Beacon Academy seeks a School Counselor to join our dynamic community of smart, innovative, and dedicated educators as a full-time staff member. We inspire students to enjoy learning by finding their best path toward a successful future, instilling in them the academic foundation, self-motivation, confidence, and curiosity for a successful matriculation and a lifetime of learning. We recognize each student as a multifaceted learner, evolving emotionally, socially, and physically within the encompassing realms of home, school, and society. We acknowledge that students may face temporary or ongoing challenges that interfere with their learning or relational abilities, and offer tailored support, understanding, and effective strategies to navigate challenges and facilitate their success, as an individual and within the broader community.
The School Counselor will:
Provide direct services to students through programs, preventative activities, and individual and group counseling that includes a variety of approaches from therapeutic to holistic wellness techniques.
Develop, implement, and support through teaching, advising, and/or co-curricular health and wellness programs.
Provide emergency and short-term counseling support to students as situations arise.
Address the emotional, academic, safety, and well-being concerns of students through proactive awareness and implementation of appropriate interventions.
Maintain student confidentiality as is appropriate in the school setting.
Conduct mental health assessments, provides short-term counseling support, and implement effective referral and follow-up processes as needed.
Consult and collaborate effectively with administrators, employees, and parents/guardians regarding students with identified concerns and needs. Implement appropriate plans and provides case management services to address the needs of students and the institution.
Lead faculty, staff, family, and student in-service training and educational opportunities on mental health and wellness related topics.
Consult, facilitate, and maintain communication with parents, teachers, administrators, and pertinent agents on specific student and parent academic and educational matters including academic modifications and/or accommodations.
Support the admission office by reviewing student files and conducting conversations with outside mental health professionals when needed during the admission process.
Adhere to laws, policies, procedures, and ethical standards of the school counseling profession.
Perform other duties as assigned.
Qualifications & Comparable Experience
A Master’s degree in mental health counseling, school counseling, social work, or psychology.
Full licensure in the fields of counseling, social work, or psychology.
Experience in a high school educational setting is strongly preferred (not required).
PEL or an ELS with a School Support Personnel Endorsement in the area of School Counselor is preferred, but not required.
Experience with running Social/Emotional groups or SEL curriculum in a classroom setting.
Demonstrated ability to connect with students and use a variety of counseling techniques.
Ability to communicate effectively with all constituents in a school environment.
Physical Demands and Work Environment
While performing the responsibilities the employee is required to talk and hear and have close, distant, and peripheral vision.
The role requires standing, sitting, reaching, and light lifting.
Typical work hours are limited to Monday through Friday, but additional days/hours are required at times depending on the demands of the office and school events.
Non-Discrimination Policy
Beacon Academy does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national or ethnic origin, sexual identity, gender, or religion, in the administration of its hiring policies, educational policies, admissions policies, scholarship and loan programs, and athletic and other school-administered programs.
Interested applicants should email a resume and cover letter to resumes@beaconacademychicago.org.
Beacon Academy brings together independent school best practices and the IB Diploma curriculum with the independence, freedom, and student-centered methods of Montessori. The students experience a learning community that inspires self-motivation and personal challenge and celebrates intellectual, cultural, and socioeconomic diversity. Based in Evanston, but using the entirety of Chicago as a classroom, Beacon Academy has experienced explosive growth since its founding in 2014. It is a school that values entrepreneurialism, creativity, and innovation.