School Counselor

Harrisburg School District; Harrisburg (Dauphin County); On-site; USD 52,000 - 72,000; Full time

Job summary

The Harrisburg School District is seeking a dedicated school counselor to meet developmental and special needs of all students. This role focuses on academic, career, and personal-social development with collaboration across staff and families.

The counselor coordinates guidance activities, conducts assessments, and supports students through graduation planning and postsecondary opportunities in a collaborative school environment.

Qualifications

• Certification in Elementary or Secondary School Counseling is required.
• PA State Criminal History and FBI Fingerprint Clearances required at time of hire.

Responsibilities

• Develops and coordinates a school counseling program including individualized education, career planning, and related activities.
• Provides individual or small group counseling for social-emotional growth, new student orientation, and crisis intervention.
• Monitors graduation progress and assists with transcripts, college applications, and letters of recommendation.
• Interprets standardized tests to guide student development and connects to resources and opportunities.
• Communicates with teachers to promote the counseling program and provides in-service training as needed.
• Collaborates with the principal and staff on interventions, IEPs, GIEPs, and 504 service plans.

Skills

Counseling

Crisis intervention

Collaboration

Data management

Job description

Job Summary: To meet and respond to the developmental and special needs of all students as well as to those of individual students.

Essential Functions:

• Develops and coordinates a school counseling program that includes individualized education, career planning, and other activities necessary for a successful program. Focuses attention on every student's academic, career, and personal-social development needs and collaborates with others within and outside the school to meet them. Implements a guidance curriculum and responds to teacher invitations to provide classroom guidance lessons on topics such as character education, career and work issues, development of life skills, etc. Seeks input from and revises program to better meet the needs of the school as necessary.
• Provides individual or small group counseling toward social and emotional growth, new student orientation, at-risk assessment and crisis intervention to include students who are failing classes, exhibit absentee patterns, and in consultation with student's therapist. Provides goal-oriented counseling in systematic response to identified needs.
• Monitors student progress toward meeting all graduation requirements and works with those who face problems with sufficient credits toward graduation. Supports student's post-graduation process by building transcripts and maintaining graduation credit counts per student, counseling and advising students on the college application process, and writing letters of recommendation. Enters and tracks all data.
• Assists students in evaluating their aptitudes and abilities through the interpretation of individual standardized test scores and other pertinent data in order to discover and develop their special abilities. Provides information and access to additional resources on potential jobs/careers that align with student's abilities and interests.
• Communicates with teachers and staff members to familiarize them with the general range of services offered by the department in order to improve the educational prospects of individual students being counseled. Provides in-service training in guidance for teachers.
• In conjunction with the principal, periodically monitors data on student progress relating to implementation of individualized instructional or behavioral interventions and assists with modifications when indicated. Works in collaboration with others to resolve students' educational needs, including those related to IEPs and GIEPs.
• Coordinates opportunity for students to take assessments related to post-secondary education such as the PSAT, SAT, ACT or AP examinations. Assists with District preparation for state-mandated testing. Participates in IEP, GIEP meetings or Section 504 service agreement meetings, as requested. Participates in, coordinates, and maintains records on the Child Study process. Participates in Student Assistance Program.
• Oversees course scheduling for all traditional, nontraditional, and learning support students and confers with parents and teachers to provide support whenever necessary.
• Participates in student referrals to homebound instruction, alternative education, and similar out of school placements. Coordinates services and makes referrals to community agencies.
• Plans, schedules, and delivers crisis education and response management; provides evening parent programs and post-secondary programming to high school students. Interprets and communicates information regarding school counseling to the community as well as potential stakeholders outside of the classroom.
• Abides by federal, state and local school laws and regulations, mandated programs, District policies and administrative regulations.
• Maintains the confidentiality of student records and information as part of exercising professional duties and discretion in sharing such information.

Licenses and Certifications:
Certification in Elementary or Secondary School Counseling - Required

Required Documents:
Child Abuse, PA State Criminal History and FBI Fingerprint Clearances as required by PA School Code at time of hire.