Student Services LEAD for Counseling AND SOCIAL WORK

Student Services Lead (Counseling And Social Work)

The Student Services Lead serves as a teacher-leader who provides collaborative leadership, coaching, facilitation, and coordination for school counselors and school social workers while maintaining a full student caseload. The position supports alignment with the American School Counselor Association (ASCA) National Model, the School Social Work Association of America (SSWWA) Practice Model, Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS), and district priorities. The role focuses on capacity-building, professional collaboration, continuous improvement, and systems development rather than evaluation or supervision.

Minimum Required Qualifications:

• Minimum of a Master's Degree
• Valid Illinois Professional Educator License (PEL)
• School Counselor or School Social Worker endorsement
• Minimum of five (5) years of successful experience as a school counselor or school social worker
• Demonstrated understanding of comprehensive student services programming
• Demonstrated understanding of and compliance with district policies, procedures, and guidelines

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Coaching and Professional Support:
  Provide individual and group coaching to counselors and social workers. Facilitate reflective conversations focused on improving services and student outcomes. Support staff in strengthening school counseling services, social work interventions, crisis response, and student support practices. Model and reinforce culturally responsive, trauma-informed, and student-centered practices. Support staff in translating ASCA and SSWAA standards into daily practice. Share resources, professional learning opportunities, and best practices.
• Emerging Systems Development:
  Identify priority student needs including attendance, mental health, academic success, postsecondary readiness, and social-emotional development. Encourage consistent approaches to student support programming and interventions. Collaborate with district student support staff to develop shared language and practices aligned to MTSS. Support appropriate use of data to inform decisions and interventions.
• Coordination and Role Clarity:
  Support understanding of the distinct and complementary roles of school counselors and school social workers. Reduce role confusion by reinforcing counseling responsibilities related to academic, college/career, and social-emotional development and social work responsibilities related to mental health, family systems, and community-based interventions. Facilitate collaboration among Student Services team members.
• Systems-Level Leadership:
  Identify patterns and trends in student needs across grade levels and student groups. Communicate barriers to student success to administration. Support alignment between Student Services programs and school improvement priorities. Advocate for structures and systems that strengthen student supports and comprehensive programming.
• Communication and Facilitation:
  Facilitate regular Student Services meetings focused on collaboration, problem-solving, and professional learning. Serve as a liaison between Student Services staff and administration. Support communication regarding student interventions, resources, and support services. Collaborate with school and district leaders on initiatives impacting student support services.