School Counselor - Alternative Education

Job Summary

To serve as a key member of the Alternative Education program by initiating and maintaining school counseling services designed to support students growth and development.

Essential Duties

1. Assists students in understanding their aptitudes and abilities through the interpretation of individuals standardized test scores and other pertinent data and works with students to develop educational and occupational plans.
2. Remain readily available to students to provide counseling that will lead each student to increased personal growth self-understanding and maturity.
3. Takes an active role in interpreting the schools objectives to students parents and the community-at-large.
4. Works with teachers students and other staff members to familiarize them with the general range of services offered by Student Support Services.
5. Supports the design implementation coordination and evaluation of comprehensive evidence-based intervention programs for the emotional and behavioral support program of individual students.
6. Assists the educational delivery team in identifying the unmet relational and functional needs of the student to address ineffective coping behaviors and develop adaptive social emotional and academic competencies.
7. Engages in job duties with an awareness of trauma-informed practices and methods to build resilience in an alternative setting.
8. Assists teachers and other classroom staff in monitoring individual student behavior for the purpose of increasing knowledge of staff and meeting the emotional and functional needs of the student.
9. Models and supports the in-class implementation of behavioral strategies to assist the student in strengthening coping mechanisms and developing identified skills reducing disruptive or dangerous behaviors and increasing academic learn
10. Supports the supervision of students to ensure a safe non-threatening nurturing environment where students can participate and thrive in alternative learning environments. Establish behavioral and safety plans for target learners to support preventative and positive alternatives to suspension.
11. Engages parents in understanding the intervention plan and empowers parents by providing information on how families may incorporate successful techniques within the home setting (as needed).
12. Collects behavioral data to assist in the development and delivery of appropriate intervention programs and assesses the ability to fade to naturalistic supports at the base school.
13. Maintains records related to the development and implementation of a students intervention program for fidelity and outcome monitoring.
14. Participates in or facilitates team meetings with identified staff and parents for the purposes of identifying unmet emotional and functional needs developing response plans and establishing a plan for reporting progress.
15. Performs such other duties and assumes such other responsibilities as assigned by the Principal and/or Director.

Job Specifications

To perform this job successfully an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge skill and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities who are otherwise qualified to perform the essential functions.

Minimum Qualifications (Knowledge Skills and/or Abilities Required)

A postgraduate professional license with an endorsement as a school counselor is required. Experience in classroom teaching alternative education and/or behavioral health is preferred. Such alternatives to the above qualifications as the School Board or Superintendent may find appropriate and acceptable.

Working Conditions & Physical 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. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions. Must have the ability to sit and stand for extended periods of time; exhibit manual dexterity hear and understand speech at normal levels; speak in audible tones so that others may understand clearly; physical agility to lift up to 25 pounds; to bend stoop climb stairs walk and reach overhead.

Work Environment

The work environment characteristics 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 the essential functions. The noise level in the work environment is usually low to moderate.

This job description in no way states or implies that these are the only duties to be performed by this employee. The SchoolCounselor Alternative Educationwill be required to follow any other instructions and to perform any other related duties as assigned by the Principal or appropriate administrator. Bedford County Public Schools reserves the right to update revise or change this job description and related duties at any time.