Mental Health Counselor

The Claremont School District is located in the beautiful and picturesque Upper Valley Area of New Hampshire. The Claremont School District is approximately 35 minutes from Mount Sunapee Ski Resort and 30 minutes from all of the concerts and athletic events at Dartmouth College in Hanover. The Connecticut River flows nearby making kayaking and canoeing very convenient after work and on the weekends. Hiking trails are plentiful. Many would say it is a great location to raise a family, renew your sense of wonder and be part of a vibrant community supporting its schools.
Please apply for this job opportunity using our application website https://www.applitrack.com/sau6/onlineapp/. SAU#6 uses this website exclusively to review candidate applications.

Position Title: Mental Health Counselor

Reports to: Special Education Director

Qualifications:

• Master’s degree in psychology or counseling; Licensure preferred
• Minimum of 3 years experience in the mental health field with practical experience in a school setting preferred
• Counseling skills
• Ability to handle confidential information with complete security
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills
• Ability to manage time effectively to meet caseload expectations
• Ability to work collaboratively as an interdisciplinary team member in order to establish and maintain effective working relationships with community agencies, students, families and school personnel
• Knowledge, skills and abilities to apply and interpret federal, state, and local laws policies related to educational service requirements for students
• Valid driver’s license and ability to drive as travel is required across the district

Essential Duties:

• Complete risk and psychosocial assessments when required
• Develop treatment / counseling plans for students with mental health needs
• Conduct individual and/or group counseling and social skill therapeutic sessions
• Work collaboratively with special and regular education staff, principals, related service providers and agencies to meet students’ emotional and social learning needs and the needs of the student’s family
• Develop personalized social-emotional goals for students individualized education plans
• Collect data on students’ progress toward identified social, emotional and behavioral goals as specified in their individualized educational plans
• Participate on school and district-wide threat assessment and crisis intervention teams
• Participate in preventative response to intervention meetings and assist in the implementation of suggestions to address students’ social, emotional and behavioral needs
• Provide research-based recommendations designed to address students’ ability to make reasonable decisions and improve their ability to regulate their emotions and behavioral responses to feelings of frustration and stress
• Offer professional development opportunities to administration and teachers on how various mental health challenges can impact students’ ability to socialize and learn effectively
• Provide support and guidance to families of students with social, behavioral, and psychological needs
• Plan and manage a schedule that effectively meets students’ needs
• Submit Order for Services as necessary to meet Medicaid billing requirements
• Provide consultative support to paraprofessionals supporting students with IEP goals related to social-emotional / mental health needs
• Submit logs for Medicaid billing in a timely manner
• Assure that all internal communication is complete and effective
• Complete required progress notes and paperwork in an accurate and timely manner
• Remain up-to-date on the current empirically-based approaches recommended for children and young adults with psychological and behavioral challenges
• Perform other duties as assigned by the Special Education Director