About Job

Kurn Hattin Home and School for Children, located in Westminster, VT, is a residential home and school for children ages 5-15.

We are seeking a compassionate and strategic Director of Counseling to lead a dedicated team committed to the emotional and social well-being of children. In this key leadership role, you will shape and oversee a counseling program that supports each child’s success through high-quality services, relational counseling, and social skills education.

This is an exciting opportunity for a thoughtful leader who thrives in a collaborative environment, values whole-child development, and is energized by the chance to make a lasting impact through strategic planning, staff development, and hands-on work with children and families.

Kurn Hattin is a donor-supported organization where good kids from families facing difficult circumstances find a safe, nurturing place to live and learn. Our mission, transforming the lives of children and families forever, is guided by our core values: Perseverance, Nurturance, Hope, Compassion, and Sense of Worth.

Kurn Hattin offers a generous benefit package including insurance, short term disability, life insurance, paid time off, and a retirement package.

Please submit your resume along with a cover letter to humanresources@kurnhattin.org

Job Title: Director of Counseling

Reports To: Assistant Executive Director

Salary Range: $70,000-$75,000 with on campus housing as an option

Summary: The Director of Counseling serves as the administrative representative of the counseling department in a leadership and supervisory capacity to promote the quality of services to children, the professional development of staff, and to facilitate the mission of the organization. The Director will provide relational counseling, supportive services, and social skills education for the children. .

Responsibilities and Duties

● Serve as a trauma-informed leader who promotes emotionally safe environments, quality service delivery, healthy child development, and positive staff functioning.

● Ensure department practices align with trauma-informed care principles, fostering trust, choice, collaboration, empowerment, and cultural responsiveness.

● Work closely with the Child Services Team to ensure coordinated, high-quality care.

● Participate and lead in the planning and development of campus-wide programs, including the Social Skills Program, using trauma-sensitive approaches that promote resilience.

● Conduct weekly departmental meetings to coordinate services and maintain a shared trauma-informed lens across the counseling team.

● Provide clinical and administrative supervision grounded in reflective practice, emotional safety, and professional growth.

● Act as the primary backup counselor in mental health crises involving children, modeling calm, safety, and appropriate de-escalation strategies.

● Ensure consistent counselor participation in residential and academic team meetings to maintain a cohesive support network for each child.

● Communicate with families, offering consultation, parent education, and family meetings as needed

● Conduct interviews with prospective children and families, assessing needs and enrollment alignment.

Qualifications

● Master’s degree required in counseling, social work, or psychology

● Five years or more of clinical experience working with children and families

● Administrative training/experience, demonstrated leadership and supervisory experience in children’s counseling services, and at least some evidence of clinical supervision of counseling staff

● Foresight, innovative thinking, enthusiasm, and a desire to sculpt a vigorous, premier counseling program for a residential school

● Strong aptitude in motivation of and compassion for staff and colleagues and ability to maintain an empathetic and professional demeanor at all times

● Excellent organizational, interpersonal, and communication skills

● Ability to maintain confidentiality and exhibit impeccable ethical behavior

● Vermont (or surrounding State) licensure required.

This is a deeply relational, hands-on, and mission-driven place to work—where compassion, structure, and creativity come together to change lives. At Kurn Hattin, every day brings the opportunity to support children as they grow, heal, and discover their potential. If you're ready to roll up your sleeves, collaborate across a caring community, and bring both heart and skill to your work, we invite you to apply. It’s meaningful work with lasting impact—and we’re looking for someone who’s all in.

Job Type: Full-time

Pay: $70,000.00 - $75,000.00 per year

Benefits: