Upper School Counselor

School Counselor – Upper School

To start August 2024

Our Mission

Every student. Every mind. Every heart. Known. Inspired. Challenged.

Our Vision

A compassionate community of diverse learners empowered and determined to reach their unique potential and positively impact the world.

Brownell Talbot School Values

Compassion: We believe in considering the unique needs of others; we show compassion by seeking to understand with genuine care, and we build a sense of belonging for everyone.

Respect: ​​We believe in treating everyone with dignity; we show respect by valuing ourselves and others through our words and actions, and by taking great pride in our school.

Responsibility: We believe we are capable; we show responsibility by meeting expectations, finding solutions, and giving our best to each other.  

Integrity: We believe in doing the right thing; we show integrity by keeping commitments and telling the truth, even when it’s not easy.

Our School

Brownell Talbot College Preparatory School, founded in 1863, is a Nebraska state-approved preschool through grade 12 school. We are a member of the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS) and the Independent Schools Association of the Central States (ISACS) and are accredited by Cognia. Brownell Talbot is an exciting environment for professionals who like to be part of a supportive team of dedicated individuals who thrive on the challenges and rewards of working with an active community. Brownell Talbot fosters an educational environment that is inclusive and accepting of diverse individuals and viewpoints.

BT Counseling Department Mission

The Counseling Department fosters a community of inclusivity and supports students throughout the process of self-discovery. 

BT Counseling Department Philosophy

We believe in each student’s unique and intrinsic self-worth and in the importance of educating the whole child. We value positive relationships, mutual trust, respect, and advocacy for the best interest of each student.

BT Counseling Department Goals

• Provide tools to nurture emotional intelligence.

• Create opportunities for students to define what success means to them, form their future goals, and identify steps to achieve those goals.

• Foster an environment where it is safe to succeed as well as fail. 

• Build collaborative relationships with students, families, teachers, and administration.

• Educate all constituents about the interconnectedness of each student’s academic, social/emotional, and extracurricular life.

School Counselor Job Description

The school counselor reports to the Director of College Counseling and Guidance and collaborates with the Assistant Head of Academics and Deans of Students; together, they support Brownell Talbot’s mission and vision and the Counseling Department’s mission, philosophy, and goals. 

The Counseling Department and the Role of the School Counselor

The Counseling Department seeks a compassionate, student-centered counselor to join a well-established, cohesive team. The counselor should be confident and comfortable working individually as well as collaboratively to support student needs. The ideal candidate should be warm, approachable, independent, a great listener, and eager to build positive relationships with students, families, and faculty. The Counseling Department is integral in providing support for the school’s social-emotional learning and college counseling program and our approach to these initiatives is appreciated and supported by our parent community. 

The school counselor helps create a safe and caring environment, provides short-term, solution-focused counseling services for Upper School students, leads classroom counseling lessons, and facilitates parent programming. The school counselor must be willing to be an active member of the life of the school, which will periodically include evening and weekend commitments. The candidate should also possess a positive attitude, be skilled in classroom management, and demonstrate excellent written and verbal skills. The ideal candidate seeks opportunities for growth and welcomes the opportunity to develop professionally through membership and engagement in regional and national school counseling and/or college admissions counselor organizations (ASCA, NSCA, NACAC and GPACAC). The school counselor is detail-oriented, flexible, creative, responsible, organized, and professional; BT school counselors adhere to the American School Counseling Code of Ethics, especially with respect to maintaining confidentiality. 

Grade-level counseling lessons:

• Facilitate classroom lessons for grades 9-12, based on the social-emotional learning program RULER and teach college counseling curriculum lessons developed by the BT Counseling Department.

Counseling services:

• Provide short-term, solution-focused counseling based on academic concerns or social-emotional support for students.

• Collaborate with Upper School faculty to provide support and resources based on student needs and to identify and resolve student issues.

• Collaborate with our therapy partners at Arbor Family Counseling.

• Provide community resources and referrals to students and families.

• Plan and facilitate small groups to provide additional support.

• Support upperclassmen on their path to college, which includes meeting with families, providing input and suggestions while building the college list, providing essay feedback, and writing senior recommendation letters.

• Facilitate parent programming on relevant topics related to counseling department goals and student needs. 

• Serve as a consultant and resource for the Brownell Talbot community.

System support:

• Serve as House Dean (advisor) for a small group of Upper School students or as class sponsor.

• Coordinate on-campus college admission counselor visit calendar and serve as host for the visits.

• Manage and utilize the Scoir and College Kickstart programs.

• Perform other duties as assigned by administration.

• Support the school and its leadership.

Required qualifications:

• Holds (or is eligible to obtain) a Nebraska Department of Education School Counselor Endorsement (provisional status is acceptable).

• Master’s degree in counseling.

• Experience working in a collaborative environment with a range of constituent groups, such as students, families, faculty, staff, and administration from diverse backgrounds.

Preferred qualifications and experience:

• Classroom teaching experience.

• Curriculum writing and facilitation of social-emotional learning.

• Experience with college admissions advising and supporting students through the college application process. 

• Experience with the American School Counselor Association National Model.

• Technological proficiencies including, but not limited to, Microsoft Office Suite, Google Suite, and student management systems.

Application process: Interested candidates are invited to visit brownell.edu/careers to obtain a general application. Please submit the completed application, resume, and cover letter articulating your passion for and experience with the school counseling and college advising process, strengths you would bring to the position, and your interest in Brownell Talbot to careers@brownell.edu.

**Brownell Talbot College Preparatory School does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, gender, gender identity, age, disability, marital status, sexual orientation, or any other status protected under local, state, and federal law in admission or access to or treatment of employment or educational programs and activities.**