TITLE:  School Counselor

EMPLOYMENT STATUS: Exempt

REPORTS TO:  Principal and/or Associate Principal

DEGREE REQUIRED: Bachelor’s degree & Appropriate California Pupil Personnel Services Credential

Purpose:

School counselors assist students at all levels. They act as advocates for students’ well-being, and as valuable resources for their educational advancement. The School Counselor provides counseling services to pupils, parents and faculty in order to assist pupils in making appropriate decisions regarding school programs.  In addition, they assist pupils in the development and maintenance of positive relationships with teachers, administrators and peers.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

Guidance Lessons:

• Listen to students’ concerns about academic, emotional or social problems

• Help students process their problems and plan goals and action

• Mediate conflict between students and teachers and/or fellow students

• Improve parent/teacher relationships

• Assist with college applications, jobs and scholarships

• Facilitate drug and alcohol prevention programs

• Organize peer counseling programs

• Refer students to psychologists and other mental health resources

• Work on academic boards to improve learning conditions

• Uses appropriate content and materials for grade level.

• Delivers lessons effectively.

Small Group and Individual Counseling:

• Guidance is accessible to all students.

• Responds in a timely manner to scheduling/counseling referrals.

• Regularly meets with students to design or review academic plan.

Prevention/Intervention Services:

• Demonstrates involvement with Student Success Teams.

• Assists in implementation or support of conflict resolution/peer mediation programs.

• Participates in crisis response.

Consultation and Collaboration:

• Establishes professional relationships with staff, parents and students.

• Provides knowledge and support of site/organization programs for student services.

• Promotes team approach to problem solving.

• Facilitates and interprets academic/career assessments.

• Provides knowledge of academic and support resources in the community and makes appropriate referrals and follow up.

• Provides/assists in guidance related staff in-services.

Program Coordination:

• Assists in planning, evaluating and revising site counseling and guidance program

• Establishes a calendar of guidance activities.

• Promotes counseling and guidance program to students, parents and staff.

• Promotes equity and access for all students.

• Advocates for student needs.

Other Related Duties:

• Provides orientation for students and their parents, giving information about attendance, school expectations, educational alternatives and other organization’s standards.

• Meets with new students that enroll during the year and their parents, to discuss student needs and school expectations.

• Maintains profiles of each student in a database, including attendance patterns and school citizenship; monitors students and keeps information current.

• Builds individual student schedules that respond to student needs and goals.

• Assists in designing, implementing, and monitoring master schedule of classes   

• Attends appropriate in-service training, workshops and meetings as assigned to keep informed of current practices and trends in school counseling.

• Provides first aid and CPR if needed.

• Performs other related duties as may be assigned by the site administrator

Knowledge of:

• Program organization

• School guidance curriculum delivered to all students.

• Individual student planning.

• Responsive services

• School counselor and administrator agreement.

• Advisory council

• Student monitoring

• Results evaluation

• Program audit

• Technology and computer software applications relative to counseling services, including student database and scheduling programs.

• Curriculum, instruction and assessment processes and how they should operate in an effective school.

• Effective management practices

• Community Resources

• Child Development

• Conflict Resolution

• Effective time management principles

• Thorough knowledge of counseling practices.

Qualifications:

• Stimulate and motivate students.

• Establish and maintain cooperative relationships with students, school personnel, parents, coworkers and the public.

• Communicate effectively in English language both orally and in writing.

• Meet schedules and timelines

• Organize and sequence activities.

• Work independently with appropriate direction.

• Analyze situations accurately and adopt an effective course of action.

• Learn and use technology and computer software applications as appropriate to the work environment.

• Use tact, patience and courtesy when dealing with people.

• Use initiative and judgment in discussing problems with the public and School staff, involving office practices and policies.

• Understand and be sensitive to those of culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds.

• Engaging interpersonal skills and strong speaking/writing skills.

• Effective working with groups.

• Collaborative working style and strong work ethic.

• Commitment to professional growth.

• Ability to pass criminal background check required

• TB test screening required

Experience:

• Previous successful experience as a counselor in a school environment.

Licenses and Certificates:

• Bachelor’s degree & Appropriate California Pupil Personnel Services Credential

• Possession of a valid Class C California driver’s license (as appropriate to the assignment).

• Valid CPR/First Aid certificate

Physical Demands:

Ability to move around the office, classroom and around campus. Sitting is done at the desk with forward bending from the waist, leaning on the forearms, and looking down which requires neck flexion. It is necessary to grasp and manipulate pens, markers, scissors, staplers, etc., either occasionally or frequently, depending on the day. May use computers, overhead projectors, Interactive whiteboards, etc. which would require a 10-pound force to push or pull the projector stand. The overhead projector requires 5 pounds of force to move. When working with equipment it may also be necessary to forward bend, squat, and/or kneel.

Work Environment:

This position works in a variety of settings including classrooms and outdoors and may experience heat or cold extremes as well as fumes, odors, dust, noise level is moderate to loud.