Sinai Akiba Academy is a preeminent private Jewish day school in Los Angeles, serving students in Early Childhood through Grade 8. Sinai Akiba Academy is undergirded by our school mission to engage students in the joy and discipline of learning, and nurture a community of ethical, critical thinkers who, shaped by our evolving Jewish tradition, walk through the world with confidence and humility.

POSITION SUMMARY

Sinai Akiba Academy seeks a School Counselor to join our vibrant learning community. The Counselor provides social, behavioral, mental health and personal support to students in grades Kindergarten-8th grade. The Counselor should be comfortable assisting students, parents, and faculty in solving social, emotional, and mental health concerns and facilitating student wellness. The Counselor will work to develop and implement school-wide, grade level, group, and individual social and emotional support programs, as well as provide resources for our school community.

The Counselor will serve as a key member of the K-8th grade administrative and educational teams as a member of the Student Services Department. The Counselor will participate in regular Administrative and Educational Leadership team meetings and Grade Level Faculty meetings and responsibilities and initiatives will be carried out in close collaboration with the General Studies Division Heads and student support services team. The Counselor will participate in weekly team meetings engaging in student case consultation and program planning.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Providing individual student consultation and short-term individual therapy, crisis intervention and group counseling. The primary responsibility of the Counselor is to provide social, emotional, and mental health support to K-8 SAA students utilizing individual and group treatment modalities. The Counselor is responsible for the provision of these services with the highest degree of ethical standards.
• Serving as a resource for Faculty and Staff: The Counselor will be an objective, available resource to the adults in the community, even though students are the Counselor’s primary responsibility. The Counselor will be available for consultation and student observation and provide faculty/staff with information on topics such as child development, group dynamics, conflict resolution, and social-emotional health and wellness and will offer in-service training as needed. The Counselor will also consult with teachers on the interpretation of diagnostic testing, use of medications as well as advise faculty/staff regarding internal and external issues affecting the mental health of students (e.g., divorce, cliques and bullying, emergency aftermath, etc.).
• Assisting with creating and implementing the middle school advisory program, and supporting the implementation of the K-8th Grade SEL Program, RULER
• Partnering with teachers, specialists, families, and the academic and learning support team to create and manage IEP (Individualized Student Support Plan) implementation
• Maintaining Confidential Records: The Counselor will be considered a professional resource. As such, the Counselor shall exhibit professionalism through care in communicating, maintenance of objectivity, and discretion with regard to requirements for confidentiality. The Counselor will adhere to established Ethical Standards of practice. The Counselor will also be expected to be able to maintain appropriate documentation and electronic records for students using the school database management software.
• Serving as a resource for Parents and Families: The Counselor will work with the Division Heads and student support team on the development and implementation of parent/family education programs. The Counselor will continue to develop and offer educational opportunities around student social, emotional, and mental health and well-being. The Counselor will also serve as a resource for parents and families to support individual and grade-level student well-being and facilitate ongoing communication with families of students with social-emotional issues
• Acting as a liaison for outside mental, social, emotional, and behavioral health providers: The Counselor will maintain a robust referral network of providers and be prepared to recommend local resources (educational, psychological, crisis response) that might be helpful to families. The Counselor will also follow-up on referrals, as appropriate, and function as a liaison between the professional or agency and the school community. The Counselor shall be familiar with mandated reporting and public law regarding child abuse and with appropriate procedures to be followed by the school should such cases come to the School’s attention.
• Reviewing and creation of Student Support Plans for students with social-emotional-mental health and wellness needs
• Attending of student conferences when appropriate

REQUIREMENTS AND QUALIFICATIONS

• A minimum of a Master's Degree in School Counseling, Clinical/Counseling Psychology, School Psychology, or Clinical Social Work is required
• Experience in a school setting working and engaging with young children, adolescents, educators, and parents
• Experience writing and supporting the implementation of positive behavior plans
• Experience writing and working with Student Action Plans and IEPs (Individualized Student Support Plans)
• Familiarity or proficiency with Ruler preferred
• Highly collaborative
• Be a team player that will have a busy day while maintaining a level of positivity and calm
• High degree of interpersonal warmth and skill across a wide range of stakeholders in negotiating the nuances, complexities, and demands of a high-profile, fast-paced academic institution

COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS

• Annual Salary Range: $85,000 - $110,000
• Excellent benefit package with a portion of medical paid by SAA
• Generous paid time off and holidays
• 403b and employer funded retirement plans
• Professional development opportunities

In the spirit of pay transparency we share the base annual salary range for this position: $85,000 - $110,000. Annual base salary is exclusive of fringe benefits, retirement plan employer contributions or potential stipends (for eligible employees). Pay ranges at SAA are reasonable estimates of what the School anticipates paying for a role but are not guaranteed. If hired at SAA, your final annual base salary will be determined by factors such as skills, education, experience, job level, part-time status and number of months of work per academic year. In addition to those factors, we believe in the importance of pay equity and consider internal equity with our current employees as a part of any final offer. Please keep in mind that the range mentioned above is the full annual base salary range for the role. Hiring at the maximum of the range is not typical for SAA in order to allow for future and continued salary growth.

Applicants may submit their resume for consideration to Becca Furer at rfurer@sinaiakiba.org.

Sinai Akiba Academy provides equal employment opportunities to all applicants and employees and strictly prohibits any type of harassment or discrimination in regards to race, religion, age, color, sex, disability status, national origin, genetics, sexual orientation, protected veteran status, gender expression, gender identity, or any other characteristic protected under federal, state, and/or local laws.