26-27 SY Behavioral Health Counselor

Job Summary

Behavioral Health Counselors identify resource inequities, assess school-level needs, and include evidence-based interventions.  They provide behavioral health support and fosters a safe and successful learning environment for students.  They provide counseling services that foster the academic, personal, social and career development of all students.  They provide individual/group counseling and guidance for students and implement broad based programs that deal with decision-making, conflict resolution, self-esteem, coping strategies and other issues.  Serves as both the primary agent for addressing issues that impact on students at risk of failing to attain their full academic potential and the school based resource for dealing with child abuse/neglect and crisis prevention/intervention.  Acts as a liaison between the school and various community/governmental agencies that may provide services to students and their families and participates on the school’s multi-disciplinary committee.

Essential Functions

• Creates an environment in which students have access to direct and indirect services that address behavioral and behavioral health needs;
• Provides individual and group counseling to students;
• Implements evidence-based, behavioral, social and emotional interventions to address student concerns including problem solving, conflict resolution, self-esteem, coping strategies, peer relationships and other issues;
• Provides direct and indirect counseling services to students and their families to address behavioral, social, emotional and behavioral health needs;
• Serves as the primary agent for addressing transition of students to and from psychiatric placement and participates in discharge planning meetings;
• Serves as the school based resource for dealing with child abuse/neglect and crisis prevention/intervention;
• Participates in team interventions with other staff to support students;
• Participates on the school’s multi-disciplinary team that includes other staff members;
• Participates in interagency team meetings to address student’s behavioral health needs;
• Serves as primary liaison and collaborates with school-based behavioral health providers;
• Collaborates with families, teachers and other staff in the planning and implementation of a counseling program for students that addresses the behavioral, social, emotional and behavioral health needs of students;
• Establishes a continuum-of-service resources guide for students and families to access behavioral health and other community-based supports that address social and emotional needs;
• Provides support to students and families to access behavioral health resources;
• Makes referrals to outside agencies as needed and provides ongoing follow-up services to students and their families;
• Gathers and disseminates information on critical issues such as student substance abuse, child abuse/neglect, suicide prevention/intervention, preteen/teen pregnancy and homelessness, and provides professional development to staff as needed;
• Keeps abreast of current techniques and trends in school counseling and guidance for elementary, middle school students and/or high school students;
• Observes students who have behavioral concerns to inform behavior and safety planning and develops behavior, safety and crisis plans for students; prepares and maintains student-counseling records; prepares reports on students, correspondence and statistical summaries;
• Establishes and maintains effective working relationships with representatives of various community/governmental agencies to facilitate the a