Counselor - Meridith-Dunbar ECA

P rimary Purpose:

The school counselor advocates for and supports all students in their personal, social, academic and career development. This is accomplished through a variety of approaches including, but not limited to, delivery of guidance curriculum in various group sizes to support student development; individual and group counseling; individual student planning and goal-setting activities; consultation and coordination activities to support student success, and effective interpretation of student assessment data.

Qualifications:

Education/Certification:
• Master's Degree
• Texas School Counselor Certification or LPC
• Minimum two creditable years of teaching experience

Special Knowledge/Skills:

• Knowledge of counseling procedures, student appraisal, and career development
• Excellent organizational, communication, and interpersonal skills
• Ability to provide parent and staff training and consultation to foster student, educational, career, personal and social development

Experience:

• Two creditable years of teaching experience

Major Responsibilities and Duties

Guidance Curriculum

1. Plan, organize, implement, and deliver structured group lessons according to the district's guidance curriculum to improve students' interpersonal and intrapersonal effectiveness, personal health and safety, post-secondary planning and readiness, and other developmental needs.
2. Teach the school guidance curriculum components through the use of effective instructional strategies and planned structured groups considering diverse student populations and needs for differentiated instruction.
3. Work with students, staff, parents or guardians, and the community to identify priorities where students will be served through the guidance curriculum component. Collaborate across curricular areas to integrate guidance lessons into content area curriculum.
4. Create a balanced curriculum by using well-planned and intentional activities and materials, incorporating guest speakers, and offering engaging delivery techniques, including technology tools.

Responsive Services

1. Use accepted theories and effective techniques of developmental guidance to respond to problematic or critical incidents to support students and offer services in time of need.
2. Use preventive activities to remove barriers that interfere with a student's educational, career, personal, and social development.
3. Implement remediation practices to assist students in coping with problem situations or unwise choices. Identify precipitating and antecedent factors, effective and ineffective approaches to dealing with the circumstances, and provide feedback to guide future decisions.
4. Use specialized skills to support students in crisis situations requiring immediate response. Maintain a healthy and safe school environment by collaborating with district staff, parents or guardians, and local officials.
5. Provide continued support to students in need through individual counseling, small group counseling, consultation, or referral to services outside the school or district.
6. Serve as an impartial, non-reporting resource for interpersonal conflicts and discourse involving two or more students, including accusations of bullying.

Individual Planning

1. Create school counseling services that are developmental and age appropriate and provide information or literature that highlights related topics to students, teachers, and administrators.
2. Assist individual students and their parents or guardians in monitoring their academic, career, personal, and social development as they progress in school.
3. Act as a student advocate, leader, collaborator, and systems change agent.
4. Advocate for a school environment that acknowledges and respects diversity and ensures equitable access and placement in courses and programs for minority, disenfranchised, homeless, and other special populations.
5. Interpret standardized test results, offer career development activities, provide strategies for grade level transitions, and guide students in individual goal setting and planning including creating and reviewing personal graduation plans and providing information about post-secondary opportunities.
6. Guides and advises students and their parents/guardians regarding the importance of higher education, coursework designed to prepare students for higher education, and financial aid availability and requirements

System Support

1. Collect, summarize, and interpret testing data to plan, create interventions, guide students, and address specific student needs.
2. Conduct an annual program audit to inform accountability, action plans, time management, and systemic change.
3. Participate in campus-based school improvement planning and goal setting.
4. Provide parent or guardian and staff training and consultation to foster student educational, career, personal, and social development.
5. Clearly articulate and communicate the counseling program's management system and related program action plans to campus and district staff, parents or guardians, and the community.
6. Participate in staff development and continuing education opportunities to improve job-related skills and research to identify best practices in implementing a comprehensive school counseling program.

Other Related Duties

1. Compile, maintain, and file all reports, records, and other documents.
2. Comply with policies established by federal and state law, State Board of Education rule, and board policy. Comply with all district and campus routines and regulations.
3. Adhere to legal, ethical, and professional standards for school counselors including current professional standards of competence and practice.
4. Follow district safety protocols and emergency procedures.
5. Perform other tasks as may be assigned by Supervisor/Superintendent.

Supervisory Responsibilities:

Supervise assigned counseling aide(s) and clerical employee(s).


Mental Demands/Physical Demands/Environmental Factors:

Mental Demands:

• Communicate effectively (verbal and written)
• Maintain professional and emotional composure
• Promote a positive, caring environment
• Work with and respond consistently and equitably to all personnel, students, and parents/guardians
• Communicate and support expectations that are consistent with district counseling program objectives
• Interpret policies and procedures
• May work prolonged or irregular hours

Tools/Equipment Used : Personal computer and peripherals; standard instructional equipment

Posture: Prolonged sitting; frequent standing, kneeling/squatting, bending/stooping, pushing/pulling, and twisting

Motion: Frequent walking

Lifting: Regular light lifting and carrying (less than 15 pounds); occasional physical restraint of students to control behavior

Environment: Work inside, may work outside