Guidance Counselor

1. Thinks, communicates and behaves as a cause-driven leader and role model for other staff and members when it comes to desired staff behaviors; promotes youth development, healthy living, and
   social responsibility in all job-related functions.
2. Interviews students to determine nature and severity of barriers in areas such as personal and family adjustments, finances, employment, food, clothing, housing, crime victims and physical
   impairments, and social-emotional concerns; documents all necessary information within 24 hours.
3. Secures information such as medical, psychological, and social factors contributing to students behavior and reason for participation in Juvenile Justice programming.
4. Conducts support groups, workshops, individual counseling for at-risk youth and their families while operating within a Trauma Informed framework in individual and group settings.
5. Provides counseling, assessment, and intervention to youth based on trauma informed approach and refer students and families to community resources based upon individual needs assessment.
6. Provide crisis intervention to participants experiencing emotional distress and follow up with parents/caregivers to assure youth receive necessary assistance.
7. Assist with coordinating, collecting, and organizing program data for program reporting to funders and stakeholders.
8. Ensures youth understand the procedures and expectations by clearly communicating and enforcing established rules in a positive manner and modeling socially accepted behavior.
9. Observes students for signs of disruptive behavior such as violence, verbal outbursts, and episodes of destructiveness and diffuse situations using safe and effective tools and techniques.
10. Adheres to policies related to boundaries with youth, participates in required abuse risk management training, reports suspicious and inappropriate behaviors, follows mandated abuse
    reporting requirements, adheres to job-specific abuse risk management responsibilities.
11. Ability to work effectively with diverse groups and viewpoints from all social and economic segments of the organization and community. A commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and anti-
    racism is expected from our staff.

• Bachelor's degree from four-year college or university; and two years related experience and/or training; Masters degree preferred, or equivalent combination of
  education and experience.
• Active License required (Counseling, LSW, MSW).
• Knowledge of Evidence Based Practices (CBT, Motivational Interviewing and utilizing the Transtheoretical Model of Change.)
• Proven track record of developing authentic relationships with others.
• Must have working knowledge of computers and experience with a variety of software applications.
• Passionate belief in the Ys cause of nurturing the potential of all youth, supporting healthy living for all people and finding ways to help and support our neighbors.
• Ability to work effectively with diverse groups and viewpoints from all social and economic segments of the organization and community. A commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion and anti-racism is expected from our staff.
• Proven track record of developing authentic relationships with others.
• Ability to foster a collaborative team approach to solving challenging situations.
• CPR, First Aid, AED and O2 certifications must be obtained within 90 days.

Under the direction of the Executive Director of Juvenile Justice, the Guidance Counselor coordinates the on-site service coordination for students and their families in the YMCA School Recovery Program in order to provide support and engage them in supportive services.