School Shift Direct Support Counselor

When you join The Home for Little Wanderers, you join a team of professionals dedicated to creating better, brighter futures for kids.

For over 200 years, The Home for Little Wanderers has helped build stable lives and hopeful tomorrows for vulnerable children and their families. Our 25+ community-based and residential programs serve thousands of at-risk youths from birth to age 26. Many of these children have experienced abuse, neglect, trauma, or a disrupted family life. As the oldest child welfare agency in America, we provide them with safe surroundings, permanent loving relationships, and a secure path toward a better, brighter future.

To learn more about the incredible impact our employees have on the lives of children and families, click here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DXedSArtYbg

Job Description: School Support Counselor

Under the direction of the Supervisor and Principal, the School Support Counselor will be primarily responsible for providing a safe and secure school environment for the COVE School students, based in Plymouth, MA and a part of the Southeast Campus program. The School Support Counselor is expected to be knowledgeable of the school's therapeutic mission, treatment philosophy, and educational and behavioral support policies and procedures in order to implement this understanding in their direct care and supervision of clients.

Responsibilities:

• Maintain supervision of the school's classroom and out-of-classroom spaces while working in a collaborative school team to apply intervention strategies based on student IEP and treatment goals to engage out-of-class students with co-regulation strategies to help them rejoin classes quickly and appropriately.
• Knowledgeable of school and program routines and structures.
• Maintain a general understanding of the population of students with whom we work.
• Foster healthy, appropriate relationships with our clients through daily interactions based on social/emotional and behavioral support goals outlined in IEP and treatment plans.
• Assist children with the transitions between each scheduled school activity.
• Coordinates with teaching faculty to plan and participate in activities with students on an individual and small group (less than 8) level in accordance with treatment plans and goals.
• Teach age appropriate life skills and social skills through modeling, counseling, and other techniques.
• Participate in groups and activities designed to enhance growth and development.
• May join classroom activities as a teacher support.
• Maintain a safe and supportive environment.
• Manage living, dining, educational, recreational areas to provide a clean, organized environment for students.
• Insure adequate supervision of students through coordination of care with other staff.
• Provide group and individual behavior support and intervention as trained, including the use of TCI appropriate physical restraint as necessary.
• Coordinate medical and emergency situations with the supervisor.
• Communicate through written and verbal means with other program staff on positive skills and accomplishments as well as difficult or challenging client issues.
• Participate in all school faculty meetings and trainings.
• Participate in supervision meetings with supervisor.
• May be asked to provide work with residential students in cabins as needed.
• Provide First Aid appropriately as needed.

Driving Requirements:

• May be required to operate a vehicle; have a valid driver's license and a "satisfactory" driving record; have access to a personal vehicle for use during work hours; required to use personal vehicle to transport clients on occasion if/when needed
• If required to transport clients, must maintain the minimum amounts of liability insurance as required by The Home and/or other regulatory requirements and vehicle registration must be current

Qualifications:

• High school diploma or equivalent
• One year child care experience in a residential setting with similar population of children
• Computer literate, including Microsoft Office and Internet Explorer, with the ability to learn new software applications

What The Home Can Offer You:

In addition to the chance to make a lasting impact on the lives of countless youth, The Home for Little Wanderers offers competitive salaries and a comprehensive benefits package including:

• Generous time off including up to 11 holidays
• Health, Vision and Dental Insurance available
• Extensive training to new staff
• Tuition reimbursement of up to $2,400 per fiscal year
• 403(b) Retirement Plan with employer match
• Employer paid Long-term and Short-term Disability Insurance, plus Basic Life and AD&D Insurance
• And more!

Pay Range Positioning Summary:

The pay range listed represents the company's good faith estimate of the salary or wage range for this position at the time of posting, as required under applicable law. Actual compensation will be based on a variety of factors, including a candidate's relevant experience, education, skills, and internal equity relative to other employees in similar roles. Candidates with less directly related experience may be placed toward the lower end of the range, while those with extensive or specialized experience may be placed toward the higher end. Market conditions and budget considerations may also influence final pay decisions.

Valuing Diversity:

We are committed to excellence in diversity, equity, and inclusion, while simultaneously creating a culture that supports those values. We believe the differences we bring enhance our ability to provide exceptional service and care to diverse children, families, and communities. Moreover, diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging align with our values and our mission to help vulnerable children and their families build permanent, positive change.