School Based Mental Health Counselor

Project Play Therapy•Nashville, TN

About The Position

Project Play Therapy is seeking a counselor to provide quality mental health support to students in school settings. The counselor works with school-based staff at assigned schools to provide direct therapy to students with varying mental health, behavioral, and emotional needs, whether or not they have IEPs. The role also involves parent and family intake sessions, communication with families and school staff, crisis support, coordination with outside agencies, session planning and scheduling, and collaboration with Project Play colleagues. The counselor is expected to build trusted relationships with school partners and integrate Project Play Therapy services into each school’s culture and processes. The position calls for strong problem-solving and communication skills, reliability, student advocacy, and a commitment to collaboration and excellent service. The position reports directly to the Lead Counselor or Director of Related Services.

Requirements

Master’s degree or equivalent proof of certification in Professional Counseling, Marriage and Family Therapy, Clinical Social Work, School Counseling, School Psychology, or a related field.
Tennessee state license in a relevant area: LMFT, LPC, LCSW, Licensed School Counselor, or Licensed School Psychologist. Temporary licenses are considered with proof of supervision requirements.
Integrity, student advocacy, and reliability.
Comfort collaborating in meetings with school leaders, internal management, and other stakeholders.
Ability to use problem-solving and team collaboration effectively and efficiently to support partner schools.
Ability to implement processes that enhance support for the professional team and identify opportunities to expand resources.

Nice To Haves

Relevant school experience.

Responsibilities

Provide direct counseling and therapy to students in school settings for varying mental health, behavioral, and emotional needs.
Work with school-based teams to support students holistically while maintaining confidentiality.
Communicate with parents about student educational and mental health concerns as needed.
Partner with school staff, family members, and community partners to find collaborative ways to support students affected by trauma or crisis.
Work with school partners to create schedules that accommodate students’ academic and mental health needs.
Develop and maintain a consistent schedule for assigned schools.
Maintain accurate and thorough service records and notes using Project Play’s EMR platform.
Provide progress updates to school teams and families as needed.
Build rapport and trust with schools, families, Project Play colleagues, and community partners.
Adapt communication to the needs of school partners, families, colleagues, and community partners.
Demonstrate inclusion, problem-solving, and proactive communication while working collaboratively and accountably within a team.
Foster goodwill with current contract partners to support client satisfaction.
Implement processes that improve support for the professional team and identify opportunities to expand available resources.