Pastoral Counsellor

We intend to appoint an experienced full-time caring professional who is enthusiastic about the UWC and its mission to work within our residential team to support our students and to provide confidential counselling support and a psychological advisory service in our international residential college.  Information can be found at www.uwcdilijan.org  andwww.uwc.org and on Facebook at UWC Dilijan (https://www.facebook.com/pages/UWC-Dilijan/350041941777688).

Qualifications:

Essential:

• A counselling/psychotherapy counselling qualification at the standard of a BACP accredited course level (or equivalent)
• To have worked in education either in schools or colleges before for a significant period of time with students of similar ages to those at the college (16-19).
• An understanding of the needs and experiences of people from different cultural backgrounds. Experience of working with clients from various cultural backgrounds.
• Good communication skills both verbally and in writing.
• Ability to assess and work therapeutically with people in various stages of distress, being sympathetic to their individual circumstances and backgrounds.
• Ability to work independently while respecting lines of management and accountability.
• The ability to involve other responsible adults in the care of individuals, working with local services where necessary.
• Adequate IT skills.

Desirable:

• Experience in group-work, especially in a mediation setting.
• Experience of supervision of other professionals in a pastoral setting.
• Experience of training and guiding professionals from other backgrounds.

Experience in some of the following therapies:

• Mindfulness
• CBT
• Art therapy
• DBT
• Smoking Cessation help

Duties:

We are looking to build a pro-active structure to give our students the tools to manage their mental health.  We want to build positive strategies to develop resilient and strong young people rather than just responding to those in need.

In order to achieve this the successful candidate would:

• Work with the Head of Residential Life to further develop and deliver a ‘Life Skills’ programme over the two years which would look to build resilience, support them through their time at the college and prepare students for the next steps in their lives.
• Work with, support and train house-parents and other staff on issues to do with teenage mental health, and any particular issues with students in our care at any particular time.
• Offer some training to all staff on issues of teenage mental health.
• Counsel staff and other responsible adults to assist them in understanding, dealing with and/or supporting students.
• Support and train a small group of students as Peer Listeners.
• Offer confidential individual counselling for students.  Guide clients in the development of skills or strategies for dealing with their problems.
• Offer small groups, such as four students sharing a room, mediation help.
• Assess patients for risk of self-harm.
• Liaise with our on-campus medical centre, and families to ensure holistic support.
• Liaise with external psychological and psychiatric services as necessary.
• Maintain confidential records
• Maintain knowledge of developments in counselling by reading professional literature, attending courses and seminars etc.

UWC Dilijan has a student body of around 200 students from over 60 countries, aged 16-19.  We have several students from areas of conflict, several refugees, and many students with widely differing life experiences. Most of our students are on substantial scholarships.

All students follow a rigorous IB programme in addition to other activities based around the college’s mission of internationalism, community service, sustainability and peace.  Students have to manage a challenging programme away from the support structures they have known before, and for most students English is not their native language.  We have some very good sports facilities and a fine indoor pool.  The local setting is rural and there is a lot of scope for outdoor adventurous activities.

We are committed to supporting the professional development of our staff.

The counsellor would have a dedicated room with attached kitchen and bathroom to work from in the academic building of the college.

Free accommodation would be provided near to the college, and meals would be available at no cost in the college dining-hall.

Letters of application, including a full curriculum vitae and the names and contact details of three referees, at least one of whom should be the most recent employer, should be sent to careers@uwcdilijan.org to arrive no later than 25 February 2016 There is no application form.