School Counselor

I.  POSITION TITLE:         School Counselor

     Department:                Catholic Schools

     Grade:                          K-8

     Supervisor:                  Principal

II.  PURPOSE AND SCOPE:

Under the supervision of the principal, the school counselor is a person of faith who strives to achieve the goals of Catholic education; implements a comprehensive school counseling program to support students through this important developmental period; provides education, prevention and intervention activities, which are integrated into all aspects of children’s lives; teaches knowledge, attitudes and skills students need to acquire in academic, career and social/emotional development, which serve as the foundation for future success; collaborate with teachers and parents on early identification and intervention of children’s academic and social/emotional needs, which is essential in removing barriers to learning and developing skills and behaviors critical for academic achievement; maintains detailed and accurate records as required by the school; establishes positive school-community relationships; continues professional development to remain current with religious and academic certifications; performs any other job-related tasks deemed necessary and/or assigned by the principal.

III. ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS:

A.  Strives to achieve the goals of Catholic education:

• Embraces and models the Catholic philosophy of education
• Promotes and lives gospel values and Catholic moral teaching 
• Upholds the doctrinal teachings of the Catholic Church 
• Provides opportunities for faith development of students in the classroom to prepare them for life in today’s Church and society 
• Can articulate and give evidence of Catholic living by the example of their lives

B.  Assumes responsibility for the leadership and management of counseling services:

• Provides individual student academic program planning
• Interprets cognitive, aptitude and achievement tests and assists in the development of appropriate educational interventions
• Counsels students, parents, and guardians for the purpose of enhancing student success, academically, socially, and emotionally, in school.
• Provides counseling to students who are tardy or absent  
• Works toward the creation of a Catholic community within the classroom and the entire school community
• Counsels in accordance with diocesan and local policies as well as appropriate state laws
• Shows respect for individuals and fairness in dealing with students and parents
• Schedules student classes on a variety of topics for the purpose of helping students academically, socially, and emotionally reach success in school.
• Monitors students’ progress for the purpose of identifying issues and taking appropriate action for increasing student success.

 C.  Develops and implements counseling services according to the needs of the students

      and the established Diocesan Curriculum Standards:

• Integrates Church’s teachings in all aspects of the program
• Provides counseling to students who are tardy or absent

• Provides counseling to students who have disciplinary problems 
• Uses resources available to promote learning experiences for all students
• Refers students for evaluation and consultation when necessary in collaboration with administration and parents
• Provides teachers with suggestions for effective classroom management
• Assists teachers by identifying possible strategies to limit student disruption to the classroom routine
• Analyzes grade-point averages in relationship to achievement and disseminates information as appropriate to faculty
• Provides individual and small-group counseling services to students
• Advocating for students at Student Support Plan (SSP) meetings, student study teams and school attendance review meetings

D.  Assists faculty and support staff:  

• Collaborates with teachers to present school counseling core curriculum lessons
• Aligns assessments with goals, objectives, information taught, and instructional guidelines and Curriculum Standards of the Diocese and school
• Interprets student records
• Helps the school principal identify and resolve student issues, needs and problems

E.  Maintains accurate records in all record keeping as required by the school:

• Maintains proper grading and/or reporting system for each student as required by the principal

• Meets deadlines with official reports, attendance, and statistics as required by the principal

F.  Establishes positive school-community relationships: 

• Maintains cooperative relations with all in the school community
• Promotes respectful and  positive school relationships
• Maintains awareness of his/her role as a Catholic educator and its impact on the community
• Provides for regular conferences and meetings with parents of students being served
• Cooperates with and helps promote various curricular and co-curricular programs within the school
• Attends and actively participates in school faculty meetings and in-services 

G.  Continues professional development to remain current with religious and academic

     certifications: 

• Keeps informed of current instructional / counseling practices through professional reading and educational opportunities 
• Participates in professional activities and joins appropriate professional organizations 
• Attends diocesan sponsored in-services 
• Attends and actively participates in school faculty meetings and in-services
• Actively participates in the process of continuous school improvement
• Maintains personal professional development records

H.  Performs any other job-related tasks deemed necessary and/or assigned by the principal.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES REQUIRED

• Must demonstrate personal self-discipline, be adaptable and flexible in routine and unexpected situations 
• Must use good judgment in daily encounters
• Must use verbal and written language correctly 
• Must demonstrate an appropriate sense of humor
• Must demonstrate knowledge and understanding of good counseling techniques and child psychology
• Must maintain appropriate grooming and dress at all times as stated in the faculty handbook

MINIMUM QUALIFICATION

• Preference given to Catholic school counselor
• At least 1 year of relevant experience is preferred.
• Must meet Ministry Formation Certification and/or re-certification as required by Diocesan policy
• Must be willing to make a public Profession of Faith if Catholic and if non – Catholic willing to support Catholic teachings and philosophy
• Must hold a Bachelor’s Degree
• Must be certified by the Arizona State Department of Education as a school counselor and meets applicable NCA requirements.
• Received Safe Environment Training and signed the Code of Conduct 
• FBI Fingerprint clearance completed