School Counselor

Mission Statement: St. Paul’s prepares students to be confident and skilled learners, cultivates in them a strong sense of purpose, and inspires them to be generous and active citizens of the world.

St. Paul’s Episcopal School, located across from Lake Merritt in Oakland, enrolls approximately 370 students from diverse backgrounds in Kindergarten – Grade 8. St. Paul’s provides an education that is intellectually challenging, culturally pluralistic, and morally and spiritually enriching. Caring, committed faculty members, in partnership with parents, serve as role models, mentors and guides. St. Paul’s has an academically talented and ethnically diverse student body and seeks the same in its faculty.

St. Paul’s seeks to fill the School Counselor position, for the 2023-24 academic year, with an experienced, dynamic individual who will provide counseling and support services to students who are struggling with emotional, behavioral, or social issues that may be interfering with their academic success or overall well-being.

Specific duties and responsibilities may include:

-Individual and group counseling sessions: Meeting with students one-on-one or in small groups to discuss their concerns, offer support and guidance, and develop strategies to cope with difficult emotions and situations.
-Collaboration with teachers and parents/caregivers: Working closely with teachers, parents, and other school staff to identify and address students’ needs, develop intervention plans, and monitor progress. This includes attending grade-level meetings as needed.
-Student support teams consultation: Supporting teachers and administrators with support plan implementation, family and teacher consultation. This may include attending support team meetings for beginning, mid, and end-of-year meetings and/or doing student observation as directed by Division Directors and Director of Educational Care (and document it in the online environment)
-Professional Development/Parent Education: As needed deliver parent education (e.g., conduct parent forums on developmental changes and social-emotional support) and provide professional development for faculty.
-Student group support: supporting student groups during lunchtime meetings (e.g., Gay Straight Alliance, Navigating Social Conflicts).
-Short-term therapy with students or families (1-3 sessions) with the intent to assist with specific issues. If longer-term therapy is needed, offer referrals to other therapists/counselors.
-Be available for drop-in sessions or conflict resolution between students as needed.
-Crisis intervention: Respond to emergency situations or crises that may arise in the school, such as suicide threats, self-harm, or other mental health emergencies. This includes providing crisis support and consultation to —Division Director or teachers when needed related to Child Protective Services.
Assessment and evaluation: Conduct assessments of students’ mental health and emotional needs and recommend appropriate interventions or referrals to outside resources when necessary.
-Development and implementation of programs: Developing and implementing school-wide mental health programs, activities, and events that promote mental health awareness, resiliency, and positive coping strategies.
-Documentation and record-keeping: Maintaining accurate and confidential records of counseling sessions, assessments, and interventions and complying with legal and ethical standards for confidentiality.
-Professional development and collaboration: Participating in ongoing professional development opportunities, collaborating with other mental health professionals, and staying up-to-date on the latest research and best practices.
Engage in active diversity, equity, and inclusion work that supports the school’s mission.

Overall, the role of School Counselor at St. Paul’s will be to provide compassionate and effective support to students who may be struggling with a range of mental health issues, and to work collaboratively with other school staff and parents to promote the well-being and success of all students.

This position is for between 28 and 40 hours a week on site. Salary range for this position is $50-$75/hour, depending on education, licensure status, number of hours per week, and experience. Master’s level education in a relevant field (such as social work, marriage and family therapy, or professional counseling) and registration with the BBS is required for this position. Weekly consultation is provided. Interested candidates should email a cover letter, resume, and references, addressed to Nayo Brooks, Director of Lower School (nbrooks@spes.org) and Marcus Chang, Director of Middle School (mchang@spes.org). The start date is August 16, 2023.

St. Paul’s is an equal employment opportunity employer. All employment decisions are made without regard to race, color, national origin, ancestry, religion, sex, gender identity, age, disability, medical condition, sexual orientation, marital status, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. St. Paul’s is dedicated to ensuring the fulfillment of this policy with respect to hiring, placement, promotion, transfer, demotion, layoff, termination, recruitment advertising, pay and other forms of compensation, training, and other terms and conditions of employment.