Part-Time School Counselor

The School Counselor will possess the knowledge, skills and attitudes necessary to implement a developmental and results-based school counseling program that aligns with the American School Counselor Association (ASCA) National Model. The school counseling program will be based on equity and focused on the academic, career, and personal/social development of every student.

Essential Functions

The School Counselor must achieve the following outcomes with or without reasonable accommodation:

• Plans, organizes, implements, and evaluates a comprehensive school counseling program which aligns with the ASCA National Model, New Mexico School Counselor Competencies, and APS School Counseling Resource Guide.
• Serves as a leader in the school and community to promote and support student success.
• Maintains professional relationships and works cooperatively with administration, employees, the community, and other professionals.
• Advocates and collaborates with parents, teachers, administrators, community leaders, and other stakeholders to promote and support student success.
• Develops and updates the philosophy and mission statements of the school counseling program to align with current school improvement and student success initiatives at the school, district, and state level.
• Utilizes student standards (ASCA Student Competencies, and state content standards) to drive the implementation of a comprehensive school counseling program.
• Develops and implements developmentally appropriate school counseling curriculum that addresses all students’ needs, including closing-the-gap activities.
• Facilitates and develops strategies to implement individual student planning, such as appraisal, advisement, goal setting, decision making, social skills, transition, and post-secondary planning and/or training.
• Has current knowledge of career opportunities, labor market trends, and global economics, and uses various career assessment techniques to assist students in understanding their abilities and career interests.
• Helps students navigate the post-secondary education admission and financial aid process.
• Maintains professional competence in advising students on post-secondary options and financial aid.
• Provides responsive services using appropriate interventions such as consultation, individual and group counseling, crisis counseling, referrals, and peer facilitation.
• Compiles resources to utilize with students, staff, and families to effectively address issues through responsive services.
• Demonstrates knowledge of what constitutes a crisis, the appropriate response, and a variety of intervention strategies to meet the needs of the individual, group, or school community before, during, and after a crisis.
• Serves as a member on the Health & Mental Health Team, Student Assistance Team, or any other team where the school counselor’s expertise is relevant to the process.
• Implements system support activities for the comprehensive school counseling program.
• Creates and implements a plan that addresses the school counselor’s responsibilities for professional development, consultation, collaboration, and program management.
• Conducts in-service training for stakeholders to share school counseling expertise.
• Collaborates with administration to create and implement an Administrative/School Counseling Agreement.
• Collects, analyzes, and interprets relevant data to monitor and improve student behavior, attendance, and achievement.
• Designs and implements Guidance Curriculum Action Plans to serve all students in the school.
• Conducts a program audit annually to assess the current school counseling program implementation of the ASCA National Model, growth of the program, gaps in the program, and to set current program goals.

Preferred Knowledge, Skills, Abilities, and Experience

• Three years of experience in a public school setting.
• Knowledge and experience in implementing a comprehensive school counseling program based on the ASCA National Model.
• Effective communication skills (both verbal and written), flexibility, organization, decision-making, and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to meet deadlines, work on multiple projects, and coordinate the work of others.
• Knowledge of District policies on child abuse/neglect, intervening with a potential suicide, bullying, sexual harassment, and others that directly affect the role of the school counselor.

Requirements

• A Master’s Degree in School Counseling or a Master’s Degree in Counseling, plus required school counseling program coursework.
• Coursework must include (1) child and adolescent development and/or human growth & development, (2) a school counseling course, and (3) a minimum of a 300-hour school counseling practicum in a school setting.
• Valid New Mexico License in School Counseling.