School Based Mental Health Counselor

About us

Wallowa Valley Center for Wellness (WVCW) is an innovative nonprofit providing comprehensive services to individuals impacted by mental health, addictions and developmental disabilities. We hire individuals that are skilled and motivated to meet our mission through outcome-based strategies that foster personal and community transformation.

In your role, you will provide trauma-informed, culturally and linguistically appropriate screening, mental health counseling, and referral services to students within a school setting. This is a full-time outpatient clinician role based at school sites during the academic year and at the Hearts for Health (H4H) main office during school breaks. You will deliver brief interventions and counseling to students from kindergarten through grade 12, collaborating closely with teachers, school staff, and parents to address emotional and behavioral needs and to connect students and families with WVCW services and other community resources.

You will also provide education and training for students and staff on a range of social issues and serve as a school-based resource for suicide intervention and prevention. In addition to your school-based work, you will perform screening, mental health assessment, treatment planning, counseling, and care coordination for individuals of varying ages.

• Provide school-based services on site in one to two county schools approximately four days per week, including conducting screenings, providing mental health counseling, and ongoing educational counseling and support for students.
• During all school breaks when students are not in session, including holiday breaks, spring break, summer months, teacher in-service days, and any other days when school is not in session, report to and work from the Hearts for Health (H4H) main office for the full 40-hour work week, providing outpatient services including individual counseling, family counseling, mental health assessments, and treatment planning appointments.
• Arrive at assigned school and office locations at the designated start times and maintain consistent attendance and punctuality, which are essential functions of this position given the nature of school-based services and scheduled client appointments.
• Refer students to WVCW services and to community partners such as Building Healthy Families for mentoring as appropriate.
• Maintain ongoing contact with teachers, parents, and community providers for screening and referral, and provide monthly reports of student contacts to the school administrator and Clinical leadership team.
• Track all contacts in the Electronic Health Record (OCHIN). With support from your supervisor, track the number of individuals served, project accomplishments, and challenges.
• Prepare and deliver trainings for students on various social issues and for school staff through in-service sessions, documenting training hours and submitting prevention, education, and outreach in a timely manner.
• In collaboration with the school, support an accessible, integrated mechanism for individuals to report incidents or threats of violence, and coordinate with school staff to develop and implement intervention plans.
• Serve as a school-based resource for suicide intervention and prevention, completing Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASIST) or another approved suicide prevention and intervention training.
• Screen potential clients to determine needs and present at the weekly treatment team meeting to determine who can best serve the client.
• Conduct comprehensive mental health assessments according to EOCCO, OAR, and ORS guidelines, and collaboratively develop individualized treatment plans with clients prior to the start of services. Update assessments and service plans at least every 90 days.
• Provide evidence-based counseling, which may include cognitive behavioral counseling, motivational interviewing, family of origin counseling, play therapy, solution-focused brief counseling, and psychoeducation, monitoring progress regularly until treatment is complete.
• Maintain a minimum of 20 hours per week of direct client contact, consistent with…