Counselor Advocate

Commonpoint • Corona, NY

4d • Onsite

About The Position

The Full-Time Counselor Advocate plays a lead role in supporting the academic, social-emotional, and overall well-being of students while helping coordinate the delivery of student and family support services within the school community. Working within Commonpoint’s holistic, strengths-based, and family-supported approach, this position builds strong relationships with students and families and works collaboratively with school leadership, Commonpoint staff, and community partners to address student needs and promote positive outcomes. Counselor Advocate provides individual and group support, monitors student attendance and progress, facilitates workshops and enrichment activities, conducts student and family outreach, and connects families to appropriate school, agency, and community resources. In addition to direct service responsibilities, the Full-Time Counselor Advocate provides day-to-day guidance and oversight to Part-Time Counselor Advocates, helping to coordinate caseloads, outreach efforts, documentation, student interventions, and program priorities. The role supports consistency and quality across counseling and advocacy services and helps ensure that identified student needs are appropriately followed up on. The position also serves as a key collaborator between Commonpoint and the school community, working with teachers, school leadership, support staff, mental health professionals, families, and community-based partners to coordinate services, strengthen referrals, and develop collaborative strategies that support student success. The Full-Time Counselor Advocate participates in interdisciplinary meetings and contributes to a coordinated approach to addressing attendance, academic, behavioral, social-emotional, and family needs. This role reports directly to the Community School Director.

Requirements

• Bachelor's Degree in Education, Social Work, Human Services, Child Development, Psychology, Public Administration, Recreation, or a related field required.
• Minimum three (3) years of experience working in youth development or afterschool programming.
• Experience managing staff, compliance, community partnerships, and program operations.
• Strong leadership, organizational, communication, coaching, and problem-solving skills.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office, Google Workspace, and data management systems.

Nice To Haves

• Master's Degree preferred.
• Experience implementing inclusive programming and supporting diverse learners.
• Spanish speaking preferred.

Responsibilities

• Provide active supervision of students from Kindergarten through Eighth grade, ensuring a safe, inclusive, and engaging program environment.
• Plan and facilitate engaging educational, recreational, and enrichment activities aligned with the program schedule and site plan.
• Model respectful behavior, reinforce program expectations, and use positive behavior management strategies to support student success.
• Safely supervise and support students as they transition between activities, maintaining structure and engagement throughout the program.
• Complete daily attendance and assist with required program documentation accurately and on time.
• Promptly communicate participant concerns, behavioral issues, injuries, or program-related concerns to the Program Director or Assistant Program Director. Assist with completing incident reports and required documentation as needed.
• Help organize, prepare, and maintain activity spaces and materials to ensure a safe, clean, and welcoming environment.
• Work collaboratively with program staff to ensure consistent implementation of daily programming and operations.
• Incorporate Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) into daily programming through check-ins, reflection activities, positive behavior modeling, and relationship building. Elevate concerns appropriately and collaborate with supervisors and mental health staff when needed.
• Adapt activities and materials to ensure youth of all abilities, including those with IEPs and disabilities, can participate safely and meaningfully.
• Support programming across focus areas, including SEL, Health & Wellness, and College & Career Readiness, as outlined in the site plan.
• Assist with participant surveys and other program data collection efforts to support continuous quality improvement.
• Establish rapport with all program participants. Assist them in identifying their educational and behavioral goals and helping them formulate future plans.
• Implement and conduct workshops on life skills and student enrichment.
• Recruit students and conduct intake assessments and interviews.
• Monitor participants' attendance and academic and career progress on assigned caseload.
• Provide interpersonal group and individual counseling.
• Provide necessary referrals to community resources.
• Work in a collaborative team, including participation in staff meetings, contractor meetings, and staff development, to support student progress.
• Monitor and document student progress in various service areas (guidance and counseling, academic support, life skills, and work readiness).
• Conduct daily attendance outreach, including home visits if necessary.
• Provide consistent one-on-one and small-group mentoring to identified students.
• Build positive relationships focused on attendance, academics, social-emotional well-being, and school engagement.
• Monitor student attendance and progress and conduct student/family outreach as needed.
• Identify barriers to success and connect students and families to appropriate resources.
• Collaborate with school staff and the Community School team to coordinate student support.
• Maintain required mentoring documentation and participate in student support meetings.
• Follow Commonpoint and SACC policies related to active supervision, attendance, transitions, participant safety, mandated reporting, behavior management, and incident documentation.
• Maintain the privacy and confidentiality of participants and families by following agency policies regarding confidentiality, photography, video recordings, personal devices, and social media. Do not take, share, or post program-related photos, videos, or information without agency authorization.
• Complete attendance, communicate participant concerns to supervisors, and assist with incident reports and required documentation.

Benefits

• Tiered health, dental, and vision insurance options.
• Pension plan and 403(b) retirement savings opportunities.
• Generous paid time off and family-supportive policies.
• Professional development and education support to foster career growth.
• Recognition and appreciation programs for exemplary performance.
• Employee discounts on programs and services.
• Access to free amenities, including private seasonal pool clubs and fitness facilities at select locations.
• Long-service severance upon retirement.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level