Personal and Success Counselor

Rock Valley College; Rockford (IL); On-site; USD 60,000 - 64,000; Full time

Job summary

Rock Valley College seeks a Personal & Success Counselor to support students through counseling, educational planning, and wellness programming at the Rock Valley College campus. This role aligns with the Illinois Mental Health Early Action Act and reports to the Dean of Students.

The counselor will assist with academic advising, personal counseling, crisis response, and coordination with campus partners. A Master's degree plus relevant experience and bilingual Spanish are highly valued.

Qualifications

• Master's degree from an accredited institution is required.
• Master's degree in College Student Personnel, Counseling, Educational Counseling or Counseling Psychology is preferred.
• Licensure related to counseling or social work (LSW, LPC, LCSW, LCPC) is preferred.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills and strong interpersonal skills.
• Experience in crisis response or crisis counseling is necessary.
• Experience in counseling within a college or university counseling center setting is preferred.
• Experience in community college education is desirable.
• Demonstrated ability to work with diverse students, faculty and staff is necessary.
• Bi-lingual proficiency (Spanish) is highly desirable.
• Basic computer skills in word processing, data base management, and Internet usage also required.

Responsibilities

• Work with students in the development of educational goals and the implementation of plans to meet those goals.
• Assist in the student academic advisement process.
• Provide personal/social counseling and referral services to students for students through appropriate delivery systems.
• Provide wellness programming, and drug, alcohol, and violence prevention education to the RVC campus community.
• Work with Dean of Students office to reduce negative health and safety consequences as a result of alcohol, drug, and violence.
• Be available to faculty, staff and students for consultation, walk-ins, and psycho-education counseling regarding student mental health issues.
• Assist students dealing with crisis situations and make appropriate referrals when needed.
• Actively participate on the Behavior Intervention Team.
• Provide direct support, programming, and guidance to the College's effort to support students on Academic Alert, Academic Probation and Standards of Academic Progress Financial Aid Appeal.
• Compile and distribute current academic and social information pertinent to the growth and development of college students.
• Stay apprised of current legal and ethics issues in counseling and higher education.
• Regular attendance is expected.
• Using tact and courtesy, the ability to establish and maintain effective relationships with persons contacted in the course of work.
• Work closely with the Rock Valley College Foundation and Executive Director of Grants to explore grant opportunities and identify students in need.

Skills

Excellent communication

Interpersonal skills

Crisis response experience

Diversity experience

Bilingual Spanish

Education

Master's degree

Counseling/College student personnel specialization

Counseling licensure preferred (LSW/LPC/LCSW/LCPC)

Tools

Word processing

Database management

Internet usage

Job description

Position Title: Personal & Success Counselor

Department: Personal & Success Counseling (PES)

Division: Dean of Students (DOS)

Employee Status: Full Time (Grant funded through September 2027)

Group: Professional Staff Association (PSA)

Grade: M

Salary: ($60,000-$64,342 annual)

Hours: General hours Monday - Friday, 8 am - 5 pm – May require occasional Saturday or evening hours

FLSA: Professional / Technical

Revised: 01/2025, 08/2026

Employment Notice: Rock Valley College does not offer sponsorship for employment-based visas for this position now or in the future. Applicants must be currently authorized to work in the United States without the need for employer sponsorship.

Application Deadline: September 13th, 2026

Reporting Relationships

Reports to: Dean of Students

Supervision Exercised: None

Job Summary

Assist the Rock Valley College community in the development and implementation of a student counseling center that provides programming that is responsive to student needs, enhances student development and supports the Illinois Mental Health Early Action Act.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• 1. Work with students in the development of educational goals and the implementation of plans to meet those goals.
• 2. Assist in the student academic advisement process.
• 3. Provide personal/social counseling and referral services to students for students through appropriate delivery systems.
• 4. Provide wellness programming, and drug, alcohol, and violence prevention education to the RVC campus community.
• 5. Work with Dean of Students office to reduce negative health and safety consequences as a result of alcohol, drug, and violence.
• 6. Be available to faculty, staff and students for consultation, walk-ins, and psycho-education counseling regarding student mental health issues.
• 7. Assist students dealing with crisis situations and make appropriate referrals when needed.
• 8. Actively participate on the Behavior Intervention Team.
• 9. Provide direct support, programming, and guidance to the College's effort to support students on Academic Alert, Academic Probation and Standards of Academic Progress Financial Aid Appeal.
• 10. Compile and distribute current academic and social information pertinent to the growth and development of college students.
• 11. Stay apprised of current legal and ethics issues in counseling and higher education.
• 12. Regular attendance is expected.
• 13. Using tact and courtesy, the ability to establish and maintain effective relationships with persons contacted in the course of work.
• 14. Work closely with the Rock Valley College Foundation and Executive Director of Grants to explore grant opportunities and identify students in need.

Qualifications

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skills, and/or abilities required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Minimum Requirements

• 1. Master's degree from an accredited institution is required.
• 2. Master's degree in College Student Personnel, Counseling, Educational Counseling or Counseling Psychology is preferred.
• 3. Licensure related to counseling or social work (LSW, LPC, LCSW, LCPC) is preferred
• 4. Excellent written and verbal communication skills and strong interpersonal skills.
• 5. Experience in crisis response or crisis counseling is necessary.
• 6. Experience in counseling within a college or university counseling center setting is preferred.
• 7. Experience in community college education is desirable.
• 8. Demonstrated ability to work with diverse students, faculty and staff is necessary.
• 9. Bi-lingual proficiency (Spanish) is highly desirable.
• 10. Basic computer skills in word processing, data base management, and Internet usage also required.

Work Environment

While performing the duties of this job, the employee regularly works in an office setting.

Physical Demands

Physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job.