School Adjustment Counselor: Orchard Street Academy (OSA)

Assabet Valley Collaborative • Marlborough, MA

20h • Onsite

About The Position

Assabet Valley Collaborative (AVC) is seeking a School Adjustment Counselor for our Therapeutic Day School, Orchard Street Academy (OSA). OSA is a small public therapeutic school serving grades 6th-12th, offering academics, individual and group counseling, art and music therapy, electives, and clinical case management. AVC is an educational service agency in Metrowest/Central Massachusetts that provides school programs, wraparound services, transportation, professional development, and consulting. The organization is developing a shared leadership model and emphasizes educational equity, cultural proficiency, and human-centered design. The ideal candidate will engage with conflict, work independently and collaboratively, foster passion for learning, adhere to legal regulations (FERPA, HIPAA, IDEA), and have experience with students, families, districts, and stakeholders, including Restorative Justice Practices. Strong communication skills (Google Suite) and clinical support for students with diverse social and emotional abilities are essential. An investment in the program's future, family/community engagement, and comfort with ambiguity are also desired.

Requirements

• Masters Degree (Required)
• Massachusetts licensure and/or working towards one of the following – Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC), Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW), Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker (LICSW) as per M.G.L. Chapter 112, Sections 130 to 137.
• Ability to engage with conflict and core tensions
• Ability to thrive within a team while also being able to work independently
• Adhere to established federal, state, and local laws and regulations (FERPA,HIPAA, and IDEA)
• Experience working in schools, nonprofits, human service organizations
• Personal and/or professional commitment to and/or experience with working towards educational equity
• Experience and expertise working with students, families, districts, and stakeholders.
• Experience with Restorative Justice Practices
• Effective and clear oral and written communication skills (i.e Google Suite)
• Clinical support for students with a wide range of social and emotional abilities
• Investment in the future of the program and willingness to take on additional initiatives within the team (curiosity, innovation, problem solving, sustainability).
• Investment in family and community engagement
• Ease with ambiguity and uncertainty
• Physical ability to execute job responsibilities that may include (depending upon assignment): Meet the physical requirements necessary to physically intervene in a crisis or emergency as trained and per AVC Physical Restraint protocol, policy and applicable regulations.

Nice To Haves

• Bilingual or multilingual is a plus
• Candidates also possessing DESE licensure as a School Social Worker/ School Adjustment Counselor are desired.

Responsibilities

• Believes students are successful when they are given positive reinforcement and equitable resources and supports
• Prioritizes a clinical and instructional focus with a blend of social emotional learning, restorative practices, culturally relevant teaching, wellness, healing centered, collectivism, and student driven learning
• Empowers and fosters the skills for students to become problem solvers and independent decision makers
• Is skilled at co-designing and adapting school wide and individual programming and data systems to best meet the daily and personalized learning needs of students through individual, small and whole group activities
• Balances high expectations with necessary accommodations and modifications
• Provides individual and group therapy and all aspects of case management
• Co-designs and collaborates with families/guardians, sending districts and providers
• Partners with students and all those invested in their success to develop, present, and implement team drafted IEPs
• Works with team members to establish and implement student centered assessments and sustainable data systems that will inform programming
• Monitor the restrictiveness and effectiveness of interventions through ongoing analysis of data and monitoring of student progress.
• Provide coaching to team members to infuse research-based clinician support strategies within classroom, group, milieu, leisure, vocational, and home settings.
• Provide consultation and/or professional development for faculty as needed.
• Complete necessary documentation
• Demonstrates an ability to be flexible and adapt to the evolving needs of students and the school environment
• Participate and engage in professional development and community events
• Comply with collaborative wide policies and procedures
• Uphold discipline ethics and/or licensure requirements
• Be flexible to take walkie calls as needed
• Perform all other duties and responsibilities as assigned

Benefits

• Compensation competitive within public school educators (salary schedule with steps and lanes)
• School year (185 days) with additional summer hours available at additional compensation
• 75% health insurance premiums covered by AVC
• High deductible Health Insurance Plan + Health Savings Account (AVC contributes 50% of deductible into your HSA)
• Participation in MA State Retirement or Teachers Retirement pension systems
• Voluntary benefits: Health Savings Account, Life, Short-term, Long-term Insurance and Dental Insurance.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Number of Employees: 11-50 employees