School Counselor

School Counselor: Secondary

Responsible for the management, implementation, coordination, and evaluation of a Comprehensive School Counseling Program. Delivers a data‑driven program that is preventative in design and developmental in nature. The program is based upon the National Model for School Counseling Programs as defined by the American School Counseling Association (ASCA). Committed to assisting every student in acquiring the knowledge, attitudes, and skills necessary to make appropriate educational, career, and personal decisions. Delivers a comprehensive program, devoting 80% of work time providing direct services to students, staff, and parents to ensure academic success for all students. Promotes conditions and creates opportunities that ensure educational equity, access, and academic success for all students as an assertive student advocate, educational leader, and effective team member.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES/RESPONSIBILITIES

• Implements a school counseling program that is data-driven, planned, sequential, and developmental.
• Provides direct services to students and families for at least 80% of time.
• Connects program outcomes to AACPS and School Improvement Plans.
• Differentiates instructional, prevention, and intervention strategies to meet the needs and issues of students.
• Delivers services in the academic, social/emotional, and career domains through a variety of modalities, including individual advising, large group guidance, and small group counseling.
• Plans activities and programs collaboratively with school-based administrators, teachers, parents, students, and student support services teams.
• Participates actively in the articulation and orientation of students.
• Assists students and families in addressing adjustment problems, including referrals as needed to other student services staff and local agencies.
• Delivers a program supporting social/emotional skill development that reduces negative behaviors and increases productive and positive behaviors between and among students.
• Provides solution-based, responsive individual counseling to provide students support for a variety of life issues.
• Facilitates crisis prevention and crisis management as a key member on the school-based crisis team.
• Reports and refers critical incidents as obligated by law, administrative regulations, and ethical standards.
• Provides educational and career planning that includes structured academic and career plans leading toward graduation and beyond, as required by MSDE and AACPS, for all senior high school students.
• Delivers programs and services through which parents of all students will acquire an understanding of expectations, roles, and procedures for monitoring students’ academic and career planning processes and progress during critical transition periods.
• Collaborates with administrators and other school staff to plan and deliver ongoing activities that ensure that students are college and career ready and meet all requirements to graduate.
• Communicates financial aid and scholarship information and resources in multiple formats, including technological tools provided by the county, to all students and parents.
• Promotes parent involvement and parent education through a variety of modalities.
• Identifies and accesses school and community resources for students and families.
• Collaborates with community, agency, and business partners to create, enhance, and extend educational and career options for students.
• Collects and uses accurate and meaningful data to plan and evaluate program effectiveness.
• Represents the school counseling department by participating in school and system-wide committees and activities, as requested by the principal or school counseling coordinator.
• Functions as a leader through advocacy, program management, and school counseling service delivery.
• Participates in designing, coordinating, and presenting professional development programs for teachers and school staff members.
• Participates in all mandatory professional development identified through the Office of School Counseling.
• Performs other related duties as assigned within the same classification or lower.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

Education

• Master's Degree in related field of education from a regionally accredited college or university required; and
• Other: Completion of three (3) semester hours of State-approved Continuing Professional Development (CPD) credits in special education coursework required.

Experience

• One (1) year experience with virtual learning technology, remote instruction platforms, Learning Management Systems, and video conferencing tools, if assigned to Virtual Academy required.

Knowledge, Skills, Abilities and Other Characteristics

• Utilizes technology effectively to deliver services that are relevant and efficient.
• Ability to adhere to ethical standards of the profession, as established by ASCA and the American Counseling Association (ACA), and relevant statutes established by federal, state, and local government.
• Awareness of, sensitivity to, and knowledge in facilitating the personal and educational goals of a multicultural student population.
• Demonstrated effectiveness in counseling work with a variety of racial/ethnic groups and diverse populations.
• Knowledge of growth and development stages of children and adolescents.
• Experience in providing outreach to diverse communities to garner support and resources to support student achievement, social skill and character development inside and outside of school.
• Ability to work effectively as part of a team or independently with staff, students, and parents.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills with the ability to speak effectively to large and small groups.
• Demonstrated proficiency with business technology applications (e.g. Microsoft Office Suite -Word, Excel, Outlook, and/or Power Point preferred) and other relevant technological tools related to the work of a school counselor.

Language Requirements

• Bilingual/Biliterate If assigned to bilingual program, bilingual and biliterate in targeted language required.

Licenses and Certifications

• Hold or be eligible for School Counselor certificate/license issued by Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) required.
• Hold or be eligible for Driver's License (DL) Class C Non-Commercial issued by Maryland or State of Legal Residence (MVA/DMV) required; and
• Daily access to reliable transportation.

Driving Requirements

• N/A

PHYSICAL DEMANDS/WORKING CONDITIONS

• Standing: under 1/3 percent of the time
• Walking: under 1/3 percent of the time
• Sitting: between 1/3 and 2/3 percent of the time
• Keyboarding: between 1/3 and 2/3 percent of the time
• Talking: between 1/3 and 2/3 percent of the time
• Hearing: between 1/3 and 2/3 percent of the time
• As required by the duties and responsibilities of the position.

Vision

• No special vision requirements

Work Environment

• Office, school or similar indoor environment: over 2/3 percent of the time

Noise Level

• Moderate: between 1/3 and 2/3 percent of the time

Weight & Force

• None:

Travel Requirements

• N/A