Overnight Student Life Counselor

JOB PURPOSE

The Overnight Student Life Assistant Counselor is responsible for providing a safe and secure environment during overnight hours and supervising and monitoring the students during the morning hours prior to the start of the school day. This includes handling all emergencies and student issues. Normal working hours for the Night-time Student Life Assistant is 11:30 p.m. to 8:00 a.m. Sunday through Friday.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Nurturing and Supervising Students

Ø Demonstrates ability to nurture each student entrusted to their care consistent with the Student Life Program by:

· establishing trust,

· advocating for students' best interest,

· developing strong, mutually respectful relationships,

· providing emotional support through praise, affection, and empathy,

· advising students through personal problems,

· listening to students' thoughts, feelings, concerns, and problems,

· helping students in developing friendships/relationships,

· maintaining students' dignity and self-esteem,

· supporting opportunities for students to develop personal maturity through developmentally appropriate freedoms and responsibilities,

· maintaining confidentiality of sensitive materials according to the SEED Confidentiality Policy, and

· supporting students by attending as many functions that involve their students as practical.

Ø Attends to students’ personal safety by:

· notifying appropriate personnel immediately in the case of a serious safety and/or behavior issue involving one of the students assigned to their care,

· constantly monitoring student safety by remaining awake and alert and circulating throughout the floor on a random basis throughout the night,

· being constantly aware of student location,

· being aware of and attentive to warning signs of emotional distress, and

· supporting overall campus supervision.

Ø Protects the rights and dignity of individual students by:

· making decisions based on the best interest of students,

· supporting the ethical treatment of all students, and

· promoting problem solving and relationship development between students.

Ø Attends to students’ health care needs by:

· recognizing students’ health care needs and referring to medical services when appropriate, and

· maintaining accurate student health care records.

· Being available for morning medication distribution.

Ø Attends to students’ mental health needs by:

· reporting signs of student abuse, depression, and suicide ideation to student support services,

· recognizing and supporting students in bereavement and separation issues, and

· listening actively to students’ thoughts, feelings, concerns, and problems and counseling when appropriate.

Ø Teaches students healthy lifestyles by:

· teaching and coaching students’ personal hygiene, and

· making referrals to appropriate student support services when necessary.

Ø Teaches students to exhibit behaviors and values deemed appropriate for a member of the SEED community through:

· displaying appropriate role modeling,

· maintaining personal self-control, and

· respecting and appreciating diversity.

Ø Maintains a developmentally appropriate behavior management system by:

· managing student behavior,

· holding students accountable by delivering natural and logical consequences and using corrective teaching,

· implementing the Schools discipline policy, determining minor infractions and consequences, and consulting with SEED staff regarding serious offenses,

· utilizing modules such as active listening, pro-active teaching, corrective teaching, and self-awareness,

· implementing a motivation / incentive system,

· utilizing a consistent incentive system that reinforces and rewards students' appropriate behavior, and

· collaborating with others to develop strategies to effectively manage student behavior.

Facility and Office Management

Ø Responsible for assisting in the management and maintenance of the house/residence hall facility by:

· ensuring a safe, secure, and clean environment by conducting periodic house inspection, and

· maintaining OSHA, first aid and universal precaution guidelines and procedures.

· prepare weekly reports and distribute accordingly

· prepare nightly snacks

Program Development

Ø Maintains house programs including:

· implementing a chore program,

· initiating morning routine (i.e., waking students, etc.).

Professional Development

Ø Achieves and maintains Student Life Program by:

· reading and researching information pertinent to parenting skills and student development,

· setting / meeting annual professional development goals, and

· evaluating self-performance in collaboration with supervisor(s).

BEHAVIORAL INDICATORS

All Student Life Staff are responsible for demonstrating professional behaviors consistent with the following principles. Such behaviors include, but are not limited to the following:

1. Professionalism :

· Cooperative and positive attitude toward students, parents, staff and other constituencies of the School

· Presentation of self by appropriate dress and manner of speech

· Appreciation for the sensitivity of information gathered in one’s professional role and in maintaining the confidentiality of such information

· Cooperative team membership and participation on teams both within and outside of the Student Life Program

· Appropriate constructive questioning

· Openness to new ideas and ongoing program improvement

· Maintaining the highest legal, moral and ethical standards, thus enabling each adult to be a strong, positive role model for the students

2. Growth and Development :

· Support and actively encourage an overall School environment which promotes personal and professional growth and development

· Development and completion of personal and professional growth plans in a timely manner

· Commitment to a process of life-long learning

· Strive for excellence in both adult’s and student’s performance

· Fulfilling personal and professional responsibilities with honesty, integrity, and in full compliance with School, local, State and Federal regulations

3. Commitment to the SEED Mission :

· Commitment to the mission of The SEED School

· Commitment to the shared vision of the SEED School

· Modeling values consistent with the SEED School’s Student-Parent Handbook

· Cooperation and collaboration within and across departments to accomplish goals and objectives which are focused on the students

· Enthusiastic commitment to high standards of excellence in performance, behavior, and learning

· Commitment to meeting student’s individual needs and understanding their individual contextual background

4. Effective Communication :

· Development and maintenance of high performance teams at every level (students, parents, administration, staff)

· Effectively shares information and instruction in a manner that helps others succeed

· Communicates plans, goals and developments of projects in an effective and timely manner

· Striving to create “win/win” solutions wherever possible

· Use of a tone and style of communication that is at the same time assertive and appropriate for the individuals, as well as the circumstance/situation involved

· Use of tact, sensitivity and empathy when interacting with and/or serving the SEED School, community, parents, students

· Demonstrates an ability to utilize active listening in a manner that shows care, sensitivity, and approachability

5. Other

• Other duties as assigned

QUALIFICATIONS

Experience & Education

· Bachelors or higher degree or equivalent work experience in social sciences or related field

· A minimum of one (1) years experience in adolescent development, residential/boarding education, counseling, or related field

Computer Skills

· Proficient in MS Office Suite

· Internet savvy and skilled with technology

Language Skill

· Ability to read, analyze and interpret orders

· Ability to respond to common inquiries or complaints from students, staff members, parents, contractors, etc.

· Ability to write reports that conform to prescribed style and format

· Ability to effectively present information to students, supervisors, and others

· Ability to analyze and solve issues