Director of Student Support (2023-24)

Position: Director of Student Support

(New Position for the 2023-2024 School Year - Job Description PDF linked here)

Classification: Full-time Exempt (10 month term with some responsibilities during school breaks)

Primary Reporting Relationship: Head of School

Ministry Areas: Bay Area Christian School

Interfaces: Students, parents, administrators, staff, other stakeholders as appropriate

Mission: Providing quality Christian education impacting lives for now and eternity

Profile: Our organization has a culture led by a collaborative and cohesive team that is dedicated to accomplishing our mission while living a lifestyle that demonstrates our Values:

• Gospel Restoration

• Spirit and Truth Empowerment

• Relentless Love

• Hands-On Service

• Kingdom Partnership

Employee Profile:

• Acceptance of and agreement with the Bay Area Church statement of faith and standard of conduct

• A strong, clear Christian testimony

• A lifestyle that displays an ongoing personal relationship with God and a commitment to serve Him daily

• Be (or become) a committed and active member of Bay Area Church

Job Purpose: Bay Area Christian School exists to bring glory and honor to God through all avenues of life. It is our desire to provide all students with appropriate learning experiences and support that is intentionally designed to help them fulfill their potential for intellectual, emotional, physical, social, and spiritual growth. The Director of Student Support will serve as a primary resource for students and their families to help overcome barriers that interfere with learning through the use of assessment, counseling, consultation, and coordination of school and community resources.

Major Responsibilities:

Responsive Services

• Consult through conferences, phone calls, and individual meetings with:

  • Teachers
  • Parents
  • Administrators
  • Psychologists
  • Therapists
  • Nurses
  • Other professionals

• Identify appropriate resources for referral to community resources

• Train campus faculty and staff on child abuse and how to make referrals to Childrens Protective Services; Initiate and/or assist other campus staff in making referrals to Childrens Protective Services and respond to requests for information from Childrens Protective Services

• Train campus staff on suicide prevention and respond to campus staff referrals of students who are in crisis

• Assist school administration and operations team to facilitate Emergency Operations Plan

• Conduct small group or individual counseling sessions on various topics such as:

  • Christ-centered confidence

  • Academic progress

  • Getting along with others

  • Anger management

  • Grief and loss

  • Divorce

  • Social skills

  • Special needs

  • Substance abuse

  • Family issues

  • Harassment issues

  • Coping with stress

• Assess needs of individual students and provide appropriate counsel

• Assess organizational needs to develop and implement campus counseling and intervention programs

• Establish, implement, and follow alert protocols to inform appropriate individuals and/or authorities about student threats to themselves and/or other students

Individual Planning

• Serve as a member of the school administrative team

• Consult with parents regarding student needs

• Consult with students individually in several areas, including but not limited to:

  • Development of healthy thoughts and beliefs

  • Development of adaptive and adjusted social behavior as needed

  • Development of positive work habits

System Support

• Research, develop, and implement campus support policies and procedures

• Provide leadership, training, and support to school faculty, staff, and administrators in the implementation of a comprehensive school counseling program

• Collect and analyze data to guide program priorities and activities

• Analyze support procedures and techniques to improve quality and effectiveness of care

• Participate in and contribute to administrative and leadership team meetings as needed

• Support campus programs and special events

• Contribute articles to the campus newsletter that further knowledge and understanding of the student support counseling program

• Conduct professional development for faculty and administrators to ensure the effective delivery of counseling and related services upon request

• Provide parent education programs upon request

Professional Growth and Expectations

• Stay up-to-date professionally through the selection of quality staff development opportunities for personal growth

• Research campus policy, precedent, and current practices prior to taking action

• Participate as an effective team member who contributes to campus and content goals

• Demonstrate integrity and ethics at all times

• Adhere to safety training and protocols, taking precautionary measure to ensure the safety and well-being of self and others

• Display proficient levels of technology applications

• Utilize time wisely for effective management of job responsibilities

• Maintain punctuality in daily work times, appointments, and meetings

• Meet task completion deadlines established by supervisor

• Maintain friendly, customer-service-driven interactions with all stakeholders

• Work cooperatively to ensure that the goals of the organization and department are met

• Maintain a positive and professional tone in all communication (email, written, and verbal)

• Adherence to laws, policies, procedures, and ethical standards of the counseling profession

• Adherence to the Employee Code of Conduct and the BAC Statement of Faith

• Responsible for protecting the confidentiality of any information or material obtained in the service with the organization, including but not limited to: involved parties names and information, services rendered to students and families, internal and external investigations or results of any investigations, and financial information

• Performs other tasks and responsibilities as assigned by the Head of School

Qualifications:

• Masters degree in school counseling (or counseling-related field) from an accredited college or university is required for consideration

• Valid Texas counseling certificate is preferred

• Previous experience working in a private Christian school setting preferred

Skills and Abilities:

• Desire and ability to work with students in grades K-12

• Desire and ability to integrate Biblical principles into the school counseling environment

• Working knowledge and demonstrated competency of counseling theories, guidance, and mental health interventions

• Possesses an in-depth knowledge of child development, group and individual counseling techniques, critical incident response, and community resources

• Strong organizational skills

• Ability to evaluate instructional programs and teaching effectiveness

• Ability to interpret policy, procedures, and data

• Effective communication and interpersonal skills

• Ability to instruct students and manage behavior

• Ability to engage in difficult conversations in a professional and empathetic manner

• Ability to give and receive constructive feedback

• Ability to respond to crisis situations and provide appropriate care and support

• Openness to change and innovation to meet the needs of all students

• A dedication to learn, grow and develop as a professional

• Ability to work outside of regular hours and on weekends as needed

Physical & Mental Requirements:

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to stand, walk, climb, talk, hear, and use hands/fingers for repetitive motions, typing, and other relevant work. This position requires sedentary work, which includes exerting up to 10 pounds of force occasionally and/or negligible amount of force frequently or constantly to lift, carry, push, pull or otherwise move objects, including the human body. Sedentary work involves sitting most of the time. Jobs are sedentary if walking and standing are required only occasionally and all other sedentary criteria are met. The worker is required to have close visual acuity to perform an activity such as: preparing and analyzing data and figures; transcribing; viewing a computer screen; extensive reading; visual inspection involving small figures and operation of office equipment; using measurement devices. The worker is not substantially exposed to adverse environmental conditions - most work will be indoors, involving typical office or administrative work conditions. Effective communication, concentration while performing duties; ability to maintain emotional control under stress; ability to work with frequent interruptions; interpret policy, procedures, and data. Work will require frequent prolonged and irregular hours including some evening and weekend responsibilities. Some travel will be required to attend training, meetings, field trips, conferences, and other school-related events.

(Please note: This job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities and activities may change at any time with or without notice.)