School Based Mental Health Counselor

About KIPP Texas Public Schools

KIPP Texas Public Schools is a free, public charter school network with more than 45 Pre‑K-12 schools across Austin, Dallas‑Fort Worth, Houston, and San Antonio. With over 30 years in Texas, we work together with families and communities to prepare students for college, career, and beyond. Our schools provide a high‑quality, well‑rounded education built on academic success and personal growth, where all students learn and thrive in a productive, safe, and joyful way.

We are looking for a School‑Based Mental Health Counselor who will identify and assist students, families, and school systems in overcoming barriers that interfere with learning through assessment, counseling, consultation, and coordination of school and community resources. The counselor will utilize knowledge of human behavior, social and emotional competencies, and community systems to guide service delivery and support the whole child, collaborating with the multidisciplinary leadership team to provide guidance, recommendations, and support for student and family needs.

• Conduct assessments of individuals and families with the goal of improving student social, emotional, behavioral, and academic outcomes.
• Conduct reliable and valid assessments of students and families to inform the design of interventions to remove barriers to learning.
• Complete assessments of campus needs to prioritize service delivery.
• Provide consultation to school personnel, parents/guardians, and community partners for the purpose of enhancing their understanding of student needs, developing effective interventions, and building school capacity.
• Act as a liaison with community agencies to ensure continuity of services.
• Facilitate crisis response and provide follow‑up crisis counseling and referrals to appropriate providers.
• Demonstrate the use of evidence‑informed practices in interventions.
• Utilize data to assess needs, plan interventions for individual students, groups, and/or the whole school population.
• Maintain accurate, complete, and punctual records, as well as safeguard the privacy and confidentiality of information as required by law, District policy, and licensing requirements.
• Demonstrate a commitment to the values and ethics of the professional code of ethics.
• Meet the minimum professional development requirements as set forth by the licensing board.
• Adhere to state and District mandating reporting requirements as they pertain to safety concerns.
• Utilize evidence‑informed practices, skills, and techniques that reflect the understanding of the role of culture in the helping process.
• Empower students and families to gain access to and effectively utilize school and community resources.

Must possess at least one of the following certifications or licenses and maintain active licensure throughout employment:

• LMSW, LCSW, LCSW‑S
• LPC‑I, LPC, LPC‑S
• LMFT

If the incumbent is a LPC‑I, they must maintain their own clinical supervision throughout employment.

The position requires knowledge of available social services, programs, and state, local, and federal laws impacting students, as well as experience in crisis response. Candidates must conduct interventions within a broad range of settings, work independently with persistence, self‑motivation, excellent communication, organization, and time‑management skills, and collaborate effectively within a multidisciplinary team while maintaining appropriate boundaries.

• Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision plans with coverage options for employees and families.
• Competitive vacation and flexible paid time off (PTO) policies.
• Paid family leave.
• Flexible spending account or high‑yield HSA.
• Employee assistance programs.
• Employee‑paid benefits: legal plans, Life Lock identity protection, life insurance, and disability insurance.

The position requires the ability to move throughout the school during the workday. The candidate is expected to attend conferences, meetings, and training sessions both virtually and in person within the region. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable…