General Responsibilities: Utilizing leadership, advocacy, and collaboration, School Counselors promote student success, provide preventive services, and respond to identified student needs by implementing a comprehensive school counseling program that addresses academic, career, and personal/social development for all students.

Essential Duties:

(This list is intended solely as an illustration of the various types of work performed. The omission of specific duties does not exclude their addition if they are similar to or a logical extension of the position.)

Development and Management of a Comprehensive School Counseling Program

Communicates the goals of the comprehensive school counseling program to education stakeholders.
Maintains current and appropriate resources for education stakeholders.
Uses data to develop comprehensive programs that meet student needs.

Delivery of a Comprehensive School Counseling Program

Counseling Curriculum

Provides leadership and collaborates with other educators in the school-wide integration of the MCPS Comprehensive Student Services Plan.
Delivers large and small group lessons as defined in the Comprehensive Student Services Plan.
Implements developmentally appropriate and prevention-oriented group activities to meet student needs and school goals.
Organize orientation/transition programs and activities between elementary, intermediate, middle and high school levels.

Individual Student Planning

Responsible for developing, monitoring and revising academic, career and personal/social skills, goals, and plans for all students.
Utilizing academic, career and personal/social skills, goals, and plans to appropriately place students in academic programs or classes.
Accurately maintain and appropriately interpret/utilize student data.
Collaborates with parents/guardians and educators to assist students with educational, career, and life planning.

Preventive and Responsive Services

Provides individual and group counseling to students with identified concerns and needs.
Provide leadership, intervention and support when crisis counseling is necessary.
Consults and collaborates effectively with parents/guardians, teachers, administrators, and other educational/community resources regarding students with identified concerns and needs.
Refer children and their parents to other appropriate helping agencies or persons within the school providing follow-through and follow-up activitie
Conducts home visits to support student needs.
Implements an effective referral and follow-up process as needed.
Accurately and appropriately uses assessment procedures for determining and structuring individual and group counseling services.

System Support

Provides appropriate information to school personnel related to the comprehensive school counseling program.
Assists teachers, parents/guardians, and other stakeholders in interpreting and understanding student data.
Participates in professional development activities to improve knowledge and skills.
Actively participates in the Positive Behavior Intervention and Support (PBIS) program to include Response To Intervention (RTI) for Behavior.
Actively participates in RTI.
Conducts all student re-entry meetings and develops a plan for student success.
Assists in developing a master schedule that meets the needs of all students.
Uses available technology resources to enhance the school counseling program.
Adheres to laws, policies, procedures, and ethical standards of the school counseling profession.
Prepare social history documents including the social behavior checklist for students referred for special education evaluation as needed.
Perform other duties as assigned.

Accountability for the Comprehensive School Counseling Program

Conducts a yearly program audit to include lesson plan evaluations and post-service student satisfaction survey to review program implementation and effectiveness.
Collects and analyzes data to guide program direction and emphasis.
Measures results of the comprehensive school counseling program activities and shares results as appropriate with relevant stakeholders.
Monitors student academic performance, behavior, and attendance and facilitates appropriate interventions.

Requisite Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

Knowledge of counseling theories and skills, group dynamics, and small group processes.
Demonstrates working knowledge of the ASCA Model.
Knowledge of K-12 instructional programs.
Knowledge of Virginia Standards of Learning.
Working knowledge regarding laws concerning student rights and confidentiality.
Working knowledge of student database systems.
Thorough knowledge of standardized testing and procedures and interpretation of scores.
Working knowledge of gifted and special education programs.
Knowledge of relevant School Board policies and regulations.
Excellent oral and written communication skills.
Ability to work with administrators, colleagues, central office and school based staff, students, parents and community.
Serve as a role mode

Requisite Education and Experience:

Master's degree from an approved program in school counseling or a master's degree from an accredited college or university and completed an approved school guidance and counseling progra
Must possess or be eligible for the Virginia Department of Education endorsement in School Counselor.

Physical Requirements:

Must have the use of sensory skills in order to effectively communicate and interact with other employees and the public through the use of the telephone and personal contact as normally defined by the ability to see, read, talk, hear, handle or feel objects and controls. Physical capability to effectively use and operate various items of office related equipment, such as, but not limited to: a personal computer, calculator, copier, and fax machine. Some climbing, stooping, kneeling, crouching, reaching, standing, walking, pushing, pulling, lifting, grasping, or repetitive motions required.

Manassas City Public Schools assures equal employment opportunities and equal education opportunities for employees and students as required by federal and state orders and laws. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential tasks.

This job description is intended to accurately reflect the position activities and requirements. It is neither intended to be, nor should it be construed as, an all-inclusive list of the responsibilities, skills, or working conditions associated with the position. Administration reserves the right to modify, assign, or remove duties as necessary.