School Guidance Counselor

SCOPE OF RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Counseling and guidance services which assist students in making maximum use of their abilities by providing social, behavioral and academic group and individual counseling.

PERFORMANCE RESPONSIBILITIES/ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:

• Provides individual counseling.
• Provides group counseling and guidance.
• Participates in teacher/parent conferences.
• Assists with the orientation of students, parents and school personnel concerning guidance and counseling services as well as total school operation.
• Provides testing and placement services.
• Provides follow-up guidance services.
• Assists with scheduling of students.
• Discuss future high school requirements, training programs, and career plans with students and parents.
• Checks incoming cumulative records, evaluates transcripts for completeness and prepares students records to be sent to high schools, State Department or other school.
• Provides follow-up on students eligible for summer school.
• Maintains inventory of guidance materials, testing supplies and career materials.
• Attends counselor workshops.
• Serves as a consultant to members of the administrative and teaching staff.
• Reviews and assesses counseling and guidance services.
• Schedules a counseling session with individual students after the second suspension.
• Completes and forwards to MIS completed dropout cards on a weekly basis.
• Performs all other duties as assigned by the principal.

WORK ENVIRONMENT/HOURS WORKED:

• A counselor is required to work in an office type setting, climate control environment adhering to School Board energy policy and in the outside areas which are subject to climate extremes.
• The work day consists of eight hours per day including one hour for lunch.
• Junior/Middle School counselors work same amount of days as a regular teacher.
• High School counselors work an additional twenty (20) days.

COMMUNICATION SKILLS:

• A certified counselor must be able to communicate in standard English both orally and in writing.
• Communication must be commensurate with age and skill of listener.
• Must have ability to accurately give and receive information via tele-communication system.
• Must be able to communicate successfully and pleasantly with the public.
• Must be able to accurately compile and access data, summarize information and provide written report to supervisor.
• Must have ability to represent school system at various public functions.

EQUIPMENT USED:

• Telephone, typewriter, micro computer, facsimile machine, calculator, copy machine, printers, folding machines, intercom and P.A systems, security alarm system and other appropriate office machines.

PHYSICAL INVOLVEMENT:

• Sitting, standing, walking, running as required during the work day.
• Must be able to operate office equipment.
• Reaching, bending, lifting 10 pounds is sometimes required as well as the physical restraint of another person or persons.
• Ability to provide own transportation to schools, work locations and meeting sites.
• Mobility skills necessary to access a variety of work locations.

MENTAL INVOLVEMENT:

• Must understand and interpret written and verbal instructions from supervisor and must be cognizant of policy and procedures governing counselor and student services in the Jefferson Parish Public School System and their implementation.
• Ability to make appropriate referrals to community agencies.

HUMAN RELATIONS INVOLVEMENT:

• Must be able to work compatibly in group settings.
• Must serve as a resource to administrators, faculty, staff, students, parents and community.
• Must be able to respond positively to supervision and to accept suggestions for improvement.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

• Valid Louisiana Elementary/Secondary Certificate
• Completion of a standards-based master’s degree program in school counseling from a regionally accredited college or university approved by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Education Program (CACREP)
• Practicum/internship requirements                                              
  • In school counseling to include 100 contacthours in a school setting
  • An internship in school counseling to include 600 contact hours in a school setting
• Completion of the Praxis examination in school counseling (5422)