School Counselor

School Counselor

The school counselor works with the principal in carrying out the school's guidance and counseling program. As a professional educator with a mental health perspective, the counselor understands and responds to the challenges presented by today's diverse student population. The counselor provides proactive leadership to engage all stakeholders in the delivery of programs and services to support the students' academic achievement, career preparation, personal and social development. The school counselor may be assigned at the elementary, middle, or high school level.

The employee works with a high level of independence and professional discretion under the general supervision of a designated school administrator. The employee's work is governed, controlled, and evaluated by acceptable professional practice, school and district policies and regulations, provisions of the New Mexico Public Education Department, direction of the supervisor, and performance standards and expectations as set forth in the collective bargaining agreement.

Duties and responsibilities include:

1. Implements the district's counseling and intervention program and serves as a resource for building staff, administrators, and parents in working with students, creating positive school climate, and helping students develop a positive self-concept. Consults with district administration and building staff with respect to development of the curriculum to meet the identified needs of students. Participates or leads development of positive behavior support systems and development of intervention strategies.
2. At the elementary level, provides for early identification and intervention of students' academic and personal/social needs to help remove barriers to learning, promote academic achievement, and create a foundation for future success.
3. At the middle school level, provides a comprehensive developmental school counseling program to create a supportive climate and atmosphere whereby young adolescents can cope with the passage from childhood to adolescence and achieve academic success. The middle school counselor helps students explore a variety of interests; connect their learning in the classroom to its practical application in life and work; adjust to high levels of activity coupled with frequent fatigue due to rapid growth; search for their own unique identity as they begin turning more frequently to peers for ideas and affirmation.
4. At the high school level, assists students in the final transition into adulthood and the world of work as the students are beginning to separate from parents and explore and define their independence. Helps students evaluate their strengths, skills, and abilities, explore career choices, and develop decision making skills. Provides programs and support to students as they face increased pressure regarding high-risk behaviors. High School counselors enhance the learning process and promote academic achievement by helping students acquire positive social skills and values, set appropriate career goals, and realize full academic potential to become productive, contributing members of the world community.
5. Provides school orientation to new students and plans for and assists students in grade level transition. Develops and manages both school and individual student schedules. Determines student placement and, at the secondary level, guides students in course selection. Coordinates the process for identification of students with educational handicaps and report these to the appropriate district personnel. Provides academic, vocational, and personal counseling to students. Assists students at the secondary level in post-secondary planning and application and portfolio processes.
6. Works directly with students to help them learn how to manage themselves, improve study and test-taking skills, organize information, make decisions, and deal with change. Guides and assists students in peer relationships and in developing effective coping skills necessary to refuse participation in substance abuse, physical violence, or other at-risk behaviors. Provides individual and small-group counseling to support peer mediation and crisis intervention.
7. Coordinates the effort necessary for the referral of families to special in-district and out of district services. Assists with staff training, including training in the identification of high-risk youth and effective interaction with those students in the school setting. Provides referrals for students and their families related to use, misuse and abuse of drugs, alcohol, and tobacco.
8. Makes class and community presentations in such areas as study skills, goal setting, career awareness and the work of work, substance abuse education, parenting, school-to-work, and multicultural/diversity awareness.
9. Coordinates or assist in the school's standardized testing program and interprets test results to teachers, students, and parents.
10. Initiates and maintains adequate student and office records and school data basis for the coordination of a student's total program.
11. Upholds the standards of the counseling profession by:
1. Meeting state competency standard and the requirements for preparation.
2. Participating in the development of policies concerning guidance and counseling.
3. Keeping abreast in new development of policies concerning guidance and counseling.
4. Keeping abreast to new developments and innovations within the profession at the local, state, and national levels.
5. Following the legal and ethical standards of the counseling profession.
12. Performs other duties as assigned.

Minimum qualifications include:

1. Successful completion of a master's degree in Counseling
2. Valid Counseling License issued by NM PED
3. Demonstrated ability to apply and effectively use a variety of personal and family counseling models.
4. Skills and ability to serve as an educational leader including the ability to plan, organize, and facilitate staff meetings, planning processes, and cultural community projects and events.
5. Strong assessment, analytical and diagnostic skills.

Physical and environmental requirements include:

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is frequently required to sit, talk, move about, hear and speak.

The employee must routinely lift and carry materials weighing up to 50 lbs. and may be required to restrain students weighing more than 100 lbs. most typically when required intervene in student safety issues.

Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and the ability to focus.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee occasionally works in outside weather conditions. The employee is occasionally exposed to wet/or humid conditions, fumes, or airborne particles, toxic or caustic chemicals. It may be expected that the individual could be exposed to blood or other potentially infectious materials during their duties. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate but can be loud on occasion.

The information contained in this job description is for compliance with the American with Disabilities Act (A.D.A.) 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.