Mental Health Job Description

Position: Mental Health Counselor (Day & Night)

The SEED School of Miami

Reports to: Director of Student Support Services

Team: Student Support Services

About SEED:

The mission of SEED schools is to prepare students academically, socially, and emotionally, for success in and beyond college in a public, college-prep, boarding school setting.

Based on the success of the first two schools in The SEED School network, one in Washington, D.C. and one in Baltimore, Maryland, The SEED School of Miami opened its doors to 60 new students in the sixth grade in August 2014. In 2017, we grew to add our first 9th grade.  At full scale, SEED Miami will grow to serve 400 students in grades 6-12, 100 percent of whom will come from underserved communities across South Florida.

As outlined in Florida legislation, an eligible SEED Miami student will be a Florida resident, at risk of academic failure, will come from a family whose income is below 200 percent of the federal poverty guidelines, and will meet at least one of the below four additional risk factors:

• The child is served under the child welfare waiver demonstration, (to include foster care) or has been declared an adjudicated dependent by a court

• The student’s head of household is not the student’s custodial parent

• The student resides in a household that receives a housing voucher or has been determined eligible for public housing assistance

• A member of the student’s immediate family has been incarcerated

All students will live on campus between Sunday afternoon and Friday afternoon and transportation will be provided back and forth to home and school on the weekends.

* More information can be found on the school’s website: www.miami.seedschool.org

Position Overview:

As an essential part of the school team, a Mental Health Counselor’s role is to guide students in their personal, social and academic development. Mental Health Counselors at SEED Miami consult with students, families, teachers, boarding staff, other members of the Student Support Team and external providers as needed in order to identify and respond to the developmental needs of our students. They are responsible for designing prevention and intervention strategies in order to guide students on a healthy path toward adulthood. SEED Mental Health Counselors assist students in being able to communicate clearly, solve problems, collaborate, gain independence, understand others’ perspectives and cultures, and become college and career ready.  They lead discussions in one-on-one, small group, and whole-class settings. As Educators of Character, Mental Health Counselors at SEED Miami teach and model our Core Values: respect, Responsibility, Self-Discipline, Integrity, Gratitude and Compassion.

Essential Duties & Responsibilities – Provided During School and Boarding Program Hours

1. Development & implementation of a comprehensive school counseling program

• Plans the comprehensive school counseling program with the administrative staff and the student support team;

• Develops and maintains a written plan for effective delivery of the school counseling program based on comprehensive school counseling standards and current school data;

• Maintains current and appropriate resources for education stakeholders;

• Spends the majority of time (80% - 90%) providing direct services through the guidance curriculum, individual student planning and preventive and responsive services; and most remaining time (10% - 20%) in program management, system support and accountability

2. Delivery of a comprehensive school counseling program

1. Guidance Curriculum

   1. Serves as a resource to teachers, Life Skills Counselors and Student Support Staff to facilitate the infusion of counseling content into the academic and life skills curricula;

   2. Provides supportive leadership and collaborates with other educators in the school-wide integration of the Comprehensive School Counseling Program with the State’s Common Core Standards

2. Counsels individuals and small groups of students toward social and emotional growth:

   1. Conducts structured, goal-oriented counseling sessions through a systematic response to identify needs of individuals or groups of students;

   2. Recurrent counseling topics may include academic failure, bullying, child abuse, attendance problems, family issues, substance abuse, suicide prevention and intervention, behavior problems, peer problems, sexual education and pregnancy;

   3. Conducts or provides opportunities for parent education programs or family support groups focused on increasing parental involvement, effective parenting skills, increasing the student’s intellectual & socio-emotional outcomes, and other topics as determined by the Director of Student Support Services

3. Preventive and Responsive Services

   1. Fully participates in the school’s admissions process, including student recruitment, community outreach and home visits as determined by the administrative team;

   2. Works with the Dean of Culture to plan and implement Positive Behavior Support initiatives including life skills, success plans and token academy programs;

   3. Assists in the development and implementation of counseling programs; such as bullying prevention, sex education, and sexual orientation;

   4. Provides individual and group counseling to students with identified concerns and needs;

   5. Conducts conferences with teachers, families, and students to assists with school-related concerns;

   6. Implements an effective referral and follow-up process;

   7. Accurately and appropriately uses assessment procedures and data collection or evaluation for determining and structuring individual and group counseling services

4. Services for Students with Special Needs and their Families

   1. Participates in 504 Plan, Individualized Educational Plans (IEP’s), Multidisciplinary Team (MDT), Manifestation Determination Review (MDR) meetings and Staffing for students in caseload or as determined by the Director of Student Support Services;

   2. Assumes an active role in designing, implementing, monitoring, and adjusting educational plans for individual students in conjunction with the Director of Student Support Services, Life Skills Counselors and the Student Support Staff;

