Headwaters School, a Pre-K through grade 12 independent day school serving over 530 students across its three campuses in Austin, TX, is seeking a full time School Counselor in our Middle and High School for the 2024-2025 academic year.
At Headwaters, our employees nurture a school culture that promotes a growth mindset, a collaborative spirit, a joyful environment, and the achievement of high expectations. Our faculty and staff ensure all members of our school community understand their role in advancing issues of justice, equity, diversity and inclusion. Headwaters School supports the professional growth of our school faculty in order to contribute to their feelings of fulfillment, to provide a model of lifelong learning for our students, and to advance the strategic goals of the school.
All employees are responsible for bringing our Purpose statement to life: to cultivate identity formation, foster empathy, and embrace diversity to bring more peace to the world. In addition, they guide our students to live authentically, think expansively, and create bravely. We invite our students, guides, staff, parents, and trustees to be Peacemakers, Advocates, Creators, and Thinkers.
Overview Of Position
The primary responsibility of the School Counselor is to monitor and support the social and emotional health and wellbeing of Headwaters’s student population. They work closely with the Middle School and High School Directors to address student conduct and behavioral concerns. As School Counselor, they create a safe space for students, providing counseling and responding to students in emotional distress or crisis. The School Counselor follows guidelines to ensure student confidentiality and collaborates with the leadership of the school to provide the care that’s needed. Reports to the High School Director.
Key Responsibilities
Provide counseling for students in crisis, as referred by teachers, students, parents, administrators, or self-referred
Provide short-term ongoing counseling when needed (4-8 weeks)
Provide referrals to parents when external therapy is recommended
Periodically consult with outside therapists that are seeing Headwaters students to ensure consistency of care
Conduct re-entry meetings with students who have been in inpatient treatment
Meet with parents and teachers to provide support around student and school issues
Meet weekly with High School Director, Middle School Director, and Learning Specialist to ensure ongoing communication of student wellbeing
Work directly with Middle and High School Directors in helping identify students of concern and working actively with parents and guides to support students
Gather and communicate to guides any short-term accommodations to support a student’s therapeutic needs
Meet occasionally with outside licensed supervisors for consultation and continuing education
Maintain student confidentiality consistent with relevant licensure ethics codes, with possible exceptions for safety concerns as determined in consultation with school administrators. Follow standard practices of confidentiality guidelines for Licensed Clinical Social Workers/Licensed Professional Counselors working with minors
Maintain confidential student files and records at or exceeding accepted standards of care
Attend all professional development, division meetings, and school cultural events during the course of the academic school year
Lead professional development and/or parent education courses 4x’s per year
Supervise the work of a MSW intern(s)
Qualifications
Bachelor’s degree required
Master’s degree in social work, counseling or related field required
LPC (Licensed Professional Counselor) or LCSW (Licensed Clinical Social Worker) as regulated by the Texas Board of Behavioral Sciences preferred
At least 5 years of relevant experience
Strong commitment to equity, inclusion and belonging practices
Enthusiasm for working collaboratively in an academic atmosphere
A passion for working with youth and guiding them to lead
Excellent organizational skills; ability to prioritize tasks by volume, urgency, etc
Detail oriented, resourceful, strong work ethic, high level of integrity, tactful
Technologically capable
This is a full-time, salaried, exempt position and compensation is competitive for the greater Austin area. The School offers a wide-range of benefits including generous paid time off, 100% paid medical insurance for the employee, 401(k) retirement plan, on-going professional support and continuing education opportunities, and a unique working environment where you are able to share and receive ongoing feedback. This position reports to the Director of the High School.
Interested applicants should email a resume, cover letter, and statement of educational philosophy to Leslie Hirsch, Director of Human Resources at hr@headwaters.org to apply or visit our school website at https://www.headwaters.org/page/about/employment.
Headwaters School welcomes applicants from all backgrounds. As a 501(c)3 non-profit school, Headwaters provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants without regard to race, color, national origin, religion, gender, age, disability, veteran status, sexual orientation, genetic information or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local anti-discrimination law. The School’s equal employment opportunity practices extend to recruitment, hiring, selection, compensation, benefits, transfer, promotion, training, discipline, and all other terms, conditions, and privileges of employment. All Employees are responsible for complying with the School’s equal employment opportunity policy.
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About Headwaters School
Headwaters School is an independent school in Austin, Texas serving students from early childhood through grade 12. Beginning with a Montessori foundation and progressing to the International Baccalaureate® (IB) Diploma Programme, we cultivate identity formation, foster empathy, and embrace diversity to bring more peace to the world.