SCHOOL COUNSELOR
Wilkes County Schools provides a robust variety of state and local benefit offerings that include but are not limited to health insurance, annual leave, sick leave, holiday pay, dental insurance, vision insurance, life insurance, state pension plan, and other ancillary benefits. Benefit eligibility is determined by job status and percentage of employment. In addition, Wilkes County Schools offers a local salary supplement of 5%.
NATURE OF WORK
Under general supervision, serves as the center of the guidance effort of the school and is the person through whom all pertinent information regarding the student is channeled. Helps students develop skills in the areas of personal-social growth, educational planning, and career and vocational development.
DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
Responsible for group and individual guidance procedures associated with proper student placement in regard to graduation and beyond.
Involvement in group and individual per-disciplinary counseling to keep the student in good standing in all classes.
Serves as a source of information for the student with respect to the school, home, and community.
Administers and interprets tests within the testing program.
Collects and disseminates to students and parents information concerning school offerings, opportunities for further education, and careers and career training opportunities.
Assists in the collection and maintenance of pertinent pupil data and to record individual student contracts.
Assists in the follow-up student attendance irregularities when verified by the attendance office.
Assists in establishing and coordinating student-teacher-counselor-parent-conferences.
Provides guidance to students with academic and/or vocational problems.
Counsels students regarding school-related personal problems.
Provides identification and referral service for students having emotional, health, and/or learning problems which are beyond the resources of the local school.
Refers students with exceptional abilities and needs to appropriate district personnel.
Assists in the development and changing of curriculum to meet the needs of the student body.
Completes random moment in time studies as required by MAC program guidelines.
Performs other related work as required.
MINIMUM TRAINING AND EXPERIENCE
Master's degree in Counseling. Certification as a School Counselor.
Or
1. Enrollment in an accredited school counselor preparation program and completion of a minimum of 24 graduate semester hours of that program; or
2. Completion of a master's degree in addiction; career; clinical mental health; clinical rehabilitation; college counseling and student affairs; marriage, couple, and family counseling; or rehabilitation counseling from a regionally accredited college or university and enrollment in an accredited school counselor preparation program to complete additional master's level courses needed to add school counseling specialization.
Both options require completion of remaining school counselor preparation program requirements within three years.
ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS
Must be physically able to operate a variety of equipment including computers, copiers, etc. Must be able to exert up to 10 pounds of force occasionally; and/or a negligible amount of force constantly to lift, carry, push, pull or otherwise move objects.
Requires the ability to compare and/or judge the readily observable, functional, structural or composite characteristics of data, people or things.
Requires the ability to speak and/or signal people to convey or exchange information. Includes giving instructions, assignments or directions to subordinates or assistants.
Requires the ability to read a variety of correspondence, reports, forms, articles, proposals, contracts, etc. Requires the ability to prepare correspondence, reports, forms, evaluations, policies, etc. using prescribed formats.
Requires the ability to apply principles of logical or scientific thinking to define problems, collect data, establish facts, and draw valid conclusions; to interpret an extensive variety of technical instructions in mathematical or diagrammatic form.
Requires the ability to record and deliver information, to explain procedures, to follow oral and written instructions. Must be able to communicate effectively and efficiently in a variety of technical or professional languages including medical, legal and counseling terminology.
Requires the ability to deal with people beyond giving and receiving of instructions. Must be adaptable to performing under stress and when confronted with emergency situations.
KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES
Establishes the school-counseling program and develops activities and resources to implement and evaluate the program. The counselor involves other school staff in making decisions about the school counseling program.
Provides individual and group counseling services to meet the developmental, preventive, and remedial needs of students.
Consults with students, parents, teachers, and other school and community personnel to assist in meeting the needs of the students.
REPORTS TO: Principal
FSLA STATUS: Exempt
DISCLAIMER
The preceding job description has been designed to indicate the general nature and level of work performed by employees within this classification. It is not designed to contain or be interpreted as a comprehensive inventory of all duties, responsibilities, and qualifications required of employees to this job.