Secondary School Counselor (6-12)

Job Summary

The Secondary School Counselor is responsible for implementing evidence-based programs and serve as liaison between the schools and the counseling providers.  The Counselor implements and monitors evidence-based programs while working closely with staff and administrators to provide appropriate programming for students and professional development training to parents.  Occasional evenings and weekends are required. 

Essential Functions

• Counsel individuals and small groups to help them understand and overcome personal, social, or behavioral problems affecting their educational situations.
• Provide crisis intervention to students when difficult situations occur at school.
• Confer with parents or guardians, teachers, administrators, and other professionals to discuss children's progress, resolve behavioral, academic, and other problems, and to determine priorities for students and their resource needs.
• Prepare students for later educational experiences by encouraging them to explore learning opportunities and to
• persevere with challenging tasks.
• Evaluate students' abilities, interests, and personality characteristics using tests, records, interviews, or professional
• Counsel students regarding educational issues, such as course and program selection, class scheduling and
• registration, school adjustment, truancy, study habits, and education planning.
• Provide special services such as alcohol and drug prevention programs and classes that teach students to handle
• conflicts without resorting to violence.
• Conduct follow-up interviews with students to determine if their needs have been met.
• Consult parents, teachers, administrators, and other appropriate people to enhance their work with students.
• Compile, maintain and file all required physical and computerized reports, records, and other documents.
• Collaborate with school personnel to obtain resources for students and parents.
• Use an effective referral process to help students and others use community resources.
• Implement evidence-based programs and serve as liaison between the school and counseling providers.
• Work with teachers to resolve students’ issues interfering with school academics.
• Provide counseling, crisis intervention and prevention to students to address any educational or developmental
• blocks to academic progress.
• Develop programs to help students with poor academic records and behavior problems.
• Continually monitor the mental well-being of students and facilitate linkage to appropriate services as needed.
• Provide consultation and documentation regarding students’ functioning, placement stability and service needs.
• Participate in and comply with all meetings, assignments, process improvement, and quality improvement initiatives
• as assigned by supervisor.
• Provide early intervention to reduce or eliminate stress within or between individuals or groups.
• Problem-solving services to students, parents, school personnel, or community agencies.
• Early identification of students at risk.
• Work with various groups in school to develop coping, social, and decision-making skills
• Co-manage the School Health Advisory Committee (SHAC) as a governing body advocating for health and wellness for the District
• Other duties as assigned

Other Functions

• Attend monthly school meetings and in-service training as specified by campus administration.
• Maintain professional development requirements to improve skills related to job assignment.
• Build community partnerships to leverage services and support for students and their families.
• Able to react to change productively and handle other essential tasks as assigned.

Qualifications and Requirements

• Master’s degree from an accredited institution of higher learning in school counseling or closely related field
• Three (3) years experience and documented competence in counseling children, specifically minority, at-risk low-income students in school settings
• Knowledge of school counseling procedures, student assessment and college/career awareness and readiness requirements
• Knowledge of Texas graduation requirements
• Knowledge and experience working with diverse and underserved populations
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills
• Ability to work in partnership with others and coordinate a working team in the accomplishment of a project

Preferred

• Texas School Counselor Certification
• Bilingual English/Spanish