School Counselor in Chicago, Illinois at Near North Montessori School

Position Overview:

The School Counselor works closely with the Director of Student Wellness, school administration, teachers, families, and outside mental health professionals. The School Counselor provides developmentally informed, child-centered support to students at all levels. The counselor helps identify and address social-emotional, behavioral, and mental health concerns; strengthen students’ emotional regulation, resilience, and interpersonal skills; and partners with families and educators to promote positive outcomes across school, home, and community settings.

The School Counselor brings substantial experience working with children and families, strong clinical judgment, and the ability to translate knowledge of child development and mental health into practical, collaborative strategies within an educational environment. This role is an integral part of the Student Support Team and reports to the Director of Student Wellness.

Essential Functions and Responsibilities:

• Provide individualized, developmentally appropriate social-emotional support to students experiencing emotional, behavioral, interpersonal, or adjustment-related challenges.
• Support students in developing emotional awareness, self-regulation, coping strategies, problem-solving skills, resilience, and positive peer relationships.
• Facilitate individual and small-group social-emotional skill-building lessons that address students’ developmental and interpersonal needs.
• Maintain and support the effective use of a designated mindfulness space, helping students develop strategies for managing emotions and returning to learning.
• Provide school-based, non-clinical student support consistent with the school’s policies, professional scope of practice, and the role’s responsibilities.
• Establish collaborative relationships with parents and caregivers to support students’ social-emotional development and overall well-being.
• Consult with families regarding observed concerns, developmental needs, behavioral patterns, and strategies to promote consistency between home and school.
• Provide parent education and guidance on relevant topics, including child development, emotional regulation, behavior, peer relationships, and mental health.
• Help families identify and access appropriate community-based mental health services and outside therapeutic resources when additional or specialized care is indicated.
• Collaborate with outside therapists, physicians, and other professionals, as appropriate and with appropriate consent, to support coordinated care.
• Serve as a resource for teachers, administrators, and faculty on child development, social-emotional learning, behavioral concerns, and mental health.
• Participate in Student Support Team meetings, student case consultations, and collaborative planning with school personnel and families.
• Develop individualized school-based behavioral and social-emotional support plans and support educators in plan implementation.
• Respond to student mental health concerns and crises using sound clinical judgment, developmentally appropriate interventions, and established school protocols.
• Conduct risk assessments within the scope of professional training and licensure, when applicable, and collaborate with the Director of Student Wellness and school administration to determine appropriate next steps.
• Maintain appropriate documentation, confidentiality, and professional boundaries in accordance with applicable laws, ethical standards, and school policies.
• Participate in relevant professional development, conferences, workshops, and continuing education to maintain current knowledge of child mental health, family systems, educational practice, and school-based intervention.
• Perform other duties and responsibilities as required, assigned, or requested

Education/Training and Certification, Licenses, Registration Requirements:

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

Education

• Master’s degree in social work, school counseling, or psychology

Years of Experience

• 3+ years experience providing direct support to children, adolescents and families, experience facilitating social-emotional groups for school-age children, experience working with children ages 3-14, experience working in a school settings preferred

Licenses/Certifications

• Illinois Licensed mental health professional in Clinical Social Work, Counseling Psychology, Educational Psychology, or Marriage and Family Therapy

Specific Skills Required

• Excellent communication skills, sound judgment and emotional maturity
• Demonstrated ability to work well with teams
• Demonstrated ability to work flexibly within a dynamic work environment
• Advanced understanding of a child's physical, social, emotional development
• Demonstrated ability to provide high level of support and assistance to children and families
• Demonstrated analytical skills; intermediate to advanced knowledge of Google Drive
• Able to provide high level of support with excellent attention to detail
• Strong organizational and time management skills; ability to manage tasks with changing priorities
• Demonstrates sensitivity, good judgment, and confidentiality in working with sensitive information
• Bilingual in Spanish and English preferred
• Effective interpersonal skills and written and oral communication skills

Pay Information: The starting salary for this position is $60,000 based on skills and experience.

Near North Montessori offers a variety of benefits which include:

Medical, Dental, and Vision options
Short Term & Long Term Disability
EAP Program & Pet Insurance
Flexible Paid Time off
Professional Development Opportunities

Near North Montessori believes that each individual is entitled to equal employment opportunity without regard to race, color, religion, gender, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, sexual orientation, ancestry, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected under federal, state, or local anti-discrimination laws. The School’s equal employment opportunity practices extend to recruitment, hiring, selection, compensation, benefits, transfer, conditions, and privileges of employment.