, and family counseling; or rehabilitation counseling from a regionally accredited college or university and enrollment in an accredited school counselor preparation program to complete additional master’s level courses needed to add school counseling specialization.  Both options require completion of remaining school counselor preparation program requirements within three years.
• North Carolina professional educator’s license with licensure in School Counseling
• Strong interpersonal, verbal, and written communication skills
• Empathy, patience and a genuine commitment to students well-being
• Excellent organizational, time management, and technology skills
• Knowledge of laws, policies, regulation, procedure and ethical standards of the school counseling profession

Duties and Responsibilities 

• Develops and manages a comprehensive school counseling program based on the NC Comprehensive School Counseling Standard Course of Study and current individual school data to meet student needs.
• Partners with the school community to promote and implement the goals of the school counseling program and makes them aware of available resources.
• Counsels students individually and in small groups for specifically identified needs as endorsed by a recognized guidance curriculum. 
• Counsels parents individually and in small groups.
• Prepares and presents sessions regarding personal growth, school adjustment, career development, self-concept, attendance and related matters.
• Provides scheduled and spontaneous discussions with teachers, administrators, parents and outside agency personnel. 
• Advocates for students, parents, and staff.  
• Responds to and stabilizes student crisis situations such as trauma, challenging life events, emotional distress, etc. and identifies appropriate resources and support needed.
• Consults and collaborates with other student support service personnel (nurse, school resource officer, social worker, psychologist). 
• Actively participates in the school MTSS process to assist at-risk and underachieving student populations. 
• Coordinates 504 and homebound services where applicable. 
• Analyzes and interprets student academic data (EOG, EOC, course selection).
• Coordinates student transitions into new schools. 
• Provides leadership and collaborates with other educators in the school-wide integration of the NC Professional School Counseling Standards.
• Provides classroom group guidance sessions.
• Performs other duties assigned by the supervisor.

Physical Requirements (if applicable)

• Requires walking, standing, and sitting throughout the day.
• At times requires the ability to to lift, carry, push, pull, or otherwise move objects up to 10 pounds.

Special Requirements (if applicable)

• Ability to prepare, read and comprehend a variety of job-related forms, reports, spreadsheets, maps, plans, records, documentation and correspondence in all languages required by the job.
• Ability to speak to individuals or groups of people with poise, voice control and confidence.
• Ability to respond adequately to inquiries or complaints.
• Ability to apply principles of logical or scientific thinking to define problems, collect data, establish facts and draw valid conclusions. 
• Ability to apply common sense understanding to carry out instructions furnished in written, oral or diagrammatic form.
• Ability to deal with people beyond giving and receiving instructions. 
• Ability to perform under stress, deal with persons acting under stress and adapt when confronted with emergency situations. 
• Ability to maintain proper professional conduct.
• Ability to keep in confidence all personal, student or personnel records and information. 

DISCLAIMER

The preceding job description has been designed to indicate the general nature and level of work performed by employees within this classification. It is not designed to contain or be interpreted as a comprehensive inventory of all duties, responsibilities, and qualifications required of employees of this job.