Middle School Counselor Opportunity

Middle School Counselor Opportunity

Full Time (1.0 FTE)

At Lakeside School, we are focused on developing global citizens, educational excellence, and building a diverse community.  If you share these same values, you should consider Lakeside as your next employer.  Lakeside is an independent coeducational day school located on a beautiful campus in North Seattle.  We are currently recruiting for a full-time (1.0 FTE) Middle School Counselor for the 2014-15 school year.

Responsibilities

The Middle School Counselor will support student mental health.  The position will be part of the Student Support Team, and will also have close working relationships with administrators and faculty members responsible for fostering student success at Lakeside School.

The Middle School Counseling Program provides a multi-level net of social and emotional support for students.  The first level of support involves actively working to be visible to all students and seen as a resource, maximizing the possibility that students will voluntarily self-refer.  The counselor also keeps open office hours to allow students to drop in alone or with friends; this allows for easy access to the counselor without having previously scheduled appointments. The highest levels of support involves providing short- term or long-term direct services.

Specific Counselor Responsibilities:

·       Be visible and accessible to students, faculty/staff, and parents/guardians within the school community

·       Provide 1:1 services, including crisis counseling, time-limited interventions, and assessment for triage and referral purposes

·       Facilitate academic accommodation process for students with documented mental health issues

·       Provide consultation for parents, guardians, faculty, and administrators about general student mental health issues as they affect the student body as a whole, as well as about individual student needs

·       Provide education on relevant social-emotional topics to students and faculty in small groups as well as in larger meetings

·       Stay up-to-date on relevant professional development

·       Keep current with laws governing confidentiality as they pertain to adolescents and mental health services in schools

·       Attend and participate in weekly Student Support Team (SST) meetings to coordinate support for students

·       Follow through on any action steps as a result of the SST meeting

·       Maintain documentation using the SST systems

·       Work as part of a grade-level team and participate in student grade-level activities

·       Coordinate with Upper School counseling staff to provide continuity of service for students grades 5-12

·       Actively engage in the co-curricular and extra-curricular life of the school, including participation in service learning, outdoor program, and global service

Requirements and Qualifications

An advanced degree is required and could include a M.Ed., M.A., M.S., M.S.W., Ed.D, Ph.D. or other degree in a related field.   The successful applicant will have solid training and experience with a range of diagnostic and treatment options for a middle school population as well as experience working with adolescents in educational and/or counseling center settings.

The ability to generate and implement creative and innovative ideas for engaging and working with students is needed.  A strong interest in continued professional growth and development is required, as is a sense of humor and the ability to see the positive in challenging situations.

The successful candidate will possess an outstanding attention to detail, demonstrated ability to multi-task, excellent written and verbal communication skills, and the ability to communicate information about complex student information in a respectful and clear manner.  Candidates should be able to balance independent work and self-management with a strong collaborative approach.  Familiarity and proficiency using computers (PC/Windows and Microsoft Office) is essential. Candidates must satisfactorily complete a nationwide criminal background check.

Compensation and Benefits

Lakeside School is committed to attracting and retaining outstanding faculty candidates who will add to the racial, cultural, economic and gender diversity of our school community.  We provide a competitive compensation package which includes, but is not limited to, a monthly salary, excellent health and welfare benefits, access to funds for professional development, housing down payment assistance program, and school-provided lunches.  Additionally, Lakeside offers Faculty and Staff opportunities to participate in non-classroom teaching programs such as Global Service Learning, Summer School, coaching, etc., for extra compensation.

Additional Information

Lakeside School was founded in 1919, and currently enrolls 811 students in grades 5 through 12 from diverse ethnic, racial, religious, and economic backgrounds.

The School’s Mission and the shared commitment of all Lakeside employees is to develop in intellectually capable young people the creative minds, healthy bodies, and ethical spirits needed to contribute wisdom, compassion, and leadership to a global society. We provide a rigorous, dynamic academic program through which effective educators lead students to take responsibility for learning.  We are committed to sustaining a school in which individuals representing diverse cultures and experiences instruct one another in the meaning and value of community and in the joy and importance of lifelong learning. 

Application Process

Interested candidates should submit a cover letter and resume via the online application located on Lakeside’s website (www.lakesideschool.org).  From the home page choose About Us / Employment / View and Apply For Available Jobs.

Lakeside School is an Equal Opportunity Employer seeking to diversify its workplace.