School Counselor - Comprehensive Coordinated Early Intervening Services (CCEIS) Grant Funded Two Positions

POSITION: School Counselor - Comprehensive Coordinated Early Intervening Services (CCEIS) Grant Funded

Two Positions

REPORTS TO: Site Administrator/Supervisor

LOCATION: Various Locations to include Esperanza Middle School, Spring Middle School, and Chopticon High School

NATURE OF WORK:

This is a professional position that provides students with a school counseling program that provides trauma-informed care to promote academic, career, and social/emotional development, as well as academic achievement outcomes.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:

• Ability to professionally relate to and collaborate with co-workers, students, and community members
• Ability to understand and maintain confidentiality
• Ability to use technology effectively to complete tasks
• Ability to report to work daily and on time
• Ability to organize, supervise, coordinate, and establish priorities of tasks to be completed
• Ability to work independently in the absence of detailed instructions and to follow complex oral and/or written instructions
• Ability to communicate orally or in writing, courteously and tactfully, with staff, students, parents, and the community in a timely manner
• Possess excellent time management skills and the ability to take initiative and make decisions within assigned responsibility in a challenging, fast-paced professional environment, and be flexible in work responsibilities and hours
• Possess knowledge of the programs, policies, and procedures of the St. Mary's County Public Schools
• Possess knowledge of trauma-informed care with knowledge and skills to recognize, understand, and respond to the impact of trauma on students
• Possess an in-depth knowledge of the ASCA Comprehensive School Counselor program

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Works collaboratively with central office, school-based administration, IEP Chairpersons, and school-based staff to help meet goals established as part of the Comprehensive Coordinated Early Intervening Services (CCEIS) Grant and individual schools' School Improvement Plans
• Supports the management of the CCEIS Grant to include data collection and social/emotional supports for students and school staff
• Supports the implementation of a developmental school counseling program (6-12) for students to include: individual and group counseling, social/emotional development to support students in career and academic development in accordance with ASCA professional standards
• Consults with staff and parents
• Connects students with services provided through the local school district and community agencies, and remains aware of state laws and local district policies related to students with special needs, including limits to confidentiality and notification to authorities as appropriate
• Facilitates short-term groups to address students' social/emotional well-being to support students' academic achievement and postsecondary career exploration, to include working directly with students assigned to the Interim Alternative Education Center (IAEC) and Alternative Educational Program (AEP) to provide therapeutic services to identify/develop goals for alternative decisions and behaviors that led to the students' placement in IAEC or AEP
• Informs parents/guardians and school administration when a student poses a serious and foreseeable risk of harm to self or others
• Collaborates as needed to provide optimum services with other school and community professionals with legitimate educational interests (e.g., school nurse, school psychologist, school social worker, speech-language pathologist), following all local, state, and federal laws
• Collaborates with all relevant stakeholders, including students, school faculty/staff, and parents/guardians, when students need assistance, including when early warning signs of student distress are identified
• Provides a list of outside agencies and resources to students and parents/ guardians when students need or request additional support
• Assists students through individual and small group sessions to understand and accept themselves and others, resolve conflicts, overcome crisis situations, etc.
• Provides culturally responsive counseling to students in a brief context
• Consults with school staff as a resource to change the disruptive behavior of students
• Works directly with students to develop strategies for handling situations that would typically lead them to decisions and behaviors that could result in suspension
• Works directly with students assigned to the Interim Alternative Education Center (IAEC) and Alternative Educational Program (AEP) to provide therapeutic services to identify/develop goals for alternative decisions and behaviors that led to the students' placement in IAEC or AEP
• Helps with such issues as child abuse, suicidal tendencies, and substance abuse
• Takes part in professional development activities to include: providing professional learning experiences to school teams on trauma-informed care and coaching school staff on strategies/approaches to support students who have experienced trauma
• Cooperates with students and staff
• Maintains open lines of communication with students, staff, and parents, to include being a member of the re-entry team for students returning to their home school following placement in IAEC or AEP
• Performs other related and non-related job duties as assigned

QUALIFICATIONS:

Required:

• Master's degree in School Counseling/School Guidance and Counseling and completion of an approved pathway outlined by MSDE
• Three (3) semester credits in Special Education

TERM OF EMPLOYMENT:

Full-time, ten-month position.

SALARY GRADE RANGE: The salary for this EXEMPT position will be based on EASMC Teacher Career Ladder for ten-month employees.

BARGAINING UNIT ELIGIBILITY: EASMC

Updated 04.2025, 7.2025