School Counsellor

Job Title: School Counsellor

As a school counsellor, you will work with students from diverse backgrounds and needs, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students. Your role will involve collaborating with learning support and wellbeing teams to address the diverse needs of students.

School counsellors are an essential part of the Department's school counselling service and work in primary and high schools. They provide counselling and psychological assessment of students, to complement and enhance the work of teachers to strengthen student learning and wellbeing outcomes, and help families understand and manage their children's learning and mental health needs.

The successful candidate will be based at Gulgong High School, Cudgegong Valley Public School and Mudgee High School and provided with opportunities to work across the lifespan with both primary and high school aged students. Working in a NSW public school will enable you to engage with a diversity of students (and school communities) like no other child and adolescent psychologist role can.

You will most likely be collaborating with a number of school communities and colleagues, as well as outside agencies, with the opportunity to use and expand the full range of your skills and expertise as part of a supportive, multidisciplinary team.

• Provides counselling and psychological services to students, individually and in groups, including appropriate short term therapeutic interventions undertaken within the constraints of their training, experience and supervision.
• Engages with and implements the procedures of the Professional Practice Framework for the NSW School Counselling Service.
• Works in consultation with the principal, school executive, staff and student support services to improve student learning and wellbeing outcomes and implement current departmental priorities.
• Contributes to the social, emotional, and academic development of students, and supports schools and students with complex behavioural needs.
• Administers cognitive, social, emotional and behavioural assessment of students, reports on the results of assessments and interventions and collaborates to improve learning, wellbeing and mental health outcomes.
• Works collaboratively with learning and support teams, parents and carers, and other agencies, to develop appropriate school based support for students.
• Responds as part of a team to assist schools experiencing serious incidents.
• Refers students and/or their families and carers to other agencies that will support the development of student health and wellbeing outcome.

As a school counsellor, you will have the opportunity to make a real difference in the lives of children and young people at a time in their lives when it matters most.

Required Skills and Qualifications:

To be successful in this role, you will need to possess the following skills and qualifications:

• Qualification in a relevant field such as psychology or education.
• Experience working with children and adolescents.
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills.
• Ability to work in a fast-paced environment.
• Capacity to build strong relationships with students, teachers and other stakeholders.

Benefits:

This is a challenging and rewarding role that offers a range of benefits, including:

• Opportunities to work with a diverse range of students and school communities.
• Collaboration with a supportive and multidisciplinary team.
• Professional development opportunities.
• A chance to make a real difference in the lives of children and young people.

Others:

As a school counsellor, you will be working in a dynamic and ever-changing environment. You will need to be flexible and able to adapt to changing circumstances.