Guidance Counselor

Title: Guidance Counselor

Department: School Administration

Pay Grade: District Salary Schedule

FLSA Status: Exempt

Days/Hours: 190 Days/7.5 Hours per day

Certification in Guidance required:

Candidates who hold SC certification in another area and who are currently enrolled in a State-approved guidance degree program may qualify for temporary certification while completing a guidance degree.

Primary Educational and Certification Requirements:

The guidance counselor should hold a Master's Degree in Counseling and shall be certified as a secondary school guidance counselor by the State Department of Education. Personal qualifications should include highly develop human relations and communications skills to include basic technology skills. The candidates should also have the qualities of objectivity, tact, empathy, tolerance, and stability. His/her experience should include at least three (3) years of teaching experience at the secondary school level.

Function:

To provide a comprehensive developmental guidance and counseling program for all children in the school

To consult with teachers, parents/guardians, and staff to enhance their effectiveness in helping students

To provide support to other education programs in the school

Major Responsibilities:

Implementing the comprehensive developmental school guidance and counseling program

Conducting guidance activities in each teacher's classroom and/or systematically conducting developmental counseling groups for each grade level throughout the year

Consulting with and/or providing resources to teachers to facilitate their instruction of counseling content and to infuse counseling content into the regular education curriculum

Counseling individual and small groups of students in their academic development; in their career awareness; and in their development of life skills

Counseling individual and small groups of children toward personal, social, and emotional growth and development - Examples of key duties:

Conducting goal-oriented counseling sessions in systematic response to the identified needs of individuals or groups of students regarding such issues as academic failure, family problems, child abuse, attendance and/or behavior problems, peer problems, and substance abuse

Serving as a student advocate and avoiding the role of disciplinarian

Consulting with and training teachers, parents/guardians, and staff regarding children's needs - Examples of key duties:

Participating in student intervention/assessment meetings

Conducting in-service programs for faculty

Acting as a resource person for faculty, staff, and parents

Conducting conferences with teachers and/or parents

Conducting or providing opportunities for parent-education programs

Writing articles for parent newsletters

Assisting families with school-related problems

Referring children and their families to special programs, specialists, and community agencies when appropriate - Examples of key duties:

Consulting with and coordinating efforts with in-district and community-based specialists such as nurses, physicians, and psychologists

Facilitate or administer assessments that involve special placements and consult with parents regarding referrals when appropriate. e.g. GT, etc...

Participating in, coordinating, and conducting activities that contribute to the effective operation of the counseling program and the school - Examples of key duties:

Contributing to the district and school goals for enhancing education

Conducting in-service trainings

Acting as an advocate for groups or individual students as system decisions are made

Participating in the intervention team process and/or as a member of the school's student support teams. The system support component includes indirect guidance management activities that maintain and enhance the total guidance and counseling program. The responsibilities of guidance counselor in this component encompass staff and community relations, special research projects, committees, professional development, and student support teams. Example of key duties:

Assuming an advocate role in designing, implementing, monitoring, and adjusting education plans for individual students

Planning and evaluating the counseling program Examples of key duties:

Reviewing the counseling program annually with staff and administration

Establishing the counseling department's annual plans

Evaluating guidance learning activities as they are implemented

Completing an annual counseling program evaluation

Pursuing continuous professional growth - Examples of key duties:

Attending district, state and locally sponsored staff development offerings

Joining professional associations

Reading professional journals and contributing to professional literature

Taking postgraduate courses

Attending relevant workshops and conferences sponsored by professional organizations and the South Carolina Department of Education

Becoming knowledgeable about multicultural and legal/ethical issues in education

Collaborating and exchanging knowledge and resources with counseling colleagues

Organizational Relationships:

A school counselor is supervised by the administration, collaborates with other district counselors, and works cooperatively with other school and district staff.

Additional Requirements:

Should maintain active membership in and attend professional meetings that relate to the areas of responsibility.

Should keep abreast of current developments in the field.

Should possess leadership skills necessary to implement an effective developmental comprehensive guidance and counseling program that will enhance the personal-social, academic and career needs of each student.

Organizational Relationships:

The counselor is supervised by the administration, works collaboratively with other counselors and counseling staff, and works cooperatively with other school and district staff.

All candidates must be able to pass an extensive background investigation before being hired.

The School District of Pickens County does not discriminate for reasons of age, race, sex, handicap, national origin, or religion in its communications with students, employees, the community, applicants for employment, events, or for access to its services.