Mental Health Counselor

About SEED:
The mission of SEED schools is to prepare students academically, socially, and emotionally, for success in and beyond college in a public, college-prep, boarding school setting.
 
Based on the success of the first two schools in The SEED School network, one in Washington, D.C. and one in Baltimore, Maryland, The SEED School of Miami opened its doors to 60 new students in the sixth grade in August 2014 and has expanded to serve over 300 students in grades 6-12, 100 percent of whom will come from underserved communities across South Florida.
 
As outlined in Florida legislation, an eligible SEED Miami student are all Florida residents, at risk of academic failure, and come from a family whose income is below 200 percent of the federal poverty guidelines. They must also meet at least one of the below four additional risk factors:
 

• The child is served under the child welfare waiver demonstration, (to include foster care) or has been declared an adjudicated dependent by a court
• The student’s head of household is not the student’s custodial parent
• The student resides in a household that receives a housing voucher or has been determined eligible for public housing assistance
• A member of the student’s immediate family has been incarcerated

 
All students live on campus between Sunday afternoon and Friday afternoon and transportation is provided back and forth to home and school on the weekends.
 
* More information can be found on the school’s website: www.miami.seedschool.org
 
Position Summary:
 
The primary purpose of the position of the Student Life Counselor is to serve as the principal direct caregiver for students within an assigned house. This includes assisting students in achieving academic and social goals.  The major focus of the Student Life Counselor is to create, establish and maintain a productive and interactive environment for a assigned house within the resident halls. This position is responsible for monitoring and supervising students during the main hours of the Student Life Program.  Student Life Counselors will support the teaching of academic interventions, social development curricula, and other Student Life Programming.  The Student Life Counselor will also be expected to praise and redirect students in accordance with the student handbook and Model of Care.
 
Student Life Counselors are responsible for nurturing and educating the students who are entrusted to their care.  Student Life Counselors are responsible for maintaining a safe, secure environment in which students can learn and grow.  Student Life Counselors model, guide, and teach students social, self-help, and life-long learning skills.  Student Life Counselors are also responsible for supporting and assessing student achievement.  Student Life Counselors also assist students in maintaining relationships with their family by remaining in contact with parents/guardians.  Student Life Counselors are the primary advocate for the students in their care.
 
This position requires afternoon and evening hours.  

Essential Duties & Responsibilities:
Nurturing, Educating, and Supervising Students

• The Student Life Counselor (SLC) will demonstrate the ability to nurture each student entrusted to their care by:
• establishing trust,
• advocating for students' best interest,
• mentoring students,
• developing strong, mutually respectful relationships,
• providing consistent emotional support through praise, affection, empathy, and recognizing student achievement,
• advising students through personal problems,
• listening to students' thoughts, feelings, concerns, and problems,
• helping students in developing relationships,
• maintaining students' dignity and self-esteem,
• supporting opportunities for students to develop personal maturity through developmentally appropriate freedoms and responsibilities,
• maintaining confidentiality of sensitive materials according to the SEED Confidentiality Policy, and
• supporting students by attending as many functions that involve their students as practical.

• The SLC will foster relationships between students and their families by:
  • supporting students and their families by helping to orient them to the house and residence hall upon enrollment and providing counseling regarding possible separation issues,
  • supporting opportunities for and promoting interaction with siblings,
  • participating in parent conferences
  • communicating with the family regarding student’s progress, accomplishments, growth areas, and concerns about the student
  • consulting with the family, when appropriate, and involving them in decision- making concerning the student’s care.
• The SLC will protect the rights and dignity of individual students by:
  • making decisions based on the best interest of students,
  • supporting the ethical treatment of all students, and
  • promoting problem solving and relationship development between students.

• The SLC will attend to students’ health care needs by:
• recognizing students’ health care needs and referring to medical services when appropriate, and

• The SLC will attend to students’ mental health needs by:
• reporting signs of student abuse, depression, and suicide ideation to mental health services,
• maintaining students’ dignity and self –esteem,
• recognizing and supporting students in bereavement and separation issues, and
• listening actively to students’ thoughts, feelings, concerns, and problems and counsels when appropriate.

• The SLC will attend to the character development of students by:
  • teaching and modeling SEED’s Core Values
  • teaching and modeling appropriate choices in movies, music, and television programs
• The SLC will teach social, self-help, life-long learning, and basic life skills by:
• teaching developmentally appropriate character education and social skills lessons (H.A.L.L.S.)
• providing a supportive and flexible structure from which students learn responsibility, problem solving, and time management,
• providing opportunities for students to practice and demonstrate learned skills including manners, conflict resolution, budgeting, and cooperation and teamwork,
• teaching students to develop a positive peer culture through helping relationships,
• facilitating students’ development of individual, house and residence hall goals and objectives,
• encouraging individuality and creative thinking from students.

