St. Andrew’s School develops the independence, character, mind, and spirit of its students to prepare them for lives of citizenship, service, and purpose. Be at the center of this mission by joining the school as our director of counseling, a key member of the Student Life team. All students live, learn, and play in the natural beauty of our 2,200-acre campus. At the center of our community are curious, motivated, and diverse students who are accepted without regard to their families’ means. Each young person is challenged and valued, and students are truly known by the lifelong mentors who teach, coach, and advise them. Human connection, face to face, is the foundation of our program. Friendship and joy define our spirit; “faith and learning” is our motto. Position Summary: St. Andrew’s School seeks a full-time director of counseling beginning in the 2026-2027 academic year. Reporting to the associate head of school, they will develop and implement initiatives that foster student well-being and support students’ social and emotional growth. The director of counseling supervises a team of two other counselors, and provides the leadership, vision, and strategic direction for the mental health services provided by the department. This position will provide as-needed individual short-term supportive counseling, and provide interventions to address a variety of mental health and learning challenges that affect adolescents, including crisis assessment. The director of counseling must be well versed in all areas of clinical counseling regarding adolescent student needs, parent and professional communication, and collaboration with health providers, administration, subordinates, and faculty. Essential Duties and Responsibilities: Vision, Strategy, and Leadership - Define and lead a comprehensive vision and service model for student mental health that integrates education, counseling, outreach, prevention, and emergency response. - Ensure the appropriate scope of practice for counseling and psychological services within a fully residential secondary school environment. - Maintain current knowledge of adolescent mental health research, best practices, and emerging trends, and implement innovative approaches as student needs evolve. - Develop, track, and analyze meaningful metrics to assess student social-emotional well-being and the effectiveness of mental health services. Clinical Services and Student Care - Ensure timely intervention, programming, and ongoing support for students related to mental health concerns, crisis response, health leaves, re-entry to campus, counseling, and referrals. - Provide direct clinical services as needed, including individual counseling, group guidance, and crisis intervention. - Manage a diverse adolescent caseload, maintaining high clinical standards and strong professional relationships within the school community. - Teach a semester-long health & wellness course for tenth-grade students (IV Form). Crisis Management and On-Call Coverage - Coordinate and oversee the mental health counselor on-call schedule; serve as an active participant in the on-call rotation. - Provide counseling leadership and direct support during crises affecting individual students or the broader school community. Program Development and Collaboration - Ensure that counseling programs and services are developmentally appropriate, culturally responsive, and inclusive of a diverse student population. - Oversee the curriculum and implementation of the IV Form Wellness Course and other wellness education at the school. - Partner with the dean of student affairs and dean of residential life to ensure appropriate training, resources, and support for the residential life program and student life. - Collaborate with the associate head of school to identify and implement professional development opportunities for faculty and staff related to student mental health and well-being. - Facilitate effective communication and information-sharing with school leaders, residential staff, faculty, advisors, the Health Center, and external medical providers. Supervision and Team Management - Supervise, manage, evaluate, and mentor a team of counselors who provide student counseling services. - Plan and lead weekly counseling team meetings focused on clinical coordination, professional development, and case consultation. - Recruit, hire, onboard, and train counseling staff in alignment with school values and best practices, as needed. Family and Community Engagement - Communicate effectively with students, parents/guardians, faculty, and staff regarding mental health and social wellness. - Consult with parents/guardians of students with identified concerns and provide recommendations for further evaluation, treatment, or follow-up care. - Develop and maintain a strong network of community-based mental health providers to support referrals and expanded care when needed. - Coordinate referrals to off-campus providers and assist with implementing treatment recommendations. Compliance, Policy, and Documentation - Administer counseling policies, procedures, and administrative systems to ensure high-quality, ethical, and consistent care. - Track appropriate metrics to evaluate the effectiveness of wellness initiatives and inform continuous improvement. - Ensure compliance with local, state, and federal regulations, including required training for students and adults. - Maintain accurate, confidential health records in accordance with HIPAA and institutional standards. - Review psychological testing and evaluations for applicants and enrolled students, as appropriate. Institutional Leadership and Service - Make clinical and programmatic recommendations to the director of health services and the dean of student affairs regarding student care. - Collaborate closely with the associate head of school, athletic director, director of health services, and other senior leaders. - Participate in regular administrative meetings and contribute to broader institutional initiatives.
