Student & Family Mental Health Counselor - Middle and High Schools

Student & Family Mental Health Counselor - Middle and High Schools

Location: In-person / CIST Admin Office and Designated Campuses / Austin, Texas and surrounding suburbs

Employment Type: Full-time /week, Exempt

Reports to: Senior Director of Mental Health Services

Supervises: This position does not supervise.

Starting Salary: $5,000 / month (contingent on experience)

About Communities In Schools

Rooted in community for over 40 years, Communities In Schools of Central Texas (CISCT) is a sophisticated 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization in Austin, Texas. Communities In Schools (CIS) is a national organization that ensures every student has what they need to realize their full potential in school and beyond. At CISCT, our mission is simple: surround students with a community of support, empowering them to stay in school and achieve in life. We are a nearly $24 million organization serving tens of thousands of students annually across Central Texas.

Position Summary

The Student and Family Mental Health Counselor works in partnership with the CISCT Program Manager and coordinates the provision of counseling and social services in a public school setting to middle and high school-aged students and their families facing obstacles to academic and personal success. This position provides direct mental health and counseling services to students, families, and groups. This position also coordinates community resources to assist clients in obtaining and maintaining appropriate mental health services. The Student and Family Mental Health Counselor collaborates and consults with CISCT and school personnel, parents/guardians, and community partners to create greater understanding of students’ needs and effective interventions to meet those needs, which will be a primary or secondary level focus. The Student and Family Mental Health Counselor is classified as a Critical Infrastructure Employee (CIE), necessary for the operation of CIS, and will perform their work on-site at designated campuses. Counselors will frequently travel between assigned campuses. Due to programming requirements, this position is not eligible for the summer break.

What You’ll Do

• Complete assessments for the identified client and design culturally appropriate interventions to remove barriers to learning and promote academic and social and emotional success
• Provide individual and group counseling to targeted students applying specialized clinical knowledge and advanced clinical skills in the areas of assessment, diagnosis and treatment of mental, emotional, and behavioral disorders and conditions in children and adolescents
• Provide crisis intervention during critical situations at CIS campuses
• Collaborate with CIS Program Managers on assigned campuses to gather recommendations for targeted students or families to receive mental health services
• Provide relevant referrals and coordinate community resources to meet client needs.
• Conduct family engagement visits in accordance with agency standards and expectations
• Monitor identified client’s progress towards goals
• Document all services in accordance with CIS and professional standards
• Communicate with CIS Program Managers on a regular basis to seek input and report on identified client(s) progress
• Coordinate and/or deliver trainings and workshops for teachers, school personnel and parents/guardians
• Participate in the CIS team approach to service delivery and problem solving
• Promote and maintain agency culture, standards, and systems
• Provide ongoing counseling services through summer (June & July)
• Perform other activities and duties as directed by the Senior Director of Mental Health Services

What You Bring

• Master’s degree in social work, counseling, psychology or related field
• Current active, unrestricted LCSW, LPC, LMFT, LMHC, or clinical psychologist license in Texas
• Minimum of three (3) years of experience (not including post-graduate internships) in the areas of assessment, diagnosis and treatment of mental, emotional and
• behavioral disorders, and case management
• Experience working with children and adolescents in high-risk populations
• Demonstrated cultural competence when engaging diverse audiences including students, families, team members, school personnel, volunteers, and community partners
• Demonstrated ability to build and maintain positive and productive relationships to effectively collaborate with CIS staff, school personnel and community partners
• Highly self-motivated and able to work both autonomously and collaboratively
• Demonstrated ability to set and manage priorities in a dynamic environmentShared lived experience as the communities CIS services
• Valid Texas Driver’s License and reliable transportation
• Bilingual ability in Spanish and English
• Experience working in a school-based setting
• At least two (2) years of experience working and serving the family system as a client (to include adults).

Why Join CIS?

• Mission-driven wor
• Professional growth – Ongoing training, supervision, and career pathways into director-level roles.
• Community impact – Build partnerships that extend beyond the classroom.
• Generous paid time off: 4+ weeks of holidays, 2 weeks of vacation time, personal days and sick days
• Comprehensive Health Coverage: 100% employer-paid employee medical plan available, plus family subsidies, dental, vision, life, disability insurance, and 403(b) retirement plan with employer match
• Community-centered culture focused on impact, growth, and connection

Communities In Schools of Central Texas is proud to be an equal opportunity employer.