Position Overview

IMSA is seeking a full time, 10 month + 20 days Coordinator of School Counseling to serve as the lead school counselor and oversee the day to day operations of the school counseling program. The selected candidate will supervise a team of school counselors and counseling intern(s), as well as counseling students on a drop-in basis, providing outside resources for students and families, assessing student needs, developing peer support group programs, and assisting with the coordination of the sophomore seminar       program as a part of implementing a comprehensive counseling program focused on social and emotional learning. The selected candidate will assist in the training of residential life staff with appropriate counseling skills and provide support for student leadership development.  The School Counselor will be supervised and evaluated by the Executive Director of Student Affairs.

Hours/Shift/Work Schedule:  This position is a full time, exempt, 11 month position.  Hours worked: 8:00am – 4:30pm, Monday through Friday with occasional evening and weekend hours.

The internationally recognized Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy® (IMSA) develops creative, ethical leaders in science, technology, engineering and mathematics.  As a teaching and learning laboratory created by the State of Illinois, IMSA enrolls academically talented Illinois students (grades 10–12) in its advanced, residential college preparatory program. It also serves thousands of educators and students in Illinois and beyond through innovative instructional programs that foster imagination and inquiry.

IMSA is committed to an equitable, diverse and inclusive teaching and learning environment. Through a work of Equity and Excellence, IMSA has committed to advancing equity in STEM education and representation and creating a diverse, inclusive community of global citizens who can realize their full potential, and execute our mission to advance the human condition.

This Equity and Excellence work is the intentional integration of Cultural Competence, Diversity, Equity, Equity-Minded Frame, Excellence and Inclusion into every facet of the Academy, with the understanding that it is an active and ongoing process involving structures, processes and people and not an isolated initiative.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Hire, train and supervise school counseling team members, including school counselors and counseling intern(s).
• Oversee the overall operations of the school counseling department, including staff scheduling, supply orders, budgeting, and electronic notes and records.
• Assure that day-to-day school counseling department operations adhere to the American School Counselor Association (ASCA) and American Counselor Association (ACA) standards and Codes of Ethics.
• Lead the continuous review, modification, and implementation of programming responsive to the social emotional health and wellness needs of students and informed by research, institutional data, and industry best practice.
• Coordinate the development and maintenance of counseling policies, protocols, and procedures for school counseling team operations and student care.
• Complete and distribute periodic reports (and other memos or reports as needed) detailing the work of the counseling team.
• Support the emotional, psychosocial and overall psychological wellbeing of students.
• Assist students in adjusting to the rigors of the IMSA academic and social environment, including providing solution-focused therapy, crisis management and crisis intervention and advocating for students in times of stress with staff, faculty and other students.
• Meet with the student and parent for academic concerns, mental health issues, residential or behavioral concerns, and issues originating at home and refer students for services as needed.
• Provide on-call crisis intervention 24/7 for students when needed.
• Train Resident Counselors and faculty/staff members on various issues related to student mental, emotional and social health.
• Collaborate with Student Affairs team members and Academy partners to support students’ social and emotional needs.
• Perform psychosocial screenings on students of concern.
• Serve on various department and community-wide teams.
• Establish relationships with local mental health agencies and professionals.
• Attend staff meetings including weekly Student Affairs department and residence hall meetings (as requested).
• Participate in Summer Orientation.
• Participate in the Summer Excel program.
• Ability to work irregular schedules, including periodic evening and/or weekend hours.
• Other duties as assigned by the Executive Director of Student Affairs.

Minimum Qualifications

• Master's degree in a counseling related field.
• Illinois license in counseling or social work (LCPC, LCSW).
• Experience in an educational setting.
• Minimum five years experience working with high school age students.
• Supervision experience.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
• Demonstrated ability to work well with a variety of individuals and diverse populations.
• Ability to work independently, resolve issues, seek help when needed, and work on concurrent projects.
• Experienced user of common computer hardware, office productivity software, and mobile devices.

Preferred Qualifications:
The preferred qualifications for this position include:

• Experience working with gifted and talented students.
• 5+ years of clinical experience with adolescents.
• Bilingual in English/Spanish

Working Conditions and Physical Requirements:

Work is performed in an office setting with minimal exposure to health or safety hazards.  Substantial time is spent working on a computer.  This role generally requires mobility, written and verbal communication, hearing and visual capabilities. However, reasonable accommodations, including assistive technology, may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform such requirements.

Compensation:

This position is a full-time, exempt, 10-month + 20 days, employment-at-will position. Salary regionally commensurate with training and experience in like-institutions with a range of $66,375.61 - $82,969.51. IMSA offers a comprehensive state benefits package (major medical, dental, vision, and prescription) with rates found here, a generous paid time off plan, and a retirement plan through the State University Retirement System (SURS). SURS is reciprocal with other Illinois public retirement systems such as the Teachers’ Retirement System of Illinois (TRS) and the Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund (IMRF).

Application Process:

Complete applications will be accepted and reviewed as received until the position is filled.  We are seeking a diverse applicant pool. Applicants must submit a letter of interest, resume/CV, and the contact information of three professional references.

To continue moving diversity, equity and inclusion forward, IMSA seeks to recruit, support, and retain diverse, talented individuals who are culturally competent, equity- minded, and constituent–centered. IMSA provides equal employment opportunities to all applicants and employees without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, age, national origin, ancestry, citizenship status, pregnancy, disability, genetic information, marital status, political affiliation, amnesty, arrest record, military status, unfavorable discharge from the military or status as a covered veteran in accordance with applicable federal, state and local laws.