Position Overview
The Meliora School seeks a compassionate, collaborative School Counselor to support the academic, social-emotional, and personal development of learners in grades 6–8.
This professional will provide short-term individual and small-group support, partner with families, connect learners with community resources, and collaborate with staff to address barriers to learning. Responsibilities will reflect the selected candidate’s credentials and professional scope of practice.
Learner Support
The counselor/social worker will:
- Provide short-term, school-based individual and small-group support.
- Help learners develop emotional regulation, coping strategies, healthy relationships, conflict-resolution skills, and self-advocacy.
- Support learners experiencing anxiety, grief, family transitions, peer conflict, attendance concerns, or other barriers to learning.
- Establish learner goals and monitor progress.
- Identify needs requiring ongoing or more intensive services and coordinate referrals.
- Support transitions into middle school and preparation for high school.
Prevention and Schoolwide Support
The counselor/social worker will:
- Collaborate with advisors and leadership to strengthen social-emotional learning.
- Provide targeted lessons on belonging, bullying prevention, digital citizenship, and healthy relationships.
- Consult with staff on supportive responses to learner needs.
- Participate in learner support meetings and coordinated intervention planning.
- Review referral and attendance information to identify patterns and prioritize support.
- Promote practices grounded in learner dignity, belonging, and accountability.
Crisis Response and Safety
The counselor/social worker will:
- Respond to urgent concerns during scheduled service hours according to school procedures and professional training.
- Participate in crisis response, safety planning, and follow-up within the scope of the role.
- Collaborate with leadership, families, and appropriate professionals.
- Follow mandated reporting requirements and school procedures.
- Help establish referral and escalation procedures for times when the provider is not on campus.
- Document concerns, actions, and follow-up appropriately.
Family and Community Partnership
The counselor/social worker will:
- Partner with families to understand learner strengths, needs, and barriers.
- Connect families with mental health, healthcare, housing, food, and other community resources.
- Coordinate with outside providers when appropriate authorization is in place.
- Follow up on referral access barriers.
- Provide resources related to adolescent development and well-being.
Collaboration and Documentation
The counselor/social worker will:
- Collaborate with leadership, specialized services staff, advisors, and Learning Guides.
- Participate in IEP and Section 504 meetings when relevant.
- Provide services identified in learner plans when appropriately credentialed and assigned.
- Maintain confidential records and appropriate information-sharing practices.
- Track referrals, services, progress, and follow-up needs.
- Meet regularly with leadership to prioritize services within the part-time schedule.
- Contribute to Meliora’s commitment to always pursue better.
Required Qualifications
- Master’s degree in school counseling or social work appropriate to the position.
- Current Georgia certification or licensure appropriate to the assigned school counselor or school social worker role.
- Experience supporting children or adolescents in a school or comparable setting.
- Knowledge of adolescent development, school-based interventions, crisis response, and community referrals.
- Strong communication, documentation, collaboration, and organizational skills.
- Ability to prioritize needs and maintain professional boundaries within a part-time schedule.
- Ability to meet applicable employment and background-check requirements.
Preferred Qualifications
- Experience supporting middle school learners.
- Experience in a Georgia public or charter school.
- Experience supporting learners with disabilities and multilingual learners.
- Experience with restorative practices, attendance interventions, and family engagement.
- Familiarity with community resources in Gwinnett County.
Compensation
Compensation will be determined based on credentials, experience, agreed-upon hours, and employment or contract arrangement.