School Counselor

About the Role

The School Counselor helps students overcome problems that impede learning and assists them in making educational, occupational, and life plans appropriate to their age and maturity level. This role supports students' personal-social, mental health, academic needs, and college and career readiness, aiming to develop productive citizens and help them reach their full potential.

Responsibilities

• Supports the personal-social, mental health, academic, and college and career readiness needs of every student.
• Provides individual counseling to students on personal problems related to home, family, peer relations, health, and emotional adjustment.
• Conducts small group counseling on topics such as study skills, social skills, anger management, self-esteem, changing families, and grief.
• Creates and delivers classroom instruction every two to three weeks, focusing on personal-social development, career and college readiness, and bullying prevention based on Virginia Department of Education and American School Counselor Association (ASCA) standards.
• Develops a Comprehensive School Counseling Program aligned with the ASCA Model Program.
• Collects, analyzes, and reports outcome-oriented data to assess the effectiveness of the school counseling program, emphasizing equity and student-centered approaches.
• Uses data to identify trends and concerns, communicates findings to stakeholders, and assists counselors in measuring and reporting their work's effectiveness.
• Demonstrates fidelity in best practices for school counseling through technology use and monitoring of student outcomes.
• Provides in-service training for staff and collaborates with administrators and faculty on student discipline, developmental issues, and identifying significant behaviors such as suicide, self-harm, and depression.
• Fosters professional growth, stays current with research, participates in professional organizations, and keeps staff informed of state and national trends in school counseling.
• Collaborates with families, school staff, administrators, and other stakeholders to support student achievement and wellness.
• Interprets the school's objectives to students, parents, and the community; confers with parents as needed.

Requirements

• Master’s degree from an accredited college or university and completion of an approved school counseling program.
• Successful full-time teaching or school guidance and counseling experience.
• Eligibility for appropriate licensure. An active Licensed Professional Counseling (LPC) license issued by the Virginia Department of Health Professionals (DHP) may be considered in lieu of these requirements. Licensed Clinical Psychologist and Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) credentials may also be eligible.

Skills

• Knowledge of the structure and components of an effective school counseling program.
• Knowledge of barriers to student learning and data-driven school counseling practices.
• Knowledge of individual counseling, group counseling, and classroom instruction methods, techniques, and best practices.
• Knowledge of legal, ethical, and professional issues in public education, as well as learning and counseling theories.
• Ability to use technology effectively to plan, organize, implement, and evaluate school counseling services.
• Ability to collaborate with parents, teachers, administrators, and community stakeholders to promote student success.
• Strong oral and written communication skills.

Physical Requirements

• Regularly engages in talking, expressing, or exchanging ideas by means of the spoken word.
• Must convey detailed or important spoken instructions accurately, loudly, or quickly.
• Requires normal cognitive abilities, including the ability to learn, recall, and apply practices and policies.
• Frequently sits or remains stationary for long periods.
• Exerts up to 25 pounds of force occasionally and/or negligible force frequently to lift, carry, push, pull, or move objects.

Schedule

10 months / 200 days / 7.5 hours per day (Elementary School schedule).

Pay

Licensed Salary Scale (Scale A). See lcps.org/compensation for details.