Guidance Counselor

Framingham Public Schools • Framingham, MA

367d

About The Position

To provide services to address the social and emotional barriers to student achievement. And, to provide services to help develop age-appropriate skills and promote social, emotional and academic growth in children in the school setting, in order to deliver Framingham Public Schools' high expectations for achievement, equal access to high levels of instruction, the achievement of academic proficiency for all students, and the closing of the achievement gap among subgroups within the schools.

Requirements

• Valid Massachusetts Teaching license in School Counseling is required
• Experience supporting students in the academic, social/emotional and behavioral domains is preferred
• Candidates should have a background that contributes to diversity, inclusion and belonging in education

Nice To Haves

• Additional content area license is encouraged
• Experience evaluating student skills and writing reports to interpret/summarize findings
• Strong collaborative, teaching, coaching, and leadership skills to support student programming and work in a team setting
• Strong problem-solving skills to support student success
• Strong data-collection skills to help inform decisions for students
• Knowledge of specialized content areas as well as any related laws and procedures

Responsibilities

• Provide strategies and preventative interventions for clinical issues related to all school-age children, including issues surrounding substance abuse, physical, emotional and sexual abuse, violence, health and changes in the family system
• Provide individual and/or group counseling as appropriate, utilizing knowledge of principles of therapeutic relationships, personal and systemic change, and use of self in a problem-solving relationship
• Provide crisis intervention, and serve as a member of the school's Crisis Team
• Attend/convene SCAN meetings as needed; file reports with the Department of Children and Families when necessary
• Serve as the school's liaison to the Department of Children and Families
• Provide data collection, assessment and intervention in response to referrals from teachers, guidance counselors, administrators, students, families and community agencies
• Design, implement and assess the guidance curriculum
• Utilize responsive counseling, initiating individual and group sessions for students' personal, social and academic concerns
• Consult with families and staff to appraise student needs and interests and to discuss appropriate recommendations for educational options
• Plan, coordinate and provide classroom group guidance sessions to meet the identified guidance and counseling competencies in the areas of academic achievement, career and educational development, and personal and social development
• Prepare students for the transition to the next level(s), activities and options
• Plan and coordinate programs such as career fairs, test preparation, improved/perfect attendance celebrations and other extensions of the counseling program as needed/appropriate
• Use individual student planning activities and classroom guidance to assist students in navigating educational and community experiences that support their needs and develop their potential
• Collaborate with parents/guardians and educators to assist students with educational and career planning
• Assist teachers in understanding their students, including providing and interpreting student data
• Provide in-service training on topics related to the school counseling program and supporting student achievement
• Identify problem behaviors and develop strategies for intervention
• Refer students and families to outside treatment as necessary
• Provide consultation for faculty, administration and families
• Guide and counsel individuals and groups of students through the development of educational and career plans
• Attend pre-referral and solution seeking meetings to collaborate with the team on appropriate strategies to assist the referred students and their families
• Service as a member of Special Education Team Meetings and meet with parents/guardians to complete a Social/Developmental history as needed for students to be evaluated
• Collaborate with the Multilingual/ESL/ELL Department to address the learning and emotional needs of students in the multilingual(s) program
• Advocate for students with guidance, administration, and educators; when possible, provide native language support and outreach for students and their families, as appropriate
• Serve as a liaison with Psychiatric Emergency Services, District juvenile court, and all outside treatment facilities, as appropriate
• Serve as in-building liaison/coordinator for McKinney-Vento students
• Convene re-entry meetings for students returning to school from a treatment facility to ease the transition back to an academic setting
• Attend staff meetings and serves on staff and or school committees
• Participate in staff development programs
• Other duties and responsibilities as reasonably assigned

Benefits

• Equal employment opportunities
• Commitment to diversity and inclusion
• Professional development programs

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level
• Industry: Educational Services
• Education Level: Master's degree