Long Term Substitute Guidance Counselor - Elementary (2955)

The Natick Public Schools Seek a

Elementary Counselor, Long Term Substitute 12/4/25-5/29/26

We invite you to explore a career with Natick Public Schools. 

The Natick Public Schools educate approximately 5,300 students from Pre-K through age 22. We are an innovative, supportive, and high-performing district whose outstanding staff provides high quality services for our diverse students and their families from Natick and Boston. Natick Public Schools is a community dedicated to all students achieving high standards in a safe, trusting, respectful environment where learning is exciting, dynamic, and engaging, and where connectedness and belonging are valued and actively cultivated. We are home to families that speak almost 60 different languages and our student population is approximately 29% Students of Color and 71% White students. With a graduation rate of 97% and 90% of our students attending post-secondary schools, we are proud of our commitment to excellence in educating students to be informed and successful citizens of a global world. 

We enthusiastically welcome educators to our district who seek and thrive in a diverse environment that focuses on the whole child in a strengths-based approach. Please partner with us in our mission to support the diversity of our school community, promote and deliver equitable practices for all of our staff, students, and families, and create meaningful connections that enable everyone to feel included and thrive.

Education:

• MA Degree in School Counseling or Adjustment Counselor/Social Worker

• Specialized Knowledge:

• Thorough understanding of child development

• Demonstrated commitment to ensuring academic success for all students
• Thorough understanding of child development
• Thorough understanding of a broad range of counseling techniques needed to support diverse student needs
• Knowledge of best practices for social-emotional learning
• Thorough understanding of and commitment to the principles and practices of diversity, equity, inclusion, and social justice as they relate to student, staff and community engagement and cultivation

• Professional Certification:

• DESE Certification and Licensure as  School Counselor 5-12 or School Social Worker/Adjustment Counselor

• DESE SEI Endorsement 

• Preferred Experience:

• Experience working in a diverse public school preferred
• Experience working with students with disabilities/special abilities preferred
• Experience working with students who are English language learners preferred
• Experience with Google Suite (Drive, Docs, Sheets, Slides, Classroom, etc.) and PowerSchool preferred, but will train the right candidate

• Skills:

• Demonstrated aptitude for work to be performed
• Bilingual skills, especially in Spanish and Portuguese, are highly desirable
• Strong written and verbal communication skills
• Strong interpersonal skills
• Candidates should have a passion for working with students, families, and colleagues
• Candidates must be flexible and collaborative
• Candidates must be able to multitask in a fast-paced, supportive environment that nurtures student growth
• Candidates must be organized and able to meet ongoing, time-sensitive deadlines for work production

Such alternatives to the above qualifications as the Superintendent may find appropriate and in conformity with state certification requirements.

• Phone, intercom, personal computer and software applications as outlined above, scanner, copy machine, calculator, camera, printers and fax machine.

The information contained in this job description is for compliance with the American with Disabilities Act (ADA) and is not an exhaustive list of the duties performed for this position. Additional duties are performed by the individuals currently holding this position and additional duties may be assigned.

Duties include, but are not limited to:

• To provide strategies and preventative interventions for clinical issues related to all school-age children, including issues surrounding substance abuse, physical, emotional and sexual abuse, violence, health and changes in the family system.
• Provide individual and/or group counseling as appropriate, utilizing knowledge of principles of therapeutic relationships, personal and systemic change, and use of self in a problem-solving relationship.
• Provide crisis intervention, and serve as a member of the school’s Crisis Team. Provide representation to the district-wide Crisis Team.
• Fille reports with the Department of Social Services when necessary. Serve as the school’s liaison to the Department of Social Services.
• Provide assessment and intervention in response to referrals from teachers, guidance counselors, administrators, students, families and community agencies. Identify problem behaviors and develop strategies for intervention. Refer students and families to outside treatment as necessary.
• Provide consultation for faculty, administration and families.
• Attend pre-referral and ACT meetings to collaborate with the team on appropriate strategies to assist the referred students and their families.
• Service as a member of Special Education Team Meetings. Meet with parents/guardians to complete a Social/Developmental History as needed for students to be evaluated.
• Collaborate with the ELL Department to address the learning and emotional needs of students in the ELL program. Advocate for these students with guidance, administration, and educators. When possible, provide native language support and outreach for students and their families, as appropriate.
• Serve as a liaison with Psychiatric Emergency Services, District juvenile court, and all outside treatment facilities, as appropriate.
• Serve as in-building liaison/coordinator for McKinney-Vento students.
• Convene re-entry meetings for students returning to school from a treatment facility to ease the transition back to an academic setting.

Any other relative duties as assigned.

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. The employee must be able to perform the essential functions of the job satisfactorily and, if requested, reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of their job, absent undue hardship.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to: 

• move about the classroom, school, school grounds, office, and/or off-site locations. 
• On some occasions, it may be necessary to move quickly across even or uneven surfaces; 
• remain in a stationary position for periods of time; 
• operate a computer and other school/office productivity machinery (i.e., iPad, copy machine, computer printer, assistive technology, etc.); 
• read material from a computer monitor as well as handwritten or printed matter with or without visual aids; 
• position oneself to maintain files and access school/classroom/office materials;
• communicate with others so that information received and given is understood and accurately communicated;
• communicate and collaborate effectively with students, parents, and other staff members in person, via video conference, on the telephone, and/or in writing;
• observe details at close range
• in the school setting, ensure the safety of students;
• multitask and meet multiple demands from several people;
• may need to teach and support students with life skills development such as eating, cleaning, and toileting 
• lifting up to and including 25 lbs
• the noise level in the work environment is moderate to loud.

• Formal application
• Rating of education and experience
• Oral interviews 
• Reference check
• Strong record of work performance in current and previous roles required
• Successful completion of Criminal Records Check (C.O.R.I.), Sexual Offender Record Check (S.O.R.I.), and fingerprints.

The Natick Public Schools do not discriminate on the basis of age, race, creed, color, religion, nationality, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, pregnancy and pregnancy-related conditions, physical and intellectual differences, immigration status, homeless status, or any other class protected by law.