Counselor, Lead

HCC•Houston, TX

About The Position

The Lead Counselor provides leadership and supervision to the Counseling Department and counseling services that help students identify and address barriers to their academic, career, and personal goals. The role provides personal, academic, career, and crisis counseling, including services for at-risk students and students referred for disciplinary or early-alert concerns. Counseling may be delivered online by email, phone, or other applicable technology, including to out-of-district, out-of-state, and distance education students as needed. The position oversees department goals, procedures, staff training and evaluations, service consistency, caseload progress, and the departmental budget. It also supports career exploration resources, responds to campus incidents, maintains confidential student records, provides community-resource referrals and follow-up, and may serve on the College Behavioral Intervention and Threat Assessment team. The role operates in a general office environment and may require after-hours work, including weekends and holidays.

Requirements

Master’s degree with a concentration in counseling, such as Counseling, Education, Social Work, Psychology, Human Services, or Marriage & Family Therapy.
Five years of experience working with adults, preferably in a community college counseling setting.
Two years of supervisory experience in an educational and/or social services setting supervising counseling and/or paraprofessional counseling staff.
Valid Texas driver license.
Counseling licensure, such as LPC, LMFT, LCSW, or Licensed Psychologist.
Knowledge of MS Office programs.
Knowledge of information management systems.
Knowledge of counseling theory, practice, and ethics.
Budget management skills.
Ability to work flexible hours, including evenings and weekends.
Ability to perform all job requirements with or without reasonable accommodations.
Ability to remain stationary during the shift, move items weighing up to 25 pounds, position oneself to operate job equipment, and apply established protocols in a timely manner.
Ability to access, input, and retrieve information from technology devices and communicate with others to accomplish job requirements.

Nice To Haves

Completion of the HCC College Leadership Program.
Counseling license (LPC, LMFT, LCSW, or Licensed Psychologist) with a supervisory credential or status.
Experience in a community college counseling setting.

Responsibilities

Lead the Department in establishing and achieving annual goals and objectives.
Develop, review, modify, and implement Counseling Department procedures and guidelines.
Supervise and train Counseling, Disability, and Career Services staff, including conducting performance evaluations.
Provide department leadership and consistent services through implementation of institutional procedures, forms, and reports.
Review counselor caseload progress, including persistence, retention, and student success.
Manage the departmental budget and serve as signature authority.
Oversee and approve purchases of office supplies, counseling materials, and Disability Services assistive technology or adaptive equipment.
Represent the Counseling Department at system-wide meetings.
Provide brief personal counseling and resources for further counseling as needed.
Provide career assessment and counseling to undecided majors and students referred by Success Course Instructors.
Assist in developing career exploration resources for use in Success Courses.
Respond to crisis situations and campus- or college-critical incidents requiring counseling services, including classroom or group debriefing and supportive counseling.
Respond to early-alert referrals requiring counselor intervention.
Maintain and provide counseling for a caseload of at-risk students, including students on probation, suspension, repeaters, and early-alert referrals.
Counsel students on disciplinary probation or suspension, as referred by the Dean of Student Services, to address conduct-code violations.
Provide online counseling by email, phone, and other applicable technology to students as needed, including out-of-district, out-of-state, and distance education students.
Maintain confidential student records.
Provide community resources and follow-up as needed.
May serve on the College Behavioral Intervention and Threat Assessment team.
Provide professional training opportunities and keep the Counseling Department informed of developments and innovations in the counseling profession.
Perform other duties, tasks, and assignments as required.