Psychosocial Counsellor at Shining Hope For Communities

Reports to: Headmistresses

Location: Kibera/Mathare

The job holder is responsible for addressing all students’ academic, personal/social and career development needs. They should implement a comprehensive school counseling program that promotes and enhances student achievement. They should assist students at all levels from Primary school to higher levels of learning and act as an advocate for students’ well-being and as valuable resources for their educational advancement. They should listen to students’ concerns because everyone’s home and social life is different and they could be the only person who fulfills that need for them at a given time.

Key responsibilities and job dimensions

Essential Responsibilities

• Help students with issues such as bullying, disabilities, low self-esteem, and poor academic performance and relationship troubles.
• Listen to students’ concerns about academic, emotional or social problems
• Help students process their problems and plan goals and action
• Mediate conflict between students and teachers.
• Teach guidance classes and provides guidance counseling to students through planned activities in small group or classroom settings to convey social, and important school information.
• Consult, facilitate, and maintain communication with parents, teachers, administrators, and pertinent agents on specific student and parent academic and educational matters including academic modifications and/or accommodations.
• Improve parent/teacher relationships
• Facilitate drug and alcohol prevention programs and sensitize the parents on GBV.
• Organize peer counseling programs
• Refer students to psychologists and other mental health resources.
• Evaluate students’ abilities, interests and personalities to help them develop realistic academic and career goals
• Demonstrate the effectiveness of the school counseling program in measurable terms,
• Report on immediate, intermediate and long-range results showing how students are different as a result of the school counseling program.
• Use data to show the impact of the school counseling program on school improvement and student achievement.
• Conduct school counseling program audits to guide future action and improve future results for all students. The performance of the professional school counselor is evaluated on basic standards of practice expected of professional school counselors implementing a school counseling program
• Intervene during crisis situations and participate on school crisis team

System Support

• Guides, coordinates and supports other school staff in implementing school wide advisory programs.
• Uses responsive counseling strategies to establish relationships and collaborate with educators, students, families, and community partners which reflect recognition of and respect for each individual. And promotes an understanding and appreciation of diverse population and cultures.
• Assists families in obtaining services for their children through an appropriate referral and follow-up process.
• Assists teachers in understanding their students, including providing and interpreting student data.
• Provides in-service training on topics related to the school counseling program and supporting student achievement

Accountability

• Conducts at minimum a yearly program audit to review the extent and quality of counseling program implementation.
• Prepares and submits a variety of requested reports and data, to ensure fulfillment of established program requirements.
• Uses all available data, including academic grades, discipline referrals and attendance data, to identify students in need and to deliver services.

Academic Qualifications

• A Bachelor’s degree in Counselling, Psychology or a higher diploma in Counselling
• Experience in the provision of psychosocial services to vulnerable community children

Professional Qualifications

• Good report writing and communication skills
• A team player with ability to work independently with minimal supervision
• Ability to maintain professionalism in services delivery and ethics
• Experience in case management including management of case conferences

Other required qualifications (unique/job specific)

• Confidentiality
• Commitment: Passionate about closing the achievement gap and ensuring that every child, regardless of background or circumstance, receives an excellent education.
• Leadership: Coaches, mentors, and challenges others to excel despite obstacles and challenging situations.
• Focus on Data-Driven Results: Relentlessly pursues the improvement of central office performance and school leadership, instruction, and operations, and is driven by a desire to produce quantifiable student achievement gains.
• Innovative Problem-Solving: Approaches work with a sense of possibility and sees challenges as opportunities for creative problem solving; takes initiative to explore issues and find potential innovative solutions.
• Teamwork: Increases the effectiveness of surrounding teams through collaboration, constant learning and supporting others; sensitive to diversity in all its forms; respects and is committed to learning from others
• Dependability: Does whatever it takes to consistently deliver with high quality under tight deadlines; successfully manages own projects through strong organization, detailed work plans, and balancing of multiple priorities.
• Communication: Communicates clearly

Functional Skills

• Examining information
• Checking things
• Articulating information
• Pursuing goals

Behavioural Competencies/Attributes

• Empowering individuals
• Team working
• Directing people
• Making decisions