POSITION: School Counselor/Social Worker
DEPARTMENT: Student Support Services
LOCATION: Great Hearts AZ (multiple academy locations)
EEO Classification: Professionals
FLSA STATUS: Salaried-Exempt
The core responsibilities of the School Counselor) are (a) planning and oversight of the school counseling services provided; (b) managing and conducting therapy with IEP & 504 students with counseling on their plans; (c) managing and conducting therapy with general education students with counseling on their plans; (d) crisis support as needed and (e) to act as a liaison for students with social & emotional needs.
Duties and Responsibilities:
- Organizes a program that addresses school social & emotional needs
- Contributes to the development of program guidelines as appropriate.
- Cooperates with the Great Hearts lead office, community, and/or state programs
- Attends meetings, such as faculty meetings, special meetings, and parent-teacher conferences, as needed.
- Schedules interventions using a variety of service delivery models, including classroom intervention, consultation/collaboration and pull-out as appropriate to meet student needs in the least restrictive environment.
- Coordinates School Counseling services for students
- Collaborates with school personnel such as teachers, and other related service providers to best meet the needs of all students.
- Meets with related school personnel to coordinate specific objectives for individualized educational programs (IEPs).
- Safeguards confidentiality of student records.
- Adheres to established rules, regulations, laws and appropriate ethical standards.
- Demonstrates knowledge of federal, state and local rules, regulations and laws.
- Plans appropriate trainings relevant to social/ emotional health for faculty, staff or students.
Managing and Conducting Therapy with IEP/ 504 Students:
- Serves on the Student Multidisciplinary Evaluation Team (MET) and Individualized Education Program (IEP) team.
- Observes students in educational environments.
- Makes recommendations for services for IEP/504 plans.
- Writes goals for the IEP.
- Tracks Data for IEP goals and provides data & associated information on a quarterly basis.
- Plans evidence-based interventions appropriate for individual students and groups of students.
- Make all decisions regarding treatment (such as dismissal from services)
- Communicate with academy faculty, parents, and other relevant team members about plans for service.
- Write progress notes for each session
- Manage student data in SCUTA
Managing and Conducting Therapy with General Education Students:
- Collaborates/consults with classroom teachers in on social emotional development.
- Providing re-occurring direct and group school-based counseling to general education students returning and newly identified through a referral process. As the counseling is school-based it is limited in scope and duration.
- Plans evidence-based interventions appropriate for individual students and groups of students.
- Informs academy faculty and families about the frequency and duration of services
- Make all decisions regarding treatment (such as dismissal from services)
- Communicate with academy faculty, parents, and other relevant team members about plans for service.
- Write progress notes for each session
- Manage student data in SCUTA
- Responding to and providing limited-scope direct and group crisis counseling to students and staff in an emergency situation.
- As needed, responding to students experiencing active suicidal and/or homicidal ideation and threats and acute psychosis. Collaborating with families, academy administration and staff to develop a plan in response to student’s’ needs and psychiatric presentation to ensure safety for involved individuals.
- Consulting with families, Great Hearts and Academy administrative staff in assessing threat and risk to self and others.
- Providing students, families and staff referral information for local and community agencies where continued and long term support may be obtained.
- Provides consultation to parents, teachers and other appropriate school personnel.
- Seeks the assistance of teachers, parents and others to meet the communication needs of students.
- Gives written information to teachers, parents and others on ways to foster social and emotional growth
- Talks with teachers formally and informally about individual student's needs and progress.
- Consults/communicates with non-school agencies to enhance services as needed.
- Requests specific information on individual student's receiving services from non-school agencies (e.g., clinics, hospitals, physicians, health departments, day care centers, etc.) with signed release of information.
Qualifications, Competencies & Strengths:
- Master’s Degree in School Counseling or a related field
Certification
- AZ School Counselor Certificate
- Two years of school-based experience preferred.
- Outstanding oral and written communication skills.
- Ability to work independently and to establish and maintain effective and cooperative working relationships with staff and site team members.
- Ability to contribute and participate in the assessment, intervention and documentation process.
- Proficient in the use of technology.
Great Hearts offers a very competitive benefits package and overall compensation will be commensurate with talent, experience and education.
- Type of fingerprint clearance: Must possess or obtain valid Arizona Department of Public Safety IVP fingerprint clearance card.
- Physical functions: Requires but is not limited to standing, sitting, repetitious hand and body movements, bending, squatting, and reaching. May be required to move or position equipment up to 15 pounds approximately.
- This description reflects management’s assignment of essential functions, it does not exclude or restrict the tasks that may be assigned.
Great Hearts Academies is an Equal Opportunity Employer.