Personal + Academic Counselor

We’re Looking for an Innovative and Progressive

Personal + Academic Counselor to Join Us!

Our Mission

Nestled in a picturesque neighbourhood residential community in Alameda, and minutes away from downtown Oakland, Saint Joseph Notre Dame High School (SJND), a Catholic parish high school, provides a dynamic and rigorous college preparatory education.  Our faith-filled, diverse, and welcoming community embraces the teachings of Jesus Christ.  We develop confident, open-minded, and effective leaders who are ready to live joyful lives of faith, scholarship, and service.

Eight Essential Characteristics of Teachers and Counselors at SJND

Counselors and Teachers at SJND …

support the values of a Catholic education and the school mission while also respecting religious plurality and cultural diversity;
love working with young people, are relational and student-centered, and are committed to the students’ success as whole persons;
take creative initiative, are self-directed, and are solutions-oriented;
engage in collaboration with colleagues with a spirit of authentic communication;
are coachable and receive constructive feedback while maintaining a growth mindset;
are reflective in their practice, are able to pivot and adapt, and are comfortable with change and transition;
are lifelong learners who engage with current research and practice on school counseling and issues that impact the social, emotional and mental well being of adolescents;
are proponents of or aspire toward 21st Century Learning Practices that include: Standards Based Learning, Culturally Responsive Learning, Restorative Justice, Universal Design, and Trauma Informed approaches, all through a lens of Equity and Justice.

The Call

We are seeking a Personal and Academic Counselor dedicated to serving the social, emotional and academic advising needs of high school adolescents.

Essential Duties

Personal and academic counseling support for 9th-12th grade student caseload, including keeping professional written records of significant student information as learned through counseling sessions;
Coordinate and oversee the  Counselors in the Classroom program for students’ Social-Emotional Learning. This includes:

Monitoring the curriculum and revising according to the changing needs of the school;
Delivering the SEL lessons with the assistance of the other personal counselors;
Provide referrals to families seeking outside medical and/or mental health support for students.  Act as the primary contact within the school for those professionals regarding assigned students;
Provide support and resources to Faculty/Staff regarding assigned students of concern;
Provide crisis intervention and conflict resolution (as directed by Administration or Director of Counseling);
Regularly review academic progress for assigned students who are in need of academic support;
Assist assigned students with course scheduling and academic planning for all four years;
Assist the College Counselor with assigned students with their post-graduation plans;
In coordination with counseling team members, refer students to the Mental Health Counselor;
Other responsibilities needed or assigned by School Administration.

Eligibility

Prior counseling experience working with young people is highly preferred;
Prior experience designing and delivering social emotional wellness curriculum to teens is highly preferred
Bachelor’s Degree is required;
Master’s Degree in Counseling is required;
California Pupil Personnel Services Credential (or a credential-in-process) is required;
Must pass standard health and background checks including Department of Justice fingerprinting is required.

Compensation

Salary is competitive and commensurate with experience and attained education and credentials.  The school offers a comprehensive benefit package which includes a pension plan and retirement program, and full medical, visual, and dental plans.

The Application Process

Please, submit via email [hiring@sjnd.org] to Chris Trinidad, Dean of Academics and  Interim Vice Principal, a single PDF document containing:

A cover letter addressing each of the following items …

How your own values and passions connect with our school mission;
Your approach and philosophy of counseling teenagers;
Your knowledge and experience of designing and delivering curriculum for social emotional learning appropriate to high school age students;
How you hope to grow as a counselor/educator if hired at SJND.
Your resume or CV.

Applications are accepted on an ongoing basis and we will review them in the order in which they are received.  You will be contacted if you are selected to participate in our interview process.   We are an equal opportunity employer and we welcome and encourage diverse candidates to join our community.