School Counselor - $45/hr !!!URGENT NEED!!!

COMPANY OVERVIEW

Paradigm Professional Health Services, Inc. (Paradigm) is a government Contractor specialized in providing qualified, dependable, and culturally competent healthcare and education professionals to meet the mission objectives of federal agencies nationwide.

POSITION OVERVIEW

Paradigm currently has an opening for one (1) School Counselor to provide on-site and remote counseling services to students at Pine Ridge School in Pine Ridge, South Dakota. This is a five (5) year contract.

PAY RATE

$45/hr. (Independent Contractor); 3% salary increase per year.

BENEFITS

·       Bi-weekly pay & direct deposit

·       Mileage Reimbursement

PLACE OF PERFORMANCE

Pine Ridge School

101 Thorpe Circle

Pine Ridge, SD 57770-1202

The on-site services by the School Counselor will take place on the Pine Ridge School’s campus in Pine Ridge, South Dakota, and at another location (contractor’s home/ office) for off-site time, as determined and approved by the Special Education Coordinator. The Pine Ridge School will provide a clean and comfortable workspace for the provider while on-site for services, evaluations, office work, meetings, and consultations. The contractor is to include paper, printing of resources, purchase of books, and any screening, assessment and evaluation materials.

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE
Base Year: February 19, 2025, and February 18, 2026
Option #1:  February 19, 2026, and February 18, 2027
Option #2: February 19, 2027, and February 18, 2028
Option #3: February 19, 2028, and February 18, 2029
Option #4: February 19, 2029, and February 18, 2030

HOURS OF WORK

1568 hours per school year

QUALIFICATIONS, EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE
Required Skills and Qualifications:
A. Master’s degree or higher in Counseling from an accredited program
B. An active certification by the State of South Dakota demonstrating the individual has the State of South Dakota School Counselor Specialist Endorsement.
C. 4 years of experience as a school counselor working in a school setting

CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT
A. Appointment may be subject to a suitability or fitness determination, as determined by a completed background investigation.
B. Must be able to obtain and maintain a background clearance.
C. Must obtain and maintain valid state driver's license.
D. Indian Preference, applicable.

SCOPE OF WORK
The contractor’s primary responsibility will be to provide school counseling service for Special Education students as required by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEA) of 2004. This position will be responsible to building positive working relationships and interfacing directly with the PRS students, PRS staff and families/guardians. The student caseload was approximately 111 students. The contractor can anticipate minimally this caseload, but the number of students served may increase or decrease.

TASKS AND RESPONSIBILITIES
The contractor will be responsible for the following tasks:
A. Service shall be provided in a school-setting, onsite
B. Providing school counseling services, a minimum of four days each week with a minimum of three (3) days on-site at PRS and one day off-site, available for phone consultation and video conferencing with staff and students.
C. Providing prompt completion and delivery of counseling related assessments and evaluations within a timely manner, minimally within 5-7 days after referral received by PRS.
D. Work collaboratively with the Special Education Director/School Supervisor, school staff, students and parents.
E. Upon notification from school required to be available for consultation on-site within 5 days and availability to be on-site, in emergency situations within 8-10 hours of notice.
F. Provide counseling related evaluations as designated by Special Education Coordinator/School Supervisor.
G. Assist with Behavioral Supports, evaluations and behavioral crisis intervention for at-risk and Special Education students as needed.
This shall include:
i. Conducting behavioral assessments and evaluations.
ii.Working with teachers and administrators to create individualized behavior plans that include positive reinforcement, clear expectations, and consequences for inappropriate behavior.
iii. Crisis Intervention. Respond to immediate behavioral crises by providing support and deescalation techniques and refer students to appropriate mental health professionals or school-based behavioral health counselors, if necessary.
H. Providing consultation and technical assistance to Teacher Assistant Teams/problem solving team as requested by Special Education Coordinator/School Supervisor.
I. Offering classroom lessons, individual and/or group counseling that are culturally responsive and inclusive of the accommodations provided to students with special needs.
J. Integrating social-emotional learning (SEL) programs into the school curriculum to teach students essential social and emotional skills like empathy, self-regulation, and communication.
K. Providing short-term, goal-focused counseling in instances where it is appropriate to include these strategies as a part of the IEP or 504 plan.
L. Encouraging family involvement in the educational process.
M. Consulting and collaborating with staff and families to understand the special needs of a student and understanding the accommodations and modifications needed to assist the student.
N. Reporting on progress and completing daily service logs for student services. This includes entering individual student service logs into the Native American Student Information System (NASIS) on a weekly basis outlining direct service minutes provided to the students for counseling services to maintain compliance with special education audits and student’s Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) to keep track of services provided, missed and the need for make-up services.
O. Communicating with the Special Education Teacher/Principal at Pine Ridge School to provide treatment and services. The principal and special education teacher shall be kept informed of planned visits, cancellations, and scheduled meetings.
P. Conducting thorough and complete Case Management Documentation. This includes ensuring proper and thorough case management documentation for each student serviced. This includes scheduling necessary time at the school during on-site visit to document detailed information about a student's individual needs, assessments, goals, interventions provided, progress data, communication with parents and other team members, and any relevant observations. This must all be meticulously documented in NASIS to ensure proper implementation of the student's Individualized Education Program (IEP) and demonstrate accountability for service delivery.
Q. Advocating for students with special needs in the school and in the community.
R. Contributing to the school’s multidisciplinary team within the scope and practice of the school counseling program.
S. Identifying students who may need to be assessed to determine special education or 504 plan eligibility.
T. Collaborating with other related student support professionals (e.g., School Counselors, physical therapists, occupational therapists, special education staff, speech and language pathologists) in the delivery of services.
U. Aiding with developing academic, transition and postsecondary plans for students with IEPs and 504 plans as appropriate.
V. Attending IEP annual, triennial and initial eligibility meetings to review counseling supports and progress with parents and staff as coordinated with sped director as needed. On site or virtual
W. Providing-site training to school staff and/or parents on topics related to school counselor area of expertise upon request from Special Education Coordinator/School Supervisor.
X. Willing to attend and participate in trainings and workshops requested by Special Education Coordinator/School Supervisor, pending schedule and availability
Y. Providing summer counseling services for students attending summer school. PRS will be providing an extended school year (ESY) each summer, which is typically 4 to 6 weeks after the last day of school. School Counseling services will need to be provided on-site during this time.

NON-DISCRIMINATION POLICY

Paradigm is an equal opportunity employer and makes all employment decisions, including those related to recruitment, hiring, training, promotion, and recognition of individuals on the basis of their ability and job-related qualifications and without regard to race, gender, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, disability, or any other classification proscribed under applicable federal, state, or local law.

Salary : $45