School Counsellor

St Patrick’s Primary School, Macksville has a rich history of providing Catholic Education for generations of families in the Nambucca Valley. We are seeking an experienced and dynamic school counsellor to support the wellbeing of students in the school.

Applications are invited from suitably qualified persons for the following position:

School Counsellor

This position will be part time, 2 days a week for three years.

Commencing 28 January 2020 through to 26 January 2023.

The role of the School Counsellor is to support and assist school teams to better understand and manage student mental health issues, with a view to improving student outcomes. As a School Counsellor, you will be an integral part of a school’s pastoral care support and will work with students, families, school staff and external agencies to maximise educational and wellbeing outcomes for students.

Selection Criteria:

• Current registration with Psychology Board of Australia; or membership of Australian Association of Social Workers Association or membership of PACFA (Psychotherapy and Counselling Federation of Australia)/ ACA (Australian Counselling Association).
• A strong understanding of the professional body’s ethical and legal requirements, especially in relation to working within a school setting.
• Excellent communication skills with the proven ability to work collaboratively with teaching teams, and to engage and relate to students, families and staff.
• Demonstrated understanding of child adolescent development and youth mental health interventions.
• Ability to work independently with limited supervision and manage caseloads.
• Willingness to take an active part in the full life of the school and to support, accept, and uphold the mission, teachings and ethos of the Catholic Church’s work in schools.

Desirable Criteria:

• Experience in providing evidence based interventions with children and young people, individually and in groups.
• Proven experience and ability to respond appropriately in crisis situations and to students presenting with complex needs.
• Experience or willingness to provide professional learning to school staff and families. 

Remuneration: Dependent on qualifications and experience:

• A teacher with psychology registration and 5 years’ full-time experience as a School Counsellor, can
• earn up to $118,018.
• An experienced psychologist or social worker/counsellor can earn up to $109,427.

Each employee’s qualifications and experience are used in the calculation of remuneration. Any questions regarding remuneration contact cso-hr@lism.catholic.edu.au.

How to Apply:

Applicants are asked to submit all documents as one PDF to the Principal’s email address below:

1. Covering letter that addresses the selection criteria.

2. Catholic Schools Office application form

3. Current Resume

4. Academic transcript/s

The start date can be negotiated.

Applications must be received by 5pm Monday 20th January, 2020.

Email: vin.butler@lism.catholic.edu.au

The successful applicant will be required to complete the registration for employment process with the Lismore Diocese in accordance with the Diocesan Website.

Child protection legislation requires preferred applicants to be subject to employment screening.

An Equal Opportunity Employer

Information on how to Register for Employment in the Lismore Diocese is available on the Catholic Schools Office website http://www.lism.catholic.edu.au/employment/employment-information/