• The SLC will facilitate student scholastic achievement by:
• maintaining a structured learning environment and assisting students with homework
• teaching and modeling appropriate study skills,
• reviewing students’ school grades and performance and implementing additional learning support
• communicating with teachers
• seeking resources such as tutoring services for students in need of additional help
• counseling and preparing students for college.

• The SLC will attend to students’ personal safety by:
  • being aware of student location,
  • being aware of and attentive to warning signs of emotional distress, and
  • supporting overall campus supervision.
• The SLC will facilitate student leisure and recreational activities by:
  • teaching students to make leisure activity choices,
  • supporting students on educational/recreational trips and/or activities,
  • facilitating house activities,
  • participating in residence hall activities, and
  • encouraging and supporting students' involvement in SEED community activities.

• The SLC will teach students healthy lifestyles by:
• teaching and coaching students’ personal hygiene,
• demonstrating and involving students in regular physical activity,
• educating and counseling students on dating relationships, human sexuality, and drug and alcohol issues, and
• making referrals to appropriate student support services when necessary.

• The SLC will teach students to exhibit behaviors and values deemed appropriate for a member of the SEED community through:
  • displaying appropriate role modeling,
  • maintaining personal self-control, and
  • respecting and appreciating diversity.
• The SLC will maintain a developmentally appropriate behavior management system by:
  • managing student behavior in the house, SEED community, and public,
  • collaborating with students in developing house rules and regulations,
  • holding students accountable by delivering natural and logical consequences and using corrective teaching,
  • utilizing the SEED Model of Care such as active listening, pro-active teaching, corrective teaching, and self-awareness,
  • utilizing a consistent incentive system that reinforces and rewards students' appropriate behavior, and
  • collaborating with other staff, and outside agencies to develop strategies to effectively manage student behavior.

 
 
Facility Management
 

• Manage and maintain the house/residence hall facility by:
• ensuring a safe, secure, and clean environment by conducting room inspection,
• submitting work orders when necessary,
• conducting monthly fire drills and reviewing emergency exit plan with students, and
• maintaining OSHA, first aid and universal precaution guidelines and procedures.

 
Professional Development

• Participating in all assigned professional development opportunities
• Setting / meeting annual professional development goals,
• Evaluating self performance in collaboration with supervisor(s), and
• Soliciting and implementing feedback on job performance and professional behavior.

 
Program Management

• Responsible for submitting in a timely manner the all required documentation, such as but not limited to:
• Daily Communication Log/Evening Log
• Weekly House Schedules
• Monthly Incentive
• Special Events Request
• HALLS Lesson Plans
• Passive Programming Bulletin Boards

• Assist in developing and maintaining individualized student programs including:
• participating on student intervention teams and collaborating to develop and implement an individualized plan when appropriate,
• developing and implementing behavioral management programs for students as necessary, and
• developing and implementing individual community restitution programs in collaboration with other staff and/or external agencies

• Maintain house programs including:
• implementing a motivation / incentive system,
• implementing a life skills program,
• implementing a social skills program,
• assisting in house orientation program for new students and parents,
• teaching and modeling a safety program, including universal safety precautions, pedestrian and bicycle safety, and driver safety, and
• implementing a study / homework program.

 
Perform other tasks as required and/or assigned by supervisor(s).
 
Qualifications:

• A commitment to SEED’s mission and the belief that with the right resources any child can attend college and achieve his or her dreams.
• Is able to build and maintain a strong, positive school culture based on the SEED core values.
• Demonstrates a relentless focus on positive culture and the use of effective strategies to enhance the academic and socio-emotional development of all students.
• Possess personal integrity and a strong moral and ethical character with an ability to make fair and equitable decisions.
• Is a goal-setter with boundless energy who goes “above and beyond” what is expected.
• Demonstrates poise, tact and diplomacy.
• Approachable, accessible and highly visible.
• Is a positive and enthusiastic consensus-builder.
• Demonstrates excellent listening skills.
• Collaborative in his/her work with colleagues, students and families.

 
Education/Experience:
Minimum Qualifications
 

• Bachelors’ Degree or equivalent, in social sciences or related field.
• 1-2 years direct experience in adolescent development, residential/boarding education, teaching, or related fields.

 
Preferred Qualifications

• Experience working in a residential and/or boarding program.
• 2-3 years direct experience in adolescent development, residential/boarding education, teaching, or related fields.
• Fluency in Spanish and/or French/Creole

This position description may not describe all duties, responsibilities and skills associated with this position. It is intended to portray the major aspects of the job and is not meant to be all inclusive. Other duties or skills may be required.

* On-campus housing opportunities may be available for qualified candidates.