Puget Sound Community School

Counselor | Job Description

Puget Sound Community School invites the participation of all people, welcoming students, teachers, families, and volunteers of any racial, national, religious, or ethnic origin, from all backgrounds, belief systems, orientations, and expressions.

PSCS is actively working to analyze and account for power, positionality, intersectionality, and oppression. Lived experience will be considered during the interview process.

Founded in 1994, Puget Sound Community School (PSCS) is a small, independent middle and high school located in the Chinatown-International District of downtown Seattle. PSCS is committed to co-creating a brave space for community-centered education, critical curriculum, student choice, accountability, and thoughtful collaboration. 

The Counselor at Puget Sound Community School (PSCS) is responsible for supporting the mental and emotional health of students and the broader community. The Counselor is a member of the collaborative staff and is accountable to the Administrative Team. While expected to remain flexible to participate in programs and activities not directly specified below, the Counselor

1. Develops and implements an onsite, formal, comprehensive counseling and guidance program that facilitates learning for students of all ages by offering personal, social, and life path counseling* according to the goals, objectives, and policies established jointly by the Staff and Board in support of the PSCS mission.

• Builds structures to support student health
• Counsels students individually and in small groups to help them understand, overcome, and resolve academic, behavioral, social and emotional concerns
• Implements an effective referral and follow-up process by referring students to appropriate program specialists or community agencies
• Collaborates to provide support to families
• Collaborates with parents/guardians and school staff to assist students with educational and career planning
• Initiates and conducts parent discussion and training sessions when appropriate
• Coordinates collaboration with external student/family support systems
• Coordinates the collaborative efforts of staff toward student support
• Initiates, supervises, and/or assists in the development of in-service training programs for school personnel
• Assists the school staff in providing students with orientation to new school experiences, i.e. transition from middle school to high school

*Personal/social counseling includes services that lead the student toward being a healthy individual who is a positive decision maker, effective communicator, and a productive contributor to a diverse democratic society. Guidance on one’s life path includes academic planning that prepares the student for academic success and the skills and knowledge to meet their educational and career goals. The student is guided toward being a life-long learner, critical thinker, collaborative worker, and an active community participant.

1. Administers the mental health program according to best practices, and in alignment with the professional standards and requirements of WA state.

• Ensures compliance with state requirements
• Holds valid Washington State Educational Staff Associate certificate for School Counselor
• Possesses a Master’s degree in counseling (or equivalent)
• Completes successful Washington State Patrol check and FBI Fingerprint Clearance Report and Disclosure Statement
• Initiates and maintains records, confidential information, and reports as required by professional standards and applicable law
• Collaborates to limit the liability of PSCS

1. Helps foster and support a diverse, broad-based, and healthy school community. 

• Models and promotes the plurality of good character 
• Attends regularly scheduled staff meetings and in-services as agreed upon

• Participates in community-wide events as schedule permits
• Represents the school at various regional, state, and national associations relative to the role of Counselor
• Attends appropriate workshops, seminars, and trainings
• Participates in professional development activities 
• Consults in the admissions process to ensure supportable fit of potential students and families
• Performs appropriate tasks as determined through collaboration in relation to the responsibilities listed above
• Other duties as assigned

Salary and Benefits: This is a salaried, exempt position, calculated at .525 FTE, or 52.5%. The annual compensation for the position is $35,000 for a 10 month agreement, which is paid in twelve (12) monthly installments. Benefits include excellent employer-paid medical and dental insurance, employer-paid retirement, Paid Time Off, tuition remission, close working team. 

Application Requirements: In lieu of a traditional cover letter, please submit to pscs@pscs.org a one page document that explains how your work and lived experiences led you to this moment and prepared you to be successful in this role with PSCS. Please include example(s) of relationship-building or stewardship that you are especially proud of and what made them meaningful.

• Holds valid Washington State Educational Staff Associate certificate for School Counselor
• Possesses a Master’s degree in counseling (or equivalent)
• Completes successful Washington State Patrol check and FBI Fingerprint Clearance Report and Disclosure Statement

About Puget Sound Community School

Located in Chinatown in the International District of Seattle, Puget Sound Community School (PSCS) is a nonprofit, independent school, currently serving 30-40 students in grades 6-12. PSCS is a community-centered, relationship-driven progressive school. The PSCS philosophy is based upon the belief that young people are intrinsically compelled by their own curiosities and desires to learn—and that, when provided a positive and supportive environment, along with a variety of opportunities offered by engaging people—they will enthusiastically pursue meaningful and challenging goals.

Connections working at Puget Sound Community School