Student Support Counselor

Here’s what you need to know:

The Student Support Counselor (SSC) plays a central role in maintaining a calm and positive school culture by supporting the social-emotional development of all students. The Student Support Counselor will primarily work with students, families, and staff to provide necessary case management, implementation of interventions and monitor RTI for Behavior processes within the school environment. The Student Support Counselor will assess the needs of the student population and triage incoming requests for services.

Student Support Counselors will be coached directly by the Assistant Principal of Culture or School Leader. The Student Support Counselor will receive additional professional development from the Director of Student Experience for culture related issues not including clinical PD. They will also be a part of the Student Experience Team and regularly observe, support, and learn from their colleagues.

Responsibilities

Student Support:

• Support Gen Ed Teachers in isolating a target behavior, data tracking, and data needed for FBA.
• Support the execution of Tier 1-3 behavioral interventions including CI/CO procedures, targeted counseling groups, student counseling as needed, conducting FBA’s, and tracking quarterly behavioral data for Behavior Intervention Plans for Gen Ed.
• Review all updated or new Behavior Intervention Plans with the grade level teams to ensure alignment in implementation with all of the students’ teachers.
• Create a monthly scope for the school year using available SEL curriculum to educate our students in Character Building and Social/Emotional initiatives throughout the school year in the designated Character Block.
• Support the school's student culture team in identifying and supporting students with social and emotional needs and providing recommendations and best practices to their teachers in Tiers 1, 2 or 3 that align & work hand-in-hand with any behavioral interventions that are being considered.
• Engage and support in school culture walk-throughs to ensure alignment in implementing agreed upon interventions..
• Lead or support school-based professional development that is responsive to the needs of students and teachers to ensure that curriculum and best practices are implemented.
• Support families with needs and refer families to outside agencies if wraparound or more intense mental health, food security, homelessness, etc. services are needed.
• Provide group counseling or individual counseling to all students who have counseling as a mandated service on their 504 plan or IEP for the school you serve.
• Actively supports the escalation of any truant student through a tiering system and completes required Truancy Packets as needed.
• Serves as an active member of the Behavioral Threat Assessment Team, completes any documentation needed in following the Threat Assessment Protocol for mental health need flags.
• Supports the APC in managing the vetting, scheduling, and frequency of visits approval of outside agency service providers for students (ex. RBT’s, BCBA’s, etc.)
• Logs all services billable to Medicaid appropriately and timely.
• Run and analyze quarterly academic progress reports to identify students at risk of course failure and/or off-track for graduation, and report findings to the School Leader on a quarterly basis.
• Proactively flag students in danger of failing and develop targeted intervention plans, including enrollment in credit recovery as appropriate.
• Collaborate closely with the KIPP Forward team to ensure alignment on student progress monitoring, timely identification of at-risk students, and implementation of credit recovery and other academic interventions.

Team-Oriented Leadership:

• Support a strong team culture by upholding norms through modeling and conversations based on radical candor.
• Lead or co-lead 1-4 professional development sessions for families or staff to help them better understand and support students in the classroom or home setting.
• Provide consults to staff and families regarding best practices in supporting the student in the class and at home.

Culture of Growth & Ownership:

• Model the school’s core values every day.
• Model and maintain a mindset oriented to the Heart Beat principles. 
• Build and maintain relationships with families.

Coaching and Development:

• Manage her/his ongoing development through observation and/or O3 feedback with manager
• Attend professional development as needed and at least once a year focused on best practices of a school counselor.
• Engage in case consults with teammates regarding best practices to cultivate behavior improvement among designated caseload of students

Competencies:

• Student Focus: Belief that all students, regardless of background, have the ability to go to and through college;
• Growth Mindset: Ask for, give, and accept feedback from others to grow professionally and meet established goals
• Cultural Competence: Demonstrated ability to create inclusive environments that honor community and support a diversity of backgrounds and perspectives
• Relationship Building: Expertise in cultivating relationships with a diverse group of students and adults
• Achievement Orientation: Demonstrated resilience and focus on student outcomes
• Love of Learning: Personal love of content area inside and outside the classroom

Here’s what you’ll be doing:

• Serving as the primary behavioral case manager for tier 1-3 students on the Student Experience Team.