   3. Assists students, families, teachers and other stakeholders in interpreting and understanding student Psycho educational evaluation and/or mental health assessment data;

   4. Works with the Director of Student Support Services to refer children with special needs and their parents to special programs, specialists and outside agencies by consulting and coordinating with district and community specialists; such as school nurses, administrators, school psychologists, service agencies, and physicians;

   5. Maintains confidential counseling records for all students/families receiving treatment services and submits monthly reports to the Director of Student Support Services;

   6. Provides social and emotional support for students with special needs; that are designed to increase the student’s availability for learning in the classroom, increase self-esteem, raise the student’s expectations and achievement, and assist student in developing the social skills needed for college and life;

   7. Assists the Director of Student Support Services with monitoring the adequate development and implementation of Functional Assessment of Behaviors (FAB) and Behavior Implementation (BIP) plans;

   8. Monitors and implements the appropriate use of protocols for emergencies while on site

3. Accountability

• Works with the student support services staff to measure students’ academic performance, behavior and attendance in order to assist with appropriate and timely interventions and RTI Initiatives

• Reviews the counseling program and counseling master calendar annually with other members of the Student Support Services Team to evaluate the programs and strategies being implemented;

• Acts as an advocate for individuals or groups of students as programmatic and counseling decisions are made

• Adheres to laws, policies, procedures, and ethical standards of the school community

4. System Support

• Updates systems data and reporting related to counseling and referral services as determined by the school’s administration;

• Maintains accurate records of student interactions, concerns, and data related to student development and growth;

5. Pursues continuous professional growth

• Mental Health Counselors actively participate in and look for opportunities to continue their professional growth through professional development opportunities, conducting and participating in conferences, joining organizations, reading and contributing to professional journals and writing articles for school newsletters.

Qualifications:

• A commitment to SEED’s mission and the belief that with the right resources any child can attend college and achieve his or her dreams

• Student and family centered clinician

• Provides care that is culturally informed, developmentally appropriate, non-biased and responsive to local community needs

• Utilizes research and empirically-based clinical approaches

• Has a clear understanding of, and provides support to the school’s RTI initiatives

• Maintains high ethical standards regarding employee conduct and information sharing a dictated by law, the SEED School of Miami policies and procedures and the respective professional discipline

• Maintains high standards regarding paperwork and recordkeeping

• Possesses the ability and willingness to be flexible with time, schedule and responsibilities in a start-up boarding school

• Has a high level of comfort functioning in a fluid environment with an ability to make adjustments in both day-to-day and larger-scale activities based on new information and situations

• Is able to build and maintain a strong, positive school culture based on the SEED core values

• Demonstrates a relentless focus on positive culture and the use of effective strategies to enhance the academic and the socio-emotional development of all students

• Possesses personal integrity and a strong moral and ethical character with an ability to make fair and equitable decisions

• Is able to work with multiple agendas, tasks, leaders, and professionals in service to the achievement and development of every student

• Is a goal-setter with boundless energy who goes “above and beyond” what is expected

• Demonstrates poise, tact and diplomacy; Approachable, accessible and highly visible

• Is a positive and enthusiastic consensus-builder

• Demonstrates excellent listening skills

• Has a secure sense of self that results in steady leadership; personally reflective and thoughtful

• Fluency in Spanish and/or French/Creole is strongly preferred

Education, Licensing and Experience:

• Licensed Social Worker, School Counselor, Family Mental Health Counselor or School Psychologist with training and/or experience in child and adolescent development and adult learning

• Masters’ Degree or equivalent, in counseling, psychology or related field.

• 3-5 years direct experience in adolescent counseling, residential or boarding school education, counseling/psychology, or related fields.

• Some management or supervisory experience

• 3 - 5 years demonstrated success in working with urban adolescents and youth in an urban/diverse educational or counseling setting.

• Strong interpersonal and presentation skills, and the ability to generate enthusiasm and confidence from others.

• Highly organized and experienced in managing multiple projects, with a broad set of goals.

• Highly collaborative and comfortable working in a team that includes managers, peers, and advisors; Able to interact with team members on a non-hierarchical basis.

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills with individuals at all levels, both one-on-one and in groups.

Physical Requirements:

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. While performing the duties of this job, some standing, walking, sitting, bending and carrying of light items such as books and papers is required.

Working Environment/Conditions:

The work involves everyday risks and discomforts which require normal safety precautions typical of such places as classrooms, offices, meeting and training rooms, etc.  The work area is adequately lighted, heated and ventilated. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

This position description may not describe all duties, responsibilities and skills associated with this position. It is intended to portray the major aspects of the job and is not meant to be all inclusive. Other duties or skills may be required.