Counselor - High School

School Counselor

Reports To: Principal

Duty Days: 197 Days Elementary, 199 Days Junior High, 201 Days High School Wage/Hour Status: Exempt Pay Grade: I01

Qualifications:

• Master's degree in Counselor education
• Valid Texas counseling certificate
• Minimum three years classroom teaching experience
• Knowledge of Counseling theories, counselor ethics and school counseling procedures, including, student appraisal, and career development
• Excellent organizational, communication, and interpersonal skills
• Ability to instruct students and manage their behavior

Primary Purpose:

The school counselor uses leadership, advocacy and collaboration to meet students' developmental, educational and social-emotional needs while supporting school staff. The school guidance and counseling program is comprised of four components, including three direct service components: guidance curriculum, individual planning, responsive services, and an indirect service: system support. Guidance curriculum is delivered through groups to promote effective growth and development. Individual planning provides assistance to students as they work to meet personal, academic and career goals. Responsive services address immediate concerns. System support allows for development, maintenance and improvement to the school counseling program and to the school community as a whole.

Major Duties and Responsibilities:

Component I – Guidance Curriculum

• Provide large and small group guidance lessons, including classroom guidance.
• Conduct small student counseling groups to address specific needs.
• Coordinate peer programs by selecting, instructing and supervising students serving as peer mentors. The peer mentorship program is based on student needs and may include study skills, tutoring, peer facilitators and career development.

Component II– Individual Planning

Provide proper placement for students by assisting them in exploring, selecting, and following through on options to achieve life goals.

Assist students in exploring individual interests and characteristics through a variety of methods including self-assessments, inventories, interviews and in processing information about themselves.

Component III – Responsive Services

• Conduct group counseling sessions for students experiencing difficulty with normal developmental tasks.
• Provide students with empathetic individual counseling to identify problems and their causes, potential solutions, possible consequences and appropriate actions.
• Consult with parents, teachers, school personnel and community agencies regarding strategies to address and resolve student concerns.
• Maintain and disseminate current information related to self-exploration, post-secondary and career information, and community resources, to students and parents. Provide referral sources by utilizing professional resources of the school and community.

Component IV – System Support

• Develop the campus counseling program by assessing student, faculty and community needs and designing a program to address needs.
• Collect and use data to evaluate the counseling program to determine efficacy, areas for growth and potential changes.
• Plan and implement staff development related to Counseling and social emotional learning.
• Develop appropriate materials for staff development, classroom guidance, and group counseling sessions, consistent with program goals.
• Plan and lead guidance programs for parents which may include information dissemination and/or skill building to help them become more effective parents.
• Provide high quality customer service to assist students and promote the school counseling program, the school community.

Equipment Used: Interactive white board, computer, printer, copier, overhead projector, DVD/VCR, cellular phone, and other emerging technologies which are particularly unique to the assignment. Instructional and productivity software, as required by the assignment.

Working Conditions: Maintain emotional control under stress. Moderate lifting may be required.