Program Counselor in Palo Alto, California at AchieveKids

Reports To: Director of Education

Employment Status: Full-time

Department: School

FLSA Status: Non-exempt

Job Summary

Under the daily direction of the classroom teacher, work with the students individually or in small groups to carry out the educational, behavioral, and treatment programs as appropriate.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

Duties marked with an asterisk (*) are considered to be essential to this position under the terms of the Americans with Disabilities Act.

In addition to the below listed job responsibilities, Program Counselors assigned to be “floaters” are expected to check and follow the daily floater schedule and communicate to all necessary parties any changes due to situational circumstances.

• Work directly with students carrying out educational and treatment programs as instructed. *
• Assist, and sometimes lead, both group and individual activities with students in carrying out educational and treatment programs as instructed. *
• Prepare program materials (both educational and social/emotional). *
• Record behavioral and educational data. *
• Assist in maintaining classroom organization and in keeping room in good condition.
• Work with volunteers as needed.
• Carry out students’ IEP goals and objectives in all relevant training environments including school, community and vocational settings. *
• Successfully complete Safety-Care training and maintain certification. *
• Assist in training and orientation of newly hired Program Counselors when needed.
• Read and initial inter-office correspondence and all other required reading material.
• Carry out behavioral interventions, using Safety Care techniques, with children, adolescents, or young adults, which could include visually/auditorily monitoring students, evading, containing physical aggression, lifting, and pursuing students who might be running away. *
• Attend all relevant staff meeting and in-services. *
• Facilitate open communication, a team approach, and maintain a positive attitude toward program function and Agency goals.
• Keep up-to-date on emails, internal databases (e.g., KidNet), and other Agency information.
• Maintain satisfactory attendance record. *
• Drive students to school, home, or within the community as needed. *
• Other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

To perform this job successfully, the individual must be able to satisfactorily perform each essential duty. Requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Education and/or Experience

• High School Diploma or GED
• Competencies in the following, or willingness to obtain competencies within 30 days of hire:
• First Aid/CPR Certification
• Knowledge of child abuse reporting laws
• Basic behavior management and Positive Behavior Intervention Training
• Safety Care techniques (Certification is a requirement for this classification)

Skills & Abilities

• Ability to define and solve practical problems. Ability to interpret a variety of instructions furnished in written, oral, diagram, or schedule form.
• Bilingual (English and Spanish) is a plus.
• Effective oral and written communication skills.
• Effective organizational skills.
• Good public relations skills.
• Ability to function as part of an interdisciplinary team.
• Ability to think and act autonomously in a variety of situations.
• Ability to physically respond to physically active and aggressive children, adolescents, and young adults.

Other Requirements

• A valid California Driver’s License with a clean driving record
• Auto Insurance
• Criminal record clearance or formal exemption.
• Tuberculosis risk assessment clearance within 60 days before hire and every four years thereafter.
• Complete a physical examination that demonstrates the ability to perform the essential functions of the position, with or without reasonable accommodation.

Physical Demands and Work Environment

Physical demands and work environment characteristics described here are representative of those that must be met or may be encountered by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

The position may require remote work on a temporary or permanent basis, depending on business needs. Remote work does not change the terms and conditions of employment. Remote employees must follow all AchieveKids policies, including adhering to all meal and rest break and attendance schedules. Remote employees are expected to dedicate their full attention to their job duties during working hours.

Physical Demands

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to talk, hear, sit, stand, walk, reach with hands and arms, and use hands to finger, handle, or feel objects, tools, or controls. This job is occasionally required to climb, balance, stoop, kneel, crouch, lift and/or move up to 25 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and ability to adjust focus. This job requires the ability to run and walk for a minimum of 3 minutes, escort a student for a minimum of 3 minutes, and climb a six-foot fence.

This position must be able to respond quickly to active and aggressive children, adolescents, and young adults ages 5 to 22. Physical response may include evasion and/or performing approved escorts, holds, and restraints to maintain student and staff safety. These activities may require the ability to run, use of arms in deflecting or holding for periods of time, use of torso and hips to balance or hold, ability to kneel and rise, or lie on the ground and rise swiftly and safely.

Work Environment

This position regularly works in outdoor weather and wet (humid) conditions. Noise levels in the work environment are usually moderate and can sometime be noisy.

There may be potential exposure to blood, urine, and feces; thereby, potentially at risk for exposure to bloodborne pathogens.