The Amherst Public School District is seeking a highly qualified candidate for the position of Guidance Counselor at Fort River Elementary School. Fort River's current population is 350 students in grades K-6. This is a full-time, school-year position. Our school has a robust inclusion-based model, and co-teaching is strongly supported. Our school is home to the district's dual language program, which teaches students in English & Spanish (Caminantes). Therefore, bilingual and multicultural, as well as bicultural, applicants are preferred. We are committed to hiring to match our demographic, which is currently 56% of students of color. Fort River houses two distinct district-specialized programs to meet the needs of the district's neurodiverse student population for students with Autism Spectrum Disorder or Social Emotional Disabilities. A successful candidate will be enthusiastic, committed to education, and willing to collaborate to meet diverse student needs. This is an APEA bargaining unit A position.

The counselor will have the following roles and responsibilities:

• Provide group and individual counseling services
• Design and deliver tiered supports and interventions
• Meet regularly with grade-level teams
• Tier 1 & 2 interventions
• Case management services for assigned caseload
• Ongoing development and implementation of school-wide bullying prevention and intervention
• Primary investigator for bullying incidents
• Provide classroom-based support and interventions to students
• Deliver classroom-based lessons to promote a positive school and class climate
• Collaborate and consult with school personnel on topics related to social/emotional learning and mental health issues
• Work with the Principal as part of the school leadership team
• Provide crisis intervention when needed
• Collect and analyze data from the district’s program, such as DESSA, aligned with the CASEL standards

Other Duties and Responsibilities:

• Assume responsibility role for the Behavioral Health Team (BHT)
• Participate in the School Climate/PBIS Team
• Active engagement in school climate/equity work
• Perform other related duties as required
• Attend scheduled staff meetings
• Assume any additional responsibilities as directed by the Principal
• Attend district-wide mental health team meetings and trainings
• Self-harm and threat assessment screenings, as indicated
• Participate in ongoing classroom meetings to address the climate and classroom issues

Qualifications:

• Master’s Degree or above in Guidance, Social Work, Psychology, or other mental health provider field
• Background working with children with special educational needs
• MA ESE School Adjustment Counselor, Guidance Counselor, or School Psychologist certification or eligible for one year waiver