Sandia Preparatory School is seeking an experienced, enthusiastic school counselor and educator to join our team. The position is open for the spring semester, starting in January 2026. We have a dynamic health and wellness team, where the school counselor provides invaluable counseling services and health education to support the well-being of our students. Developing relationships and collaborating with our teachers, administration, and families to serve students and implementing a school-wide program are the heart of this position. Essential functions of this middle and upper school (6 - 12 grade) position are as follows:

• Deliver comprehensive school counseling services that align with the ASCA National Model, New Mexico School Counselor Competencies, and integrate counseling services within the existing school culture and framework for delivery of student support services.
• Within Middle School PE/Health class time, deliver best practices and responsive classroom prevention and health education related to mental health and well-being. 
• Provide responsive short-term counseling, consultation, crisis intervention, and peer facilitation as needed, with students in grades 6 - 12. This may include developmentally appropriate solution-focused brief counseling, check-in/check-out, conflict resolution, and social skill building, etc. 
• Build relationships while understanding and maintaining student confidentiality and boundaries, with knowledge of current laws and ethical standards relevant to providing mental health care to adolescents in a school setting.
• Collaboration and working as a team with teachers, administrators, wellness team, and families is a core component of the work: participation in student support team meetings, consultation with teachers and parents, wellness meetings, grade-level and department meetings.
• Supporting student accommodation plans, to address social, emotional, and behavioral needs, and giving recommendations to teaching teams.
• Clinical consultation with the school psychologist and school nurse, with consideration of when to refer, seek additional assessment, and communication with community-based providers for longer-term mental health needs. 
• Assist with program development and administration to support students’ development of social-emotional learning skills, including emotional and behavioral self-regulation and self-awareness, communication with peers and adults, conflict resolution, and application of these skills within the school day and within their social life with peers.
• Serve as a grade-level advisor and participate in extracurricular activities, such as field trips, outdoor leadership, and program activities, after school/evening/weekend events.  These additional roles are essential to understanding student life, building relationships, and the culture of the school.
   

Education & Experience

• Master’s Degree or higher, educational background in a relevant professional field of study.
• Licensed as a school counselor through the New Mexico Public Education Department is strongly preferred. Licensed providers for clinical practice in New Mexico (LPCC, LSW, Psychologist, etc.) will be considered, in combination with school-based experience with adolescents. 
• Three years (minimum) of experience working in a school setting, middle and/or high school level preferred.
• Knowledge of differences between short-term, school-based, and developmentally appropriate counseling models and other types of counseling is essential.
• Expertise and experience with documentation of child abuse/neglect, intervening with a potential suicide, bullying, sexual harassment, and any other laws directly affecting the role of the school counselor. 
• Prior teaching experience of social-emotional and health content, classroom, and small group.
• Familiarity with private or independent school culture is desirable.
• Passion and experience working with adolescents, in a counseling and educational capacity, ages 12 – 19.

About Sandia Preparatory School

Connections working at Sandia Preparatory School