Elementary School Counselor - Utah Connections Academy

Company Summary

Utah Connections Academy (UCA) is a tuition-free, online public school that serves students in grades K–12 throughout Utah. UCA is authorized under state law by the Utah State Charter School Board and governed by an independent Board of Directors. The school is operated by Utah Connections Academy, a nonprofit corporation, through a contract with Connections Academy of Utah, LLC, to provide its educational program and other services. UCA is accredited by the Northwest Accreditation Commission, an accrediting division of AdvancED.

Utah Connections Academy strives to create an inclusive environment that welcomes and values the diversity of the people we serve. We foster fairness, equity, and inclusion to create a workplace environment where everyone is treated with respect and dignity.

Position Summary and Responsibilities

Working from your home office in Utah, the Elementary School Counselor will assist students and parents/learning coaches with social and emotional behavior, academic support and skill building. The counselor will help implement guidance programs and set goals and objectives with students.

The Elementary School Counselor will be responsible for the successful completion of the following tasks:

• Assist students and families with successful transition into the program;
• Follow up with students and families to ensure that they are staying on track and fulfilling the requirements of our school;
• Build relationships with students and families through email, phone calls, and in person when necessary;
• Proactively able to troubleshoot and problem solve student and family issues and understand the proper channels of communication;
• Work with Professional Learning Communities (PLC’s) to identify and help families access school and community resources;
• Assist with interventions around attendance and engagement concerns;
• Implement programs for students and families related to interpersonal adjustment issues;
• Participate in the development of crisis prevention and management plans for the school and serve as a key member of the Student Support Team (SST);
• Report and refer critical incidents that jeopardize student well-being as obligated by law, administrative regulations, or ethical standards. Stay abreast of all state regulations relating to incident reporting and documentation;
• Continuation of Professional Development and Training in trends and counseling techniques;
• Deliver counseling curriculum through instruction in accordance with Utah state requirements and ASCA Model;
• Provide Wraparound Services by collaborating with outside stakeholders to ensure student success in the virtual learning environment;
• Section new students into courses in the Pearson Online Classroom and collaborate with elementary teachers and leadership teams;
• And other duties as assigned.

Requirements

• Utah residency preferred (Will accept out of state applicants in the Mountain or Pacific Time Zone).
• Utah certification in School Counseling
• Master’s degree or higher
• Strong technology skills (especially with Microsoft Office products and Google Suite)
• Excellent communication skills, both oral and written
• Education focused approach
• Excellent attention to detail and organizational skills
• High degree of flexibility
• Team player with demonstrated leadership skills
• Demonstrated ability to work well in fast-paced environment
• Willingness to travel on occasion for school events (may require occasional overnight travel)
• Ability to work some occasional evening hours, as needed to support some families
• Must be able to use a personal electronic device and email address for 2-step authentication