School Mental Health Counselor

POSITION SUMMARY 

The role of a School Mental Health Counselor is to provide high quality services in contracted Jewish day schools addressing the age-appropriate, emotional and social developmental needs of children.  The School Mental Health Counselor is a resource for parents, teachers and school administrator to help foster collaboration to promote the students’ overall wellbeing. The role of the School Mental Health Counselor is to provide high quality services consistent with the agency’s mission and professional practice.   The School Mental Health Counselor must uphold the agency’s mission and values and be a loyal ambassador of the agency.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Provides professional support and guidance to teachers and addresses specific student needs and behaviors
• Provides classroom observations for the purpose of
  1. addressing group interactions and dynamics
  2. addressing the needs of a specific student, with written consent from parents
• Involves parents, teachers and other professionals who are appropriate in a team approach to address a child's specific needs
• Provides guidance and redirects behavior which may interfere with the child's learning and development and increases opportunities for growth
• Refers student for ongoing counseling and specific professional services, as appropriate
• Consults individually with parents or teachers, as appropriate
• Provides in-service training to teachers concerning appropriate developmental changes and constructive classroom responses such as,
  1. expectant age-appropriate responses to life cycle changes
  2. age-appropriate responses to life cycle changes and constructive parental/adult responses
  3. age-appropriate responses to situational crisis and constructive parental/adult responses
• Provides group services to children and parents
• Serves as liaison to schools
• Maintain a workload as assigned

• Conducts workshops and responds to requests for speakers on a wide range of topics
• Works in a fiscally responsible manner when dealing with a budget
• Maintains an adequate system of statistical reporting and accounting of services and activities
• Fosters Agency relationships by creating an atmosphere of communication
• Develops and coordinates community outreach efforts including conferences, workshops and speaking opportunities.
• Physical Requirement: The School Mental Health Counselor must be able to be present at meetings both at the office and throughout the community; must be able to communicate through written or dictated material.

• Graduate from an accredited master's level school with course work emphasizing clinical training.
• LMSW, LCSW, LPC, LPC-A, PhD
• Experience working with children and adolescents
• Ability to convey empathy and concern for individuals and their families
• Ability to be flexible to handle the versatility of the position and its periodic crises
• Effective communications skills: Verbal, Written

BENEFITS

• JFS offers excellent benefits, including health, dental and vision insurance, generous paid vacation days, and a 403B match.

JFS provides equal employment opportunities without regard to race, religion, ethnicity, age, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability and veteran status, except in the case of those positions in which religion is, in the opinion of JFS, an essential factor.  Employment opportunities include but are not limited to recruitment, employment placement, promotion, demotion, transfer, termination, compensation, use of facilities and participation in JFS sponsored events.  JFS is an E-Verify participant.