School Counsellor

The School Counsellor is responsible for providing collaborative services to support students that are experiencing social/emotional difficulties that are impacting the student’s ability to learn, as well as their overall wellness. These services are provided through intervention counselling, individual counseling, targeted counselling, and universal programing. The Counsellor liaises between the school, the family, and the community, to provide the most effective services for the students.

Primary Responsibilities:
Counselling Services
• Maintains a high level of knowledge regarding current and developing best practices in the field of student wellness, trauma-informed and restorative practices, assessing and managing risk of harm, and creating a safe school culture.
• Enhances the profile of the School Counselling Program and accessibility of services.
• Ensures that all services provided are guided by the division-determined counselling Code of Ethics.
• Ensures that all responsibilities and guidelines outlined in the Counselling Handbook are followed.
• Develops and implements a yearly counselling plan, in collaboration with school Administration and the Division Psychologist, that is reflective of the needs of the school.
• Ensures that a continuum of preventative, developmental, remedial, and intervention services are provided to students and their families to support student learning and wellness.
• Provides individual and targeted counselling services to students who are exhibiting emotional, behavioural, and social needs.
• Provides informal assessment and intervention that may include individual, targeted and/or universal strategies, referral and follow up.
• Develops, conducts, and supports workshops, training, and in-service presentations on various approaches, strategies and techniques to support students exhibiting emotional, behavioural, and social difficulties.
• Supports administration and school staff in planning, implementing, and responding to events through a trauma-informed lens.
• Supports students and parents/guardians in identifying, planning for, and accessing professional services to support student wellness needs.
• Builds and maintains strong relationships with parents/guardians of students with wellness and/or counselling needs.
• Fosters relationships and builds partnerships with community supports (hospitals and clinics, medical professionals, mental health and addictions, community agencies, LGTBQ+, RCMP School Resource Officers, etc.).
• Demonstrates strong problem solving and coping skills, and is competent and flexible in intervention strategies.
• Consults with the Division Psychologist and engages in the ethical decision making process when encountering ethical concerns.
• Consults with other school counsellors in accordance with the guidelines outlined in the Counselling Handbook.
• Prioritizes and organizes their schedule to meet the needs of families/students including community, school and home based visits.
• Works a flexible schedule which may include occasional evenings and weekends to ensure that crisis and requests for support are addressed.
• Ensures that all professionall registrations and certifications are valid and up-to-date.
Crisis Intervention Support
• Provides crisis intervention support and services to students.
• In consultation with the Division Psychologist, school Administrators, school staff, community agencies, and other professionals; assesses crises as they arise and develops an appropriate plan for supporting those impacted by the crisis.
• Participates in the Violent Threat Risk Assessment (VTRA) process. and is responsible, along with the team, for assessing the level of risk of a student harming themselves or others.
• Assesses the level of risk and provides intervention for students showing signs of suicidal behaviour, implementing the guidelines outlined in the division-appointed suicide risk assessment model.
• Models calmness in times of crisis. Advocacy and External Engagement
• Acts as an advocate for students and their families and is active within the school and community to increase education and awareness of health and wellness.
• Knowledgeable of community agencies, their mandates, and referral procedures.
• Assists in the referral and advocacy process for community based resources and outside agencies.

Qualifications:
• Working towards or have completed a Masters degree in Counselling or related field (with clinical and practicum component).
• 3 to 5 years of experience in providing counselling services with extensive clinical experience, preferably within a school environment.
• Registered or certified member in good standing with a professional governing body, or willing to pursue registration/certification.
• Extensive experience in working with children, adolescents, families and social service agencies.
• Tiered Response Model Training (i.e., Response to Intervention, Collaborative Response Model) is an asset.
• Equivalencies will be considered.

Please apply online at www.psd.ca