STRIVE Counselor (3368)

YOUTH GUIDANCE•Chicago, IL

12d•$55,000 - $69,000•Onsite

About The Position

The STRIVE Counselor provides school-based individual counseling and academic coaching to students who are in DCFS care. The Counselor is responsible for rendering direct counseling and/or support services to clients within agency policies and programs and coordinates with school and DCFS employees for service provision. The Counselor participates within a team, helps formulate team programs, and works with school administration to ensure cohesive collaboration.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree from an accredited university is required.
Must have at least two years of experience providing direct counseling, mentoring, or related services to youth.
Effectively communicates in verbal and written form
Collaborates in team settings
Works independently and with ownership of one’s work
Demonstrates knowledge of trauma-informed care and advanced counseling/psychology concepts
Demonstrates cultural competency, including understanding of effects of institutional racism and systemic oppression on marginalized populations
Demonstrates understanding of challenges facing youth and families involved in DCFS care
Able to creatively engage youth in school and community settings
Provides a positive, team-based approach to treatment and care of clients
Communication: Uses effective written and oral communication with internal staff, teams, and community served; demonstrates empathy and listening
Client orientation: Recognizes needs of diverse stakeholders and approaches relationships with a service orientation, to ultimately maximize the impact
Equity mindset: Understands and is committed to goals of equity, consistently brings an equity mindset to the organization’s work and workplace
Growth mindset: Views growth as important for personal and professional development; seeks out opportunities to expand skills, even if the change is required, demonstrates curiosity and eagerness to learn
Ownership and quality of work: Effectively manages own work, and work of the team to ensure delivery of high-quality work
Mission drive: Demonstrates commitment to the missing of the organization as a whole and alignment with organization values

Nice To Haves

Master’s degree in social work, counseling or a related human service field from an approved accredited university is preferred.
Illinois social work or counseling license is preferred but not required.
Spanish language fluency strongly preferred.
Case management experience or experience in schools is a plus.
Supervisory skills: Effectively manages and develops others

Responsibilities

Provides STRIVE services to students and families directly within school districts 299 (CPS), 205 (Thornton Township), 209 (Proviso Township), and other approved Chicago or suburban Cook County schools. These services will include counseling, case management, home visits, student and staff training seminars, resource development, mentoring, tutoring, college and career readiness, and/or other services, as needed.
Interacts and coordinates effectively with DCFS, school systems and other relevant personnel on issues related both to the STRIVE Program and to all Youth Guidance programming.
Works with DCFS caseworkers, school staff, and/or other YG programs to connect students to resources and programming that support their development and wellbeing.
Performs routine administrative functions including monthly/quarterly/yearly reports, client record keeping, progress notes, case reviews and research evaluation and meets all program deliverables.
Provides and/or participates in training as requested by agency administration.
Engage in operational and technical planning of team goals/objective to achieve performance metrics.
Collaborates with team to create and develop small/large scale events for the STRIVE program.
Performs other duties as assigned.