STATUS:                    Full-time

FLSA STATUS:            Exempt

PAY CATEGORY:          Teacher Salary Schedule

REPORTS TO:             Building Principal

POSITION SUMMARY: As a member of the Guidance Department staff at the middle school or high school level, a counselor is to provide a comprehensive guidance program for students as appropriate to their grade level. The counselor provides activities to meet the needs of the students, consults with teachers, staff, and parents to enhance their effectiveness in helping students and provides support to other educational programs.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS: 

1. Implement the appropriate age level school guidance curriculum
2. Guide and counsel groups and individual students through the development of educational and career plans. Incorporate College and Career program into weekly classroom counselor visits
3. Counsel small groups and individual students with problems
4. Consult with teachers, staff, and parents regarding meeting the developmental needs of students
5. Refer students with severe problems to appropriate community resources in consultation with their parents
6. Co-facilitate the 504 / Child Find process to determine what students may be eligible for 504 services
7. Case Manager for all building 504 plans
8. Facilitate 504 meetings on an annual basis
9. Track student attendance data and intervene when necessary
10. Individual student academic planning and goal setting
11. Development of master schedule along with building administrator
12. Facilitate student entering of course requests each year
13. Serves as a liaison between students, parents and academic programs off campus
14. Manage all schedule changes
15. Career Planning with students
16. Monitoring of transcripts and completed courses for graduation
17. Recommends students for honors programs (Duke Tip, AP, Dual Credit)
18. Work with other district personnel such as social workers, 504 admin, homeless liaison, and school nurse to know resources available to families (clothing, food, transportation, etc.)
19. Attend required training and professional development activities (504, MAP testing, risk assessments, etc.)
20. Mediating student conflict and bullying
21. Serve as a resource and support for teachers and parents
22. Advocate for students during Child Services interviews conducted at school
23. Understand the Missouri Comprehensive School Counseling Program and how each component is vital to be effective
24. Serve on district level Crisis Team
25. Reporting of child neglect and abuse to Child Services
26. Attend district and county counselor meetings
27. Participate in, coordinate or conduct activities which contribute to the effective operation of the school
28. Evaluate and revise the building guidance program
29. Serves as member/coordinator of the teacher leadership team as created by the principal
30. Serve as a member of the IEP team
31. Respond to parent and/or teacher concerns regarding academic performance
32. Organize information related to parental and/or teacher requests for evaluation and refers information to the diagnostician
33. Assist with enrollment, registration, and orientation of new students
34. Refer special education transfer students with insufficient records to diagnosticians
35. Coordinate with the diagnostician regarding special education transfers in and out of the district
36. Pursue and fulfill continuing professional education requirements
37. Perform other duties as assigned

ESSENTIAL SKILLS AND ABILITIES: 

1. Ability to communicate effectively, both orally and in writing, with a variety of clienteles.
2. Physical stamina to handle work schedule.
3. Respect for administrators, students, teachers, parents, and support staff.
4. Possess a strong familiarity with current trends in guidance counseling.
5. Possess effective interpersonal skills with the ability to interface diplomatically with administrators, teachers, and other colleagues within the district, as well as with parents and students.
6. Possess the ability to effectively collaborate, both as a leader and a team member, with various stakeholders.
7. Possess the ability to build relationships and foster open, honest communication with others to encourage expression of ideas.
8. Possess the ability to coach others by accurately assessing strengths and needs of students, providing feedback, and encouraging reflective questioning.

BASIC REQUIREMENTS: 

1. Missouri Counselor 7-12 Certification through DESE

WORK ENVIRONMENT:  While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to stand, walk, sit, talk, hear, and utilize manual dexterity.  The employee is occasionally required to reach with hands and arms, to stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl, and to lift and/or move up to 30 pounds.  Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, the ability to adjust focus, and depth perception.