School Counselor - Secondary

School Counselor – Secondary

Under the supervision of the building administrator, this position assists students in understanding their personal, emotional and academic/vocational development in light of the opportunities and demands they experience presently or may experience in the future.

Main Job Tasks and Responsibilities

Provides counsel to students

• Develops and implements a yearly counseling plan based on specific school needs to provide services for students to include: Individual Counseling; Group Counseling; Classroom Guidance; Appropriate use of social, occupational and educational assessment, planning, placement, and follow-up.
• Consults with other school counselors and counseling professionals to assist students where needed to include assisting all students in selecting an appropriate course of study in order to acquire decision-making knowledge, attitudes and skills to provide council to students with learning, physical, social, and emotional problems, through conferences held with students on the basis of teacher, parent, principal or self-referral.
• Assists parents in gaining a better understanding of the age appropriate behaviors and characteristics of their children and refer students and their parents to appropriate helping agencies or persons within and outside the school.
• Provides for consistent articulation between elementary, middle school, high school, and post high school experiences and for all transfer students.
• Collects and interprets data about students in order to assist in program planning, occupational, and/or educational placement and student adjustment.
• Assists with the collection, organization and maintenance of pertinent data relative to the educational records of each student.
• Undertakes, in a cooperative endeavor, the continuous evaluation of the ongoing effectiveness of the guidance and counseling program.
• Maintains current information regarding community agencies for information and referral.

Provides assistance to staff

• Works closely with school faculty in planning and implementing student and parent awareness programs or other programs deemed appropriate by the individual school setting.
• Consults and arranges conferences with appropriate school personnel, community agencies, and parents relative to students and their concerns.
• Assists in the administration of mandated testing, as needed.
• Stays informed and connected to the life of the school.
• Models both the school and the counselor's philosophy accurately, positively and actively in the community.
• Assumes responsibility for continued personal and professional growth in counseling, as well as the improvement of the profession.
• Serves as a participant on the school's Child Study Committee, Focus Identification/Placement Committee, and Crisis Intervention Team, as needed.

Support and demonstrate core values of Stafford Schools

• Engage in ongoing professional development relevant to position.
• Respond promptly and thoroughly to written and oral requests for information.
• Maintain a clean, neat appearance, appropriate to position.
• Maintain a record of appropriate attendance and punctuality.
• Serve as a role model for students, colleagues, and the general public.
• Work in close harmony with colleagues, supervisors, and co-workers.
• Comply with all District and School policies and regulations, including but not limited to guidelines for confidentiality.
• Perform other related duties as required/assigned.

Education and Experience

• Master's Degree from an accredited college or university and completion of an approved school guidance and counseling program.
• Two (2) years of successful full-time teaching experience or two years of successful experience in guidance and counseling.
• Complete specialized studies in school counseling elementary, middle or secondary counseling.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Knowledge
  • Child development and growth stages
  • English grammar and usage
  • Individual and group counseling techniques and subject matter pertaining to classroom guidance
  • Adherence to American Counseling Association ethical standards and guidelines
• Skills
  • Appropriate use of written and verbal communication
  • Relate positively to students, parents, and community representatives
• Abilities
  • Assess student needs and develop appropriate strategies for intervention
  • Work cooperatively in a team environment to meet goals
  • Organize and perform work independently
  • Meet deadlines for all work even when working on multiple projects
  • Show sustained effort and enthusiasm in quality and quantity of work

Working Conditions and Physical Requirements

• Work environment is inside an office, with moderate noise, temperatures that are controlled, and no exposure to chemicals or other negative air quality elements.
• The work is light work, requiring exertion of up to 20 pounds of force to move or lift objects.
• The following physical and mental abilities are representative of those expected to complete the essential functions of the job: standing for prolonged periods; sitting for prolonged periods; moving the hands, wrists, or fingers repetitively; moving with force on the back or lower body repetitively; feeling, grasping, or holding objects by hand; identifying colors visually; identifying objects in low light or distant conditions; communicating via spoken language; communicating via written language; perceiving sounds; making decisions using logic and rational thinking.

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform the essential job functions satisfactorily. Reasonable accommodations shall be made, as required by law, to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the primary job functions herein described.

Since every duty associated with this position may not be described herein, employees may be required to perform duties not specifically spelled out in the job description, but which may be reasonably considered to be incidental in the performing of their duties, just as though they were actually written out in this job description.