Scale: Faculty
Supervisor: Lower School Principal and Director of Student Support Services
Division: Lower School

Job Summary:

The Lower School (LS) Counselor is responsible for providing a comprehensive school counseling program that is proactive in design, developmental in implementation, and supports TAS students' social and emotional development. The counselor also serves as a consultant to educators, families, and community partners. In addition to providing responsive services and individual student planning, all lower school counselors collaborate and work flexibly and in tandem with homeroom teachers to deliver social-emotional programming to all students.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities: 

Individual Student Planning

• Utilizes responsive counseling, initiating individual and group sessions for students’ personal and social concerns 
• Orients new students and parents to the school, its programs, and services
• Assists in preparation for student transition out of TAS
• Serves as a member of the LS admissions committee
• Collaborates with the LS principal to evaluate new students for proper placement and places all assigned students in the instructional program
• Collaborates with middle school (MS) counselors to prepare students for the transition to MS
• Uses 80% of the time to provide direct services to students through preventative and responsive services, including individual student planning

Development and Management

• Uses data to inform the school counseling program and evaluates the program’s impact on the Lower School
• Collaborates on the development of the comprehensive school counseling program with the school administrator
• Communicates and shares the goals of the comprehensive school counseling program to stakeholders, including teachers, students, and families
• Maintains a written plan for the delivery of social-emotional programming based on and aligned with CASEL (Collaborative for Academic, Social, Emotional Learning)
• Uses 20% of the time in development and management, system support and accountability

Preventative and Responsive Services

• Designs, implements, and assesses the counseling curriculum
• Utilizes responsive counseling, initiating individual and group sessions for students’ personal and social concerns
• Consults with families, psychologists, and staff to assess student needs and interests and to discuss appropriate recommendations for educational options
• Plans, coordinates, and provides classroom group counseling sessions to meet the identified counseling competencies in the areas of social-emotional learning
• Assesses student needs and makes referrals to appropriate school resource personnel, social agencies, and community agencies
• Intervenes during crisis situations and participates on the school crisis team
• Designs and conducts parent workshops in response to community needs
• Collaborates with faculty to deliver SEL programming

System Support

• Uses responsive counseling strategies to establish relationships and collaborate with educators, students, and families
• Communicates regularly with grade-level HRT to plan social-emotional programming
• 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 preventative and responsive professional development on topics related to social-emotional learning
• Responds to child safeguarding concerns

Accountability

• Conducts at minimum a yearly program audit to review the extent and quality of program implementation
• Uses all available data to identify students in need and to deliver services

Ideal Traits/Characteristics:

In addition to a strong commitment to the TAS mission and a willingness to go above and beyond for students and the school community candidates will also demonstrate:

• Adaptability: Excel in constantly changing environments and adapts flexibly; comfortable with ambiguity and non-routine situations
• Commitment to Equity and Inclusion: Sensitive to diversity in all its forms
• Dependability: Do 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
• Innovative Problem-Solving: Approach work with a sense of possibility and sees challenges as opportunities for creative problem solving; take initiative to explore issues and find potential innovative solutions
• Leadership: Coaches, mentors, and challenges others to excel despite obstacles and challenging situations
• Teamwork: Increases the effectiveness of surrounding teams through collaboration, constant learning, and supporting others; respects and is committed to learning from others

Communication and Collaboration:

• Builds positive, collaborative relationships with students, parents, faculty, and the wider school community.
• Effectively communicates program goals, expectations, and progress to relevant stakeholders.
• Engages in teamwork and shares expertise to enhance the TAS community’s overall well-being and success. 

Professionalism:

• Maintains a commitment to professional ethics, collaborates and communicates appropriately, and takes responsibility for personal professional growth that results in the enhancement of student learning.
• Identifies and evaluates personal strengths and weaknesses and sets goals for improvement of professional knowledge and skills.
• Engages in activities outside the classroom intended for school and student enhancement.
• Works in a collegial and collaborative manner with administrators, other school personnel, and the community to promote students' well-being and success. 
• Builds positive and professional relationships with parents through frequent and appropriate communication concerning students' progress. 
• Uses precise language, correct vocabulary and grammar, and acceptable forms of oral and written communication.

Required Education/Experience:

• Master’s degree in social work, counseling, counseling psychology or related field
• At least four years of relevant experience as a counselor in an elementary school.
• Teaching experience (elementary school level) is highly desirable.
• Fluent in English
• Excellent written and oral communication skills
• Sensitivity to the cultural differences between Western and Asian staff and a willingness to work for constructive change in a multi-cultural setting

To Apply

Interested applicants should submit a resume, cover letter, and contact information for three professional references through the online link below. Please note that direct applications via email or other channels will not be considered.

Applicants are encouraged to apply as early as possible, as Taipei American School reserves the right to close the selection process at any time.