Middle School Counselor

Description

Fort Worth Country Day

Fort Worth, Texas

Middle School Counselor

Fort Worth Country Day seeks an enthusiastic school counselor who preferably has experience in Middle School education. Reporting to the Head of Middle School, the School Counselor works collaboratively to provide educational, social, behavioral, and personal counseling to students enrolled in grades 5-8.

Role and Purpose:  The role of the school counselor at Fort Worth Country Day is to help create a healthy school environment for students, faculty and staff. The counselor's purpose is twofold. It is to serve the individual social/emotional needs of students and to contribute to a set of policies, procedures and activities that protect and promote the health and well-being of the Fort Worth Country Day community. 

Responsibilities:

• Provide short-term, solution-focused counseling interventions for 5-8 grade students and families
• Maintain confidential student records and keep accurate documentation of sessions, meetings, and other communication appropriate to ethical and professional standards
• Coordinate and/or teach wellness education, advisory programming, and guidance activities to students
• Regularly attend grade level team meetings to collaborate with teachers about individual student’s social and emotional needs
• Provide professional expertise on child development and counseling issues such as social skill development, parenting, separation/divorce transitions, crisis intervention, grief counseling, substance use/abuse and eating disorders
• Serve as a resource for grade-level parent meetings and other parent communication events
• Meet and confer with other school counselors and academic support coordinators on a regular basis
• Act as liaison to community resources in addressing the mental health needs of students and their families
• Help orient new students to the school and assist students in the transition to a new grade
• Attend overnight class trips
• Energized by working with middle school aged students
• Able to promote and model the FWCD Core Values (Respect, Responsibility, Kindness, Courage, Integrity and Scholarship)
• Strong in both written and oral communication, a self-starter, detailed-oriented, flexible and enthusiastic, responsible, and professional
• A team player who works well with others in the division and counselors across divisions
• A person who represents the school in a favorable manner and who can be counted on to be positive and punctual in performance of all duties
• Continually driven toward self-improvement

Requirements:

• A licensed mental health professional (counselor, social worker, therapist or psychologist)
• Master’s degree from an accredited college or university
• Expertise in the ethical, legal and confidentiality considerations related to school counseling practices
• Familiarity with relevant laws and regulations regarding school counseling responsibilities

Preferred Qualifications:

• At least 3-5 years of successful counseling experience in a middle or high school setting
• Experience as a mental health professional in a private independent school
• An understanding of the traits and developmental needs of middle school students
• The ability to be compassionate and eager to build positive relationships with students and families
• A sense of humor

All employees of FWCD must:

• Embody, model and communicate the School’s mission and core values (courage, integrity, kindness, respect, responsibility, and scholarship)
• Exhibit generous community spirit, professional flexibility, a sense of humor and a positive attitude
• Collaborate and work well with colleagues, parents and students
• Execute duties in a positive and punctual manner
• Be an enthusiastic lifelong learner driven toward professional self-improvement and personal growth

Equal Opportunity Employer / Statement of Inclusivity:

Fort Worth Country Day is an Equal Opportunity Employer that maintains a policy of nondiscrimination with respect to all employees and applicants for employment. The ideal candidate should possess a thoughtful approach and knowledge of intercultural communication and inclusion of underrepresented groups. Employment decisions at FWCD are based on merit, qualifications, abilities and performance, and are subject to the academic and business requirements of the School.

The FWCD Inclusivity Statement confirms: We believe that understanding and respecting differences not only inspires compassion and empathy, but also fosters intellectual curiosity and creativity. We embrace the diverse cultures, experiences and perspectives that comprise and enhance our learning environment. We commit to sustaining and growing an intentionally inclusive community.

About Fort Worth Country Day and the City of Fort Worth:

Fort Worth Country Day earned the distinction of being ranked one of the Best Companies to Work for in Fort Worth in 2018.

Fort Worth Country Day is a co-ed, junior kindergarten through grade 12 college-preparatory day school with approximately 1,100 students and 250 faculty and staff. The School seeks to promote inclusivity and retain a diverse faculty. The 104-acre campus offers excellent facilities for academics, arts and athletics. Faculty and administration nurture a collegial professional environment in which innovation is encouraged. Opportunities for ongoing professional development are exceptional. Fort Worth Country Day is proud of its school community where students, parents, faculty, staff and administration join together to develop an effective and enjoyable place to teach and learn.

Fort Worth ranks as one of the top 12 largest cities in the United States and is known for its vibrant arts, music and cultural life. The Dallas/Fort Worth metropolitan region is home to over 6.5 million people. More information about the School is available at www.fwcd.org.