Elementary School Counselor

Location: Arthur Ashe Elementary School, 1001 Cedar Fork Road, Henrico. Full-time, 214-day contract.

About the Role

This position, in collaboration with another school counselor, is responsible for the development, management, and delivery of a comprehensive elementary school counseling program that addresses the academic achievement, social/emotional development, and career development needs of all students. The program aligns with the American School Counselor Association (ASCA) National Model, ASCA Mindsets & Behaviors for Student Success, and the Standards for School Counseling Programs in Virginia Public Schools.

Responsibilities

• Help students navigate critical and emergency situations, including recognizing and responding to student mental and/or behavioral health crises, offering short-term intervention, referral, and follow-up.
• Work collaboratively with the school-based mental health team.
• Facilitate individual counseling through planned, goal-focused, short-term sessions to assist students in overcoming issues impeding success or expressing difficulties with developmental tasks.
• Provide ongoing small group counseling to students with similar developmental or situational challenges to achieve healthy personal adjustment and coping with stress.
• Deliver school counseling curriculum through regular scheduled classroom instruction to promote academic success, college and career readiness, and social/emotional development, including lessons from a CASEL-approved targeted curriculum and wellness/movement activities.
• Provide developmentally appropriate activities and initiatives to promote post-secondary readiness, including college and career awareness and exploration.
• Consult with professionals inside and outside the school to identify and address barriers to student achievement; make appropriate referrals to community services.
• Gather and analyze relevant data to guide annual program planning, inform practice, and evaluate program impact on student achievement, behavior, and attendance.
• Collaborate with school stakeholders to design and implement support services or programs that promote student achievement, attendance, and behavior, advocating for equity and access for all students.
• Analyze students' abilities, interests, skills, and achievement to help them make decisions and develop immediate and long-range educational, career, and personal goals.
• Participate on Intervention Team, Child Find, Eligibility, Positive Behavior Interventions & Support (school climate), and VCSIP teams.
• Engage in division, state, and national professional development activities and incorporate learning into professional practice.
• Perform other duties as required.

Requirements

• Master’s degree in School Counseling.
• Post-graduate certification/licensure/endorsement in school counseling by the Virginia Department of Education.
• Thorough knowledge of appropriate counseling interventions in a school setting, including interpersonal relationships, facilitative skills, brief counseling, group dynamics, family systems, multicultural and cross-cultural approaches, critical incident intervention, and threat assessment protocol.
• Thorough knowledge of curriculum, instruction, social-emotional development, and counseling/guidance theory and practice.
• Highly developed communication skills (oral and written) to meet diverse needs of students, staff, and community agencies.
• Ability to organize and carry out student activity programs.
• Certified Trauma Practitioner preferred.

Pay

Minimum annual starting salary: $64,023 (Master’s), $67,096 (Doctoral).

Benefits

For information about benefits, visit Henrico County Public Schools Employee Benefits.