Lakeside is an independent coeducational day school located in North Seattle.  We are currently recruiting for a full time (1.0 FTE) Upper School Counselor, which is a full-time 10 months/year appointment beginning in August 2025.

The Upper School Counselor will have expertise concerning the social, emotional, and developmental needs of adolescent students and will embrace strengths-based and culturally responsive perspectives. The Counselor will work as a collaborative member of the Student Support Team (SST) which includes another full-time upper school counselor and a 5-12 cross-divisional counselor, two learning resources coordinators, a family support liaison, the athletic trainer, school nurse, an assistant director and the director of student and family support. The Upper School Counselor will work directly with students, teachers, administration, parents/guardians, and outside providers to help ensure the well-being of the student body.

Responsibilities

1. Provide direct 1:1 and small group, culturally responsive service, including crisis counseling, time-limited interventions, and assessment for triage and referral purposes
2. Provide crisis intervention and safety assessments according to the school’s safety protocol
3. Facilitate academic accommodations process and provide ongoing case management for students with a documented qualifying mental health diagnosis
4. Serve as a liaison with parents, guardians, faculty, and administrators about student mental health issues
5. Provide education on culturally relevant social-emotional topics to students and faculty in small groups as well as in larger meetings
6. Be an active and engaged member of the Student Support Team.  This includes attending and participating in twice weekly Students Support Team meetings to discuss students in need of support, following through on relevant action items,  and collaborating and consulting with the 5-12 counselors and Student Support Team as needed.
7. Attend and participate in student grade-level retreats
8. Participate in larger support meetings related to the student's academic and emotional well-being.
9. Maintain an open and inviting atmosphere in the counseling center including intentionality in appealing to different and diverse groups of students
10. Engage in aspects of the co-curricular and extra-curricular life of the school to be known and recognized by students
11. Stay up to date on relevant professional development with an emphasis on issues of multi-culturalism, intersectionality and diversity in counseling
12. Keep current with laws governing confidentiality as they pertain to adolescents and mental health services in schools

Requirements:

1. An advanced degree in counseling, school counseling, psychology, school psychology, or social work. A mental health license or being license-eligible is preferred.
2. Training and experience with a range of diagnostic and treatment options for a diverse high school population. Experience with adolescents in an educational setting and/or counseling centers is preferred, though those with experience that has focused on early college or late middle school years also are encouraged to apply. 
3. Training and experience with safety and risk assessment
4. A strong foundation in culturally responsive counseling including: an understanding of social and historical context of counseling, facility with cross-cultural dynamics, familiarity with cross-cultural counseling research and a strong commitment to ongoing professional and personal development in this area
5. Demonstrated cultural awareness, including knowledge of self and the cultural lenses one brings to interactions.  A successful candidate will understand different perspectives, interact respectfully with cultures other than one’s own, and cultivate meaningful relationships with people that have different cultural frameworks.
6. Ability to balance independent work and self-management while also working in a multidisciplinary team and the ability to maintain a sense of humor and see the positive in challenging situations
7. Ability to connect with adolescents while maintaining appropriate boundaries and the ability to generate and implement creative and innovative ideas for engaging and working with students
8. Strong attention to detail, written and verbal communication skills, and the ability to communicate information about complex student information in a respectful and clear manner. Familiarity and comfort using computers (PC/Windows and Microsoft Office) is essential.
9. Candidates must satisfactorily complete at least two criminal background checks

Application Process
Interested candidates should submit a brief cover letter, resume, and work history via the online application. The application is located on the Careers page of Lakeside’s website (https://www.lakesideschool.org/about-us/careers). Applications will be accepted until the position is filled. Lakeside School is an equal opportunity employer seeking to diversify its workplace

 
Salary and Benefits
Salary Range:$67,842 - $135,674 based upon experience and education.

Lakeside School is committed to attracting and retaining outstanding candidates and provides a competitive compensation package. Benefits include:

• Use of school library and gymnasium
• Paid holidays and vacation
• Computer loan program
• Passport Corporate membership
• Reduced facility rentals
• Housing assistance program
• Bus/bike benefits
• Free parking
• Free lunch
• Flexible spending accounts
• Employee Assistance Program
• Life/disability insurance
• Retirement with generous employer contribution
• Dependent medical and vision subsidy
• Employer-paid medical, dental, and vision insurance (based on FTE)

Working At Lakeside
At Lakeside we are committed to sustaining a school in which individuals representing diverse cultures and experiences instruct one another in the meaning and value of community.  To learn more about working at Lakeside, including our professional development and mentoring programs, benefits, diversity and inclusion, and opportunities for involvement in non-academic programs, please visit our Careers page on the Lakeside School website. 

 Equity in hiring: According to various studies, women and people of color are more likely to not apply for a job if they see themselves as not meeting every requirement of the posting, which means employers miss meeting potentially ideal candidates. Lakeside School is committed to building a diverse and inclusive community where employees from diverse cultures are affirmed and equipped to lead an inclusive learning environment for our students. Please apply even if you don’t meet every single requirement.

Participate in the 2025 Diversity Career Fair hosted by POCIS Northwest
Virtual: Sunday, February 9, 2025, 9am-12pm PST on Zoom
In-Person: Saturday, March 8, 2025, 9am-12pm at The Bush School
For more information and to register, visit Diversity Career Fair

About Lakeside School

The School’s Mission and shared commitment of all Lakeside employees is to develop in intellectually capable young people the creative minds, healthy bodies, and ethical spirits to contribute wisdom, compassion, and leadership to a global society. We provide a rigorous, dynamic academic program through which effective educators lead students to take responsibility for learning. We are committed to sustaining a school in which individuals representing diverse cultures and experiences instruct one another in the meaning and value of community and in the joy and importance of lifelong learning.

Connections working at Lakeside School