PK-8th Grade School Counselor -St. Michael's Preparatory School (formerly St. Gabriel's Catholic School) - Diocese of Austin Catholic Schools

About our School

St. Michael's Catholic Preparatory School (formerly St. Michael's Catholic Academy & St. Gabriel's Catholic School) is an outstanding co-educational Independent Catholic school serving students from Pre-Kindergarten through 12th grade on two adjacent campuses in Austin, Texas. The Lower School is comprised of PreK 3-4th grades, the Middle School houses grades 5-8, and the Upper School contains grades 9-12. St. Michael's Catholic Preparatory School is a Christ-centered, college preparatory learning community, inspiring lives of service, courage, personal integrity, and intellectual curiosity. We are distinguished by our Catholic tradition, a welcoming and diverse community, excellent academic programs and a variety of extracurricular activities. Additionally, we are a technology rich school. Thus teachers are expected to demonstrate meaningful skill with technology and an enthusiasm for technological growth in order to create authentic learning experiences for their students. Teachers at St. Michael's Prep further serve as role models that inspire students to critically think, reflect, explore and apply their faith concretely to their lives. We are one community, on two campuses, with three divisions, united in our commitment to put students first as we educate them in mind, body, and spirit.

Summary of Position:

The Lower and Middle Schools seek a Student Support Counselor for grades PK-8. This position is a key member of the student support team and will provide support to students through short-term individual counseling along with school-wide wellness programming. The Student Support Counselor will provide parent support events and faculty professional development opportunities. Collaboration between the Head of Lower School, Head of Middle School, Deans of Students, Student Support Specialist, School Nurse, and Upper School Counselor will be critical. This position is a 10 month full time-exempt position, beginning in August 2024.

Job Details:

• Provide expertise to students and families through a lens of Social Emotional Learning to build SEL skills within students.
• Evaluate and assess students for mental health concerns and the need for outside support.
• Provide short-term individualized counseling, risk assessments, and interventions.
• Refer students for outside counseling support, a psychiatric evaluation, or other mental health-related concerns.
• Serve as the point of contact for outside providers and communicate the needs of the students to the appropriate faculty and staff.
• Serve as a resource to faculty and staff on mental health and related student concerns, including best practices for supporting students, mandated reporting, etc.
• Help facilitate a sense of well-being and belonging among the student population
• Collaborate with the student support team to facilitate programs with outside organizations for prevention programming.
• Provide additional workshops related to student well-being, as needed.
• Partner with the Dean of Students Offices in discipline cases that require social/emotional support.
• Support Learning Center students and faculty when social/emotional diagnoses are present in testing and/or medical documentation.
• Work closely with the academic team to create an appropriate academic support plan for students with mental health-related absences.
• Maintain appropriate, timely, and accurate documentation of services.
• Collect and document data on services provided during the year.
• Attend grade level retreats, as needed.
• Participate in ongoing student support and academic support meetings.
• Research and ensure we align with best practices in wellness and counseling trends.
• Actively promote alignment with Upper School Counselor to achieve a PreK-12th grade approach to student wellness support.
• Perform other related duties as needed.

Qualifications and Skills:

• Master's degree in mental health counseling/social work/or related fields.
• Active license as a clinician (LMHC, LCSW, LICSW, or School Social Worker, School Counselor or School Psychologist, or a doctoral level degree in the field of psychology).
• Experience with crisis assessment and intervention, and knowledge of the ethical and legal considerations for counseling practices.
• Three or more years of full-time experience with mental health counseling in a school setting (preferred).
• Ability to organize tasks, set priorities, meet deadlines, and manage multiple tasks.
• Good judgment and problem-solving skills.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills.
• Ability to maintain a sense of humor and positive outlook and foster a positive work environment.

Application Requirements:

Qualified candidates should complete an online application for employment at School Counselor and attach a cover letter and résumé. You will receive an email confirming receipt of your application and additional details to complete the application process. Contact clynch@sgs-austin.org with any questions.

St. Michael's Catholic Preparatory School is an Equal Opportunity Employer and offers equal employment opportunity to all applicants for employment and all employees without regard to race, color, religion, sex, gender, national origin, age, physical or mental disability, genetic information, veteran status, military service, application for military service, or any other status protected by applicable law