Student Assistance Counselor

C3 Wellbeing; Newport (RI); On-site; USD 42,000 - 65,000; Full time

Job summary

The MET - East Bay is hiring a Student Assistance Counselor (SAC) to join a school-based team that supports students navigating substance use, stress, trauma and related challenges.

You will be embedded directly in a school community - working alongside educators, families, and community partners - to help students get back on track, stay connected to learning, and access the support they need to thrive.

Qualifications

• A minimum of 1-2 years supervised counseling experience with teens.
• Knowledge of adolescent and child development.
• Knowledge of alcohol, marijuana, tobacco, and other drugs.
• Ability to engage adolescents in individual, group, and classroom sessions.
• Professional verbal, written, and presentation skills.
• Ability to exercise sound professional judgment.
• Computer competence using the Internet, Word, Excel.
• Ability to learn electronic data collections systems required by funding sources.

Responsibilities

• Develop and lead school-wide prevention campaigns focused on substance use prevention and mental health.
• Provide classroom-based substance use prevention education using evidence based curriculum.
• Screen and identify students at risk and connect them to the appropriate level of care
• Provide short term, brief intervention and support to students
• Facilitate evidence-based individual and group early intervention programs
• Support students reentering school after treatment or crisis
• Collaborate closely with school administrators, teachers, school-based mental health team, and families
• Document services, referrals, and outcomes in a secure electronic data system
• Be a steady, calm presence when things feel unsteady

Skills

Counseling with teens

Empathy and active listening

Communication skills

Collaboration with educators

Tools

Word

Excel

Job description

The MET - East Bay

This is a 2 day per week/15 hours per week position.

Do you believe one trusted adult can change a student’s entire story?

We do too.

We are hiring a Student Assistance Counselor (SAC) to join a school-based team that supports students navigating substance use, stress, trauma and related challenges.

You will be embedded directly in a school community - working alongside educators, families, and community partners - to help students get back on track, stay connected to learning, and access the support they need to thrive.

This is a full-time, in-person, school-year position with annualized (year-round) pay.

This is not office work.
This is relationship-building work. Prevention work. Hope-building work.

What you will do:

• Develop and lead school-wide prevention campaigns focused on substance use prevention and mental health.
• Provide classroom-based substance use prevention education using evidence based curriculum.
• Screen and identify students at risk and connect them to the appropriate level of care
• Provide short term, brief intervention and support to students
• Facilitate evidence-based individual and group early intervention programs
• Support students reentering school after treatment or crisis
• Collaborate closely with school administrators, teachers, school-based mental health team, and families
• Document services, referrals, and outcomes in a secure electronic data system
• Be a steady, calm presence when things feel unsteady

Who you are:

• You believe substance use prevention and early intervention matters
• You are calm and thoughtful in high-pressure or uncertain situations
• You listen more than you talk, and respond with empathy and clear boundaries
• You understand that behavior is communication, especially for young people navigating stress or trauma
• You can build trust with young people who may be hesitant to engage or have been disappointed by adults in the past
• You value collaboration and work effectively with educators, families, and community partners
• You are organized, ethical, and accountable, with strong attention to documentation and follow-through
• You are comfortable working in a fast-paced school environment where priorities can shift quickly

Salary set by Collective Bargaining Agreement.

Requirements

• A minimum of 1-2 years supervised counseling experience with teens.
• Knowledge of adolescent and child development.
• Knowledge of alcohol, marijuana, tobacco, and other drugs.
• Ability to engage adolescents in individual, group, and classroom sessions.
• Professional verbal, written, and presentation skills.
• Ability to exercise sound professional judgment.
• Computer competence using the Internet, Word, Excel.
• Ability to learn electronic data collections systems required by funding sources.