The Upper School Counselor is 9.5 months, administrative position and reports directly to the Division Head. This position provides a social emotional program related to the needs of the students, teachers, and parents of the Upper School Division.
ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
This job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change at any time with or without notice.
Social Emotional Program Planning
Under the direction of the Head of Upper School, develops goals and objectives to provide student programming informed by identified needs of the students, teachers, and parents.
Works collaboratively with counselors across divisions.
Initiates, plans, and coordinates student programming delivered internally or by outside speakers.
Initiates, plans, and coordinates parent education programs to be presented at periodic coffees, during the day or in the evening for parents.
Maintains a list of referrals for community resources including therapists, psychologists, psychiatrists, boarding school consultants, and maintains a strong relationship with these resources.
Communicates effectively and on a timely basis with the Division Head and Asst. Head of US for Student Life regarding social and emotional issues involving students, teachers, and parents.
Adheres to the law, policies, procedures, and ethical standards of the independent school counseling profession and state licensure rules and regulations, and Parish Episcopal School’s policies and procedures.
Regularly attend professional development programs and conferences and fulfills state licensure requirements for continuing education.
Oversees the Hope Squad peer counselor group.
Attends and helps to coordinate grade level retreats.
Maintains a yearly budget used to fund events and activities pertinent to the counseling department of the Upper School.
Serves on a variety of committees as needed.
Involvement with Students
Provides individual short-term counseling to students related to social, emotional, behavioral, developmental, and other personal issues.
Provides crisis intervention to students individually or in groups as needed.
Acts as an on-going advocate for individual students.
Facilitates presentations (to students, faculty, and/or parents) on a variety of topics as determined by the counselor and Division Head.
Involvement with Faculty/Staff
Leads weekly SST meetings with Upper School Administration, learning specialist, and others.
Provides and manages a referral system for teachers who may have concerns about a student.
Serves as a resource for faculty and staff and provides strategies for teachers to support their student’s social and emotional needs.
Develops recommendations and strategies regarding students with social or emotional concerns.
Acts as a liaison between teachers, parents, and administrators regarding student issues.
Meets regularly with Division Head to discuss perceived needs of the counselor and/or students.
Involvement with Parents
Communicates effectively and on a timely basis with parents regarding student issues or concerns.
Provides information to parents (both orally and in writing) that enables them to better understand their child’s individual needs, accomplishments, limitations, etc.
Meets with parents to discuss needs and concerns about their student.
Develops strategies for resolving/preventing student problems and provides support to parents for implementing those strategies.
MARGINAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
Marginal duties of this position include the following. Employees in this position perform some or all of the following tasks. Other duties may be assigned.
Attends Staff Development Meetings as needed
Attends School Functions as needed
Attends Conferences
Attends Chapel
SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES
No supervisory duties assigned. All school employees have some responsibility for supervising students and assisting in maintaining a safe environment.
Master’s degree or post graduate work in counseling.
A Professional license (LPC, LMFT, LCSW, etc.)
A minimum of five years’ experience in an independent school environment preferred.
Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
Thank you for exploring the professional opportunities available at Parish Episcopal School. As a place that seeks to add value to the lives of the students in our community, we search for faculty members who possess a passion for their subject, an eagerness to build meaningful relationships with those they teach and a recognition of the important place that contemplation and reflection hold in the educational process.
If you are committed to purposeful work and possess a spirit of possibility, I would invite you to learn more about Parish through our website and to apply for an appropriate position.
Parish Episcopal School is an equal opportunity employer and affords equal opportunity to all applicants for all positions without regard to race, color, religion, gender, national origin, age, disability, veteran status or any other status protected by law.