School Counselor

The Tabor Academy; Marion (MA); On-site; USD 75,000 - 95,000; Full time

Job summary

Tabor Academy in Marion, MA is seeking a School Counselor to support students’ emotional wellbeing within a residential community.

The role partners with Health Services and Academic/Deans’ offices to deliver a comprehensive wellness program and coordinate crisis response, assessments, referrals, and ongoing support.

Qualifications

• Advanced degree in counseling or social work required.
• Minimum five years of outpatient counseling or crisis intervention experience.
• Licensed or license-eligible in Massachusetts at time of hire.
• Experience with adolescents and boarding school environments strongly preferred.

Responsibilities

• Provide individual counseling to students through scheduled appointments and drop-in support.
• Coordinate mental health assessments, crisis response, and ongoing support planning.
• Maintain communication with Counseling Office, Deans’ Office, Academic Office, Health Center, and Head of School’s Office while ensuring confidentiality.
• Serve as a mental health resource for faculty and staff through consultation and training.
• Participate in the Peer Listening Program and Health Committee initiatives.
• Collaborate with directors to develop and deliver health and wellness education programming.
• Build positive relationships with students by maintaining an active daily presence on campus.
• Engage in ongoing professional development and support the Counseling Office and School in duties as assigned.

Skills

Counseling

Crisis intervention

Adolescent development

Interpersonal communication

Confidentiality

Collaboration

Education

Advanced degree in counseling or social work

Job description

The School Counselor is responsible for supporting the emotional wellbeing of our students individually and collectively within a residential community. The School Counselor works with the Counseling Office, Health Center staff, Academic Office, and the Deans’ Office to coordinate efforts that meet the needs of individual students, as well as cultivate a comprehensive and developmentally appropriate wellness program. The School Counselor must hold an advanced degree in counseling, social work, or a related field and have a minimum of five years of experience in individual counseling or acute crisis services. Candidates must be licensed or eligible for licensure in the state of Massachusetts. Experience with a strong understanding of adolescents and the boarding school environment is strongly preferred. This is a full-time, exempt, salaried staff position that follows the academic year schedule, with vacation time typically scheduled during the summer recess and school breaks. This position does not come with school provided housing.

Department/Office: Health Services
Reports to: Director of Health Services
Status & Schedule: Full-time Staff, Exempt, 40 hours per week

Key Responsibilities:

• Provide individual counseling services to students through scheduled appointments and drop-in support, and make referrals to outside providers or community resources as appropriate
• Conduct and coordinate student mental health assessments, crisis response, and ongoing support planning
• Maintain timely and appropriate communication with members of the Counseling Office, Deans' Office, Academic Office, Health Center, and Head of School's Office to support student wellbeing while maintaining appropriate confidentiality
• Serve as a mental health resource for faculty and staff, providing consultation to advisors, dorm parents, teachers, and coaches to support student success
• Participate in and support the Peer Listening Program
• Serve as a member of the Health Committee and collaborate on initiatives that promote student health and wellbeing
• Assist in coordinating student medical and mental health leaves, including planning for students' return to campus
• Collaborate with the Director of Student Wellbeing in addition to the Director of Health Services and other school partners to develop and deliver health and wellness education programming for students
• Build positive relationships with students by maintaining an active presence in the daily life of the school, including participation in campus events and community activities
• Engage in ongoing professional development
• Perform other duties as assigned in support of the Counseling Office and the School

On-Call Requirements: This position includes on-call responsibilities approximately two weekdays per week and every other weekend. On-call duties involve being available for urgent student support needs outside of regular business hours.

Required Skills and Abilities:

• Excellent interpersonal, written, verbal, presentation, active listening, and organizational skills.
• Demonstrate cultural competence and experience working effectively with individuals from diverse backgrounds and perspectives.
• Knowledge of current research, best practices, and trends related to adolescent mental health, development, and behavior.
• Ability to build trusting relationships with adolescents while demonstrating patience, empathy, sound judgment, boundaries, and professionalism.
• Strong collaboration skills and the ability to work effectively with colleagues across academic, residential, health, and administrative departments.
• Commitment to supporting Tabor Academy's mission and contributing positively to the life of the school community.
• Willingness to engage meaningfully in campus life to foster strong relationships with students and a deep understanding of the community.
• Ability to work independently, manage multiple priorities, maintain confidentiality, and exercise sound professional judgment.
• Demonstrate self-awareness, adaptability, and a commitment to ongoing professional learning and development.

Licensure Requirement: Candidates must be license-eligible in the state of Massachusetts at the time of hire. While we welcome applicants who are currently licensed in another state (e.g., Rhode Island), they must either hold or obtain independent clinical licensure in Massachusetts (e.g., LICSW, LMHC, or equivalent) by the School’s designated deadline to remain in the role beyond the current academic year.
School counselor certification is not required, as this position adheres to clinical licensure standards rather than school-based certification. Please note this is a school therapist role, not a college counseling role.

Qualifications:

• An advanced degree in counseling or social work
• A minimum of 5 years of experience in outpatient counseling or crisis intervention experience
• Strong preference will be given to candidates with experience in:
  • Secondary school environments
  • Residential communities or boarding schools

Salary Range: $75,000 - $95,000

About Tabor Academy

For nearly 150 years, Tabor Academy has served the Marion, Massachusetts community as a premier coeducation, college preparatory boarding and day school. As the School by the Sea, Tabor offers an uncommonly beautiful setting in which to live and learn for students grades 9-12. The school provides a wide breadth of academic offerings for students to achieve the school’s mission. We invite all interested in learning about the school and our strategic vision to visit the school’s website.

Tabor Academy is committed to fostering an inclusive community where diversity, equity, and belonging are essential to our mission. Grounded in our values of care, collaboration, curiosity, and courage, we recognize that building a vibrant and supportive environment for students and faculty requires intentional efforts to welcome individuals from diverse backgrounds and experiences. As such, we seek a diverse applicant pool and encourage candidates who bring varied perspectives, including those who have been historically underrepresented in independent and boarding school settings to apply.

Tabor Academy does not unlawfully discriminate on the basis of age, gender, religion, race, color, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information, pregnancy or pregnancy-related condition, disability, or national or ancestral origin in the administration of its educational policies, scholarship and loan programs, athletic and other Academy-administered programs, or in the administration of its hiring and employment practices.