Guidance Counselor

High School Counselor

Purpose:

Provide comprehensive guidance program for students and specifically provide activities to meet the needs of the assigned case load; consult with teachers, staff, and parents to enhance their effectiveness in helping students, and provide support to other high school educational progress.

Minimum Qualifications:

A Master's degree in counseling or counselor endorsement related field; A Valid Teachers and School Counselors License with proper endorsement;
Five years of experience in Counselor preferred;
Verifiable demonstrated progressive leadership experience;
Working knowledge of NM MLSS. Ability to use age appropriate language and accompanying techniques with adolescents on one-to-one basis as well as groups;
Ability to read, analyzes, and interprets general counseling journals, reports, and governmental regulations;
Ability to write reports, keep logs, correspondence and maintain confidential information;
Ability to effectively present information and respond to questions from groups of teachers, clients, parents, committees, and the general public;
Ability to solve practical problems and deal with a variety of concrete variables in situations where only limited standardization exists;
Ability to interpret a variety of instructions furnished in written, oral, diagram, and schedule form;
Must have strong verbal and written communication;
Strong communication, organization, and technology skills;
Ability to build effective relationships with students, community, parents, staff and general public.

Essential Duties:
Counsels groups or individual students through the development of educational and career plans and 4-year school plans;
Counsel small groups and individual students with problems, refer severe problems to appropriate community resources;
Performs counseling with individual students to correct those personal, social, or emotional maladjustments related to their educational and social progress;
Consults with teachers, staff, and parents regarding meeting and developmental needs of students;
Evaluates and revises the building counseling program;
Conduct counseling activities in the classroom in the conjunction with administration and teachers;
Consult with teachers to facilitate the infusion of counseling activities into the regular education curricula. Provides orientation for students new to the school;
Counsel/Guide students and parents in use of test results for education/career planning;
Responds to crisis situations when appropriate;
May coordinates school-wide testing program;
May proctor standardized testing;
Communicates regularly with parents by means of newsletters, notes, phone calls, conferences, etc.;
Meets all the NM PED Competencies for Counselors Servers as a resource to district personnel and as a liaison to various agencies (e.g. district committees, interagency boards) for the purpose of explaining procedures conveying and/or receiving information as needed for the purpose of explaining procedures conveying services related to special education. Assists other personnel as may be required for the purpose of supporting them in the completion of their work activities.

Perform other duties as assigned.

Physical Functions:
Ability to sit, talk and hear for long periods of time;
Ability to use repetitive hand, arm and finger motions;
Ability to attend meetings during the day and in the evening at various locations in and out of the District;
Travel as necessary to conferences, seminars, trainings and meetings;
Ability to read information in various formats, research information and present information in oral and written form;
Ability to speak publicly to groups of different sizes and discuss issues at hand;
Ability to lift up to 40 pounds occasionally, 20 pounds frequently;
May lift up to 150 pounds with the assistance of another employee, some carrying;
Ability to walk for short distances on even and uneven surfaces;
Ability to work in an office environment with varying temperatures and noises;
Ability to operate equipment with finger and eye coordination;
Mental Functions:
Ability to handle stress;
Ability to handle difficult people and difficult situations; work on conflict resolution and problem solving;
Ability to lead people in creating, brainstorming, team building and project management;
Ability to access situations, make decisions and provide direction;
Ability to utilize mathematical strategies and analysis;
Ability to organize data, tests, information and disseminate to appropriate venue;
Ability to monitor projects, assignments, and data to ensure work is being completed correctly and meets timelines;
Ability to analyze data, provide input and articulate the need for changes. Ability to connect with people with disabilities;
Essential Equipment:
Ability to operate phone, fax, computer, scanner, printer, calculator, smart board, etc.;
Ability to operate a vehicle