SCHOOL COUNSELOR

Bethlehem Elementary School

Full-time Permanent Position 

General Statement of Job

Promote student success, provide preventive services, and respond to identified student needs by implementing a comprehensive school counseling program that addresses academic, career, and personal/social development for all students.

Required education

• Master’s degree in School Counseling or 24 semester hours of the program completed.
• Experience working with students with special needs and/or mental health needs.
• Such alternatives to the above qualifications as the Board may find appropriate or acceptable.

Essential duties and responsibilities

• Assists social emotional learning supplemental and intensive support to students in the classroom setting: consults with educators to provide social-emotional learning/behavior interventions; provides assistance and recommendations concerning social-emotional lessons and implementations of said lessons.
• Exhibits positive behavior towards students, parents, and staff.
• Represents the needs of the school, students, and parents to the community in a positive manner.
• Assists staff with understanding and adhering to school policy/rules as well as laws.
• Maintain appropriate documentation regarding communication made with school staff, parents/guardians/families, and/or outside agencies.
• Communicates with outside agencies involved and/or linking the student/family to outside agencies as needs demand.
• Analyzes data to develop and enhance programs, strategies, and develop data-driven goals that align with the school improvement plan.
• Maintains current knowledge of research and best practices within the profession.
• Cultivates knowledge of social-emotional learning and provides leadership to school staff regarding implementation.
• Participate in professional development activities to improve knowledge and skills.
• Other responsibilities assigned by the Executive Director of EC/Student Support Services.

Essential knowledge and abilities

• Ability to maintain confidentiality of student information.
• Ability to respond appropriately to crisis situations.
• Ability to follow detailed instructions (written and verbal).
• Working knowledge of effective methods of dealing with children.
• General knowledge of adapting instruction, equipment, and tools for students with behavioral or social-emotional learning needs.
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships as necessitated by working assignments.
• Knowledgeable of Section 504 as it relates to school-aged children.
• Ability to communicate clearly and concisely (written and verbal); ability to communicate with school personnel, students, and parents while complying with the confidentiality requirement in local, state, and federal policies and statutes.
• Speak to individuals or groups of people competently.
• Respond adequately to inquiries or complaints to build customer focus.
• Apply principles of logic or scientific reasoning to define problems, collect data, establish facts, and draw valid conclusions.
• Perform under stress, deal with persons acting under stress and adapt when confronted with emergency situations.
• Be sensitive to cultural differences among individuals and groups of persons.
• Physical ability (able to exert up to 20 pounds of force occasionally) and dexterity to perform the duties and responsibilities of the job, such as walk, lift, stoop, stand, kneel, grasp, crouch, and required repetitive motions.
• Physical ability to lift students of various weights independently and with shared responsibilities.
• Position is contingent of finishing all required duties and may involve minimal extended employment beyond the school year.
• Ability to travel between school sites.
• Knowledge of positive behavioral supports, de-escalation strategies, and trauma-informed practices.

The knowledge and abilities described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions.

DISCLAIMER
 

The preceding job description has been designed to indicate the general nature and level of work performed by employees within this classification. It is not designed to contain or be interpreted as a comprehensive inventory of all duties, responsibilities, and qualifications required of employees to this job.