Counselor at NOLA Public Schools – New Orleans, Louisiana

Mental Health and Counseling Services

· Provide direct individual and group counseling to students, focusing on acculturation, separation, and reunification stress, acute, chronic, and complex trauma related to the immigrant experience, behaviors as a product of these stressors and trauma, and overall- mental well-being.

· Implement crisis intervention protocols and serve as the primary mental health responder for student-related crises, including safety concerns, self-harm, and trauma-related responses.

· Conduct risk assessments and develop safety plans for students experiencing significant emotional distress.

Case Management

· Collaborate with the Intervention Specialist to administer universal screening protocols that inform student matriculation through Program-wide Tier 2 and Tier 3 behavior intervention

· Contribute expertise in School Building Level Committee (SBLC) meetings aligned to §303 specifications

· Maintain a referral and case management system to track student and family needs and ensure follow-through on support plans that mitigate risk factors preventing students from reaching Program goals

· Supports students’ acculturation from initial enrollment into the Newcomer Program through students’ transition back to home high school, ensuring secondary persistence through post-transition check-ins

Family Engagement and Community Partner Coordination

· Serve as the primary liaison between vendors and services providers of supports tailored to the adolescent immigrant experience that include financial literacy, sex education, health services, and post-secondary planning

· Collaborate with community-based organizations, local agencies, and district departments to provide wraparound support to include assistance with immigration services and work authorization, employment preparedness, post-secondary education access, career counseling, public assistance, and community navigation

· Develop and maintain effective family engagement protocols and provide support for immigrant families navigating U.S. educational systems, including translation and interpretation services, material needs assistance, and school-to-home communication.

Collaboration and Development

· Maintain a positive, urgent, and collaborative team culture, aligning efforts to foster a student-centered environment that drives toward the mission and goals of the Newcomer Program

· Support teachers and staff to integrate protective factors into classroom instruction and school culture.

· Work alongside other faculty and instructional staff to support school functions and initiatives

· Engage in team meetings to discuss student progress, co-create cohesive structures, maintain consistent routines, and contribute to the ongoing development of the Newcomer Program

· Participate in coaching model led by Program Director to receive and act upon frequent performance feedback on service delivery methods, community partner coordination, and job-specific competencies

Educational Background

· Master’s degree in Counseling, Social Work, Psychology, or related field required

· Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC), Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW), or state certification required

· A minimum of 3 years experience providing counseling, social work, or mental health services in a school setting

· Experience working with immigrant youth, recently arrived families, and students with interrupted formal education

Other Knowledge, Skills or Abilities Required

· Deep knowledge of stressors specific to adolescent immigrant experience, the barriers newcomers face in accessing essential services, and cultural competencies to engage families as equal partners

· Expertise in leveraging agency and community relationships, resource coordination, and vendor management to streamline systematic supports that define the Newcomer Program experience and mitigate student risk factors

· Ability to monitor, evaluate, and refine service provision and counseling practices with fidelity while using student performance to inform and constantly evaluate programming

· Strong problem-solving skills and the ability to develop creative solutions to address barriers to student success.

· Urgency for and commitment to affirmative practices that transform educational and post-secondary outcomes for immigrant and English Learner students.

· Oral and written Spanish proficiency required