School Counselor

## Role Overview

The School Counselor at Sankoré is responsible for advancing student well-being, belonging, and holistic development across a diverse and complex school community. This role operates at the intersection of academic success, social-emotional health, and community context.

Working under the **Head of Support and Belonging**, the counselor plays a central role in ensuring that every student is known, supported, and equipped to navigate both school and life. The position requires a practitioner who can operate across individual counseling, systems-building, and community engagement—while remaining grounded in Sankoré’s values of dignity, equity, and student agency.

## Core Responsibilities

1. Student Counseling and Direct Support

- Provide individual and small-group counseling to students across grade levels, addressing:
- Social-emotional development
- Mental health challenges (e.g., anxiety, trauma, stress, identity)
- Behavioral concerns
- Peer relationships and conflict
- Develop and implement individualized student support plans where needed
- Maintain accurate, confidential records of all counseling interactions
- Identify early warning signs and intervene proactively

2\. Safeguarding and Student Protection

- Serve as a key point of contact for student safeguarding concerns
- Identify, document, and escalate cases of abuse, neglect, or risk in line with school policies
- Work closely with leadership and external partners where necessary
- Ensure all safeguarding practices are trauma-informed and culturally responsive

3\. Whole-School Social-Emotional Programming

- Design and deliver structured social-emotional learning (SEL) programming
- Integrate well-being practices into the broader school culture
- Support the development of life skills including resilience, emotional regulation, and decision-making
- Collaborate with teaching staff to embed SEL into classroom practice

4\. Student Belonging and Inclusion

- Actively contribute to a school culture where all students feel safe, respected, and included
- Support students navigating identity, marginalization, and exclusion
- Work with the Head of Support and Belonging to implement inclusion strategies across the school
- Facilitate student voice initiatives related to well-being and belonging

5\. Family and Community Engagement

- Engage families as partners in student well-being, particularly in complex or sensitive cases
- Provide guidance to caregivers on supporting children’s emotional and behavioral needs
- Navigate diverse family contexts with cultural sensitivity and respect
- Connect families to relevant external resources when needed

6\. Multi-Tiered Support Systems (MTSS)

- Contribute to the design and implementation of tiered student support systems:
- Tier 1: Universal well-being and SEL programming
- Tier 2: Targeted small-group interventions
- Tier 3: Intensive individualized support
- Use data and observation to inform interventions and track progress
- Participate in regular student support reviews with school leadership

7\. Collaboration with Staff

- Serve as a resource to teachers on student behavior, well-being, and classroom dynamics
- Provide training or guidance on trauma-informed and inclusive practices
- Participate in multidisciplinary meetings to coordinate student support
- Support staff in responding appropriately to student needs

8\. External Partnerships and Referrals

- Build and maintain relationships with external service providers (mental health, social services, health systems)
- Refer students and families to specialized support where appropriate
- Coordinate follow-up and continuity of care

## Contextual Expectations

The Sankoré School Counselor must be able to operate effectively within a **diverse and high-need community**, where students may face:

- Economic instability
- Family stressors
- Exposure to trauma
- Gaps in access to services
- Complex identity and belonging dynamics

This requires:

- Cultural competence and humility
- Strong ethical judgment
- The ability to balance empathy with clear boundaries
- Comfort working across school and community ecosystems

### Reporting Line

Reports directly to the **Head of Support and Belonging**

## Qualifications and Experience

- Degree in Counseling, Psychology, Social Work, or a related field
- Professional certification or licensure in counseling
- Minimum 3–5 years of explicit counseling experience working with children or adolescents in schools. International Schools preferred.[\[1\]](https://reliefweb.int/#_msocom_1) [\[2\]](https://reliefweb.int/#_msocom_2)
- Experience in school-based and/or community-based settings strongly preferred
- Demonstrated experience working with diverse or underserved populations

## Core Competencies

- Strong counseling and interpersonal skills
- Ability to build trust with students from varied backgrounds
- High level of discretion and professionalism
- Systems thin