School Counselor 2025-2026 School Year

School Counselor

REPORTS TO:  Superintendent

FLSA Designation:    Exempt

UNIVERSAL OBLIGATIONS/EXPECTATIONS OF EACH STAFF MEMBER

It is the expectation of the District that each staff member will: (1) put the safety, health and well-being of students at the forefront of all actions, job responsibilities and decisions, and (2) undertake all duties in alignment with the District’s Strategic Plan.

Your employment with the District necessitates that you be present and perform your job as to not to unduly disrupt or adversely impact the efficient operations of the District. You are expected to maintain a courteous and supportive working relationship with your co-workers and clients to avoid negatively impacting the efficiency of the District operations and staff morale.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS: This job will be between a .6 to .8 (three to four days a week) depending on a variety of factors. 

Provides school counseling core curriculum, individual counseling and student planning, classroom lessons, small group counseling, and preventative and responsive services.

Delivers programs that promote students’ development of essential mindsets and behavior standards including, but not limited to, learning skills, social skills, self-management skills, and career readiness skills.

Supports the continuum of mental health services, including prevention and tiered intervention strategies, and collaborates with both school-based and community mental health providers to enhance student success.

Collaborates with families/teachers/administrators/community for student success. Reviews student achievement, attendance, and behavior data to identify and implement interventions with current knowledge of promotion, retention, and graduation requirements. 

Acts as a systems change agent in collaboration with the school leadership team to ensure a safe, supportive, and respectful school climate that promotes the social/emotional and academic development and success of all students. 

Fosters family and community partnerships to support the social/emotional and academic development of all students. 

Uses school data to identify and assist individual students who do not perform at grade level and do not have opportunities and resources to be successful in school. 

Collaborates with school staff in the analysis of student performance data, rigorous goal -setting, and development of effective action plans for improving academic, social/emotional, and post-graduate outcomes for all students.

Infuses cultural competence, ethical and professional competencies in planning, organizing, implementing and evaluating the comprehensive school counseling program. 

Provides preventative education and skill building along with counseling for students during times of transition, separation, heightened stress and critical change. 

Uses appropriate responses and a variety of intervention strategies to meet the needs of the individual, group or school community before, during and after crisis response. 

Complies with Board policies, rules, regulations, and directives. Uses legal and ethical decision-making based on standards and principles of the school counseling profession and educational systems, including district and building policies. 

Makes referrals for additional assistance and consultation/collaboration with parents, teachers, administrators and other stakeholders to create a learning environment promoting educational equity, access, and success for every student.

Anderson’s Counselor also serves as the Title IX coordinator. Appropriate training will be provided for this role.

Anderson’s Counselor also serves as the Assistant 504 Coordinator, providing notices and documenting parental consent, distributing Section 504 plans to appropriate staff, scheduling annual reviews of each Section 504 plan, assuring that Section 504 plans move with the student to the next grade level and to new schools, serve as a daily resource to the building administrators, teachers, and staff regarding Section 504. attend periodic district Section 504 training as needed to stay informed about current district requirements to comply with Section 504.

Anderson’s Counselor serves as the Homeless Liaison Contact person. The LEA must designate a Homeless Liaison and ensure that the liaison is able to carry out his/her duties as legally required.

Only minimum duties are listed.  Other functions may be required as given or assigned.

DESIRED MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

• Requires a current Montana Educator License with an endorsement in Counseling, and elementary/middle school experience.
• Ability to write routine reports and correspondence. 
• Ability to effectively communicate, orally and in writing, with students, parents, and staff.
• Ability to handle stressful situations.
• Ability to maintain confidentiality of student matters.
• Ability to read and analyze general counseling periodicals and professional journals. 
• Ability to solve problems in a practical and workable manner.  
• Ability to use age-appropriate language and accompanying techniques in one-on-one settings as well as group settings.  

EQUIPMENT USED:

A variety of electronic and technology devices, copy machine, fax machine, telephone/voice mail.

WORK ENVIRONMENT

While performing the duties of this job, the employee regularly works inside.  The noise level in the work environment is usually quiet to moderate.  The employee is often required to meet deadlines with severe time constraints. 

PHYSICAL DEMANDS:

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is frequently required to sit; occasionally walk and stand; talk and hear. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus.

MENTAL/MOTOR DEMANDS:

While performing the duties of this job, the employee rarely performs routine work.  The employee frequently exercises flexibility (ability to shift from one task to another).  Guidance and reinforcement are infrequently available.  The employee frequently works within time constraints and maintains attentiveness intensity.  The employee is frequently involved in social interactions which require oral and written communications.

The physical demands, work-environment characteristics, and mental/motor demands described within this job description are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job.  Reasonable accommodations shall be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.