Counseling Resources

Educational Support Counselors (ESC) are Licensed Professional Counselors or Licensed Clinical Social Workers who are district–level support personnel. They may be assigned to one or multiple schools. An ESC’s focus is on supporting students with social-emotional challenges, which may include a wide variety of direct services for students to reduce barriers to learning and thriving within a collaborative push-in, pull-out model in the education environment. An ESC also provides indirect services to students and families and actively consults with the building’s Leadership Team and partner agencies’ mental health professionals.

ESSENTIAL JOB DUTIES

• Screen and assess the social, emotional and psychological needs of students

• Work with students, families and school personnel to identify strengths, develop goals, select interventions, link with appropriate community supports, and coordinate mental health services.

• Provide individual and group therapy

• Assist with home visits, family counseling and parenting education.

• Serve as a district-level mental health resource and consultant; collaborate regarding strategies for classroom management, positive behavior supports, social-emotional and character education in order to help address challenging behaviors.

• Assist building teams with crisis management in response to critical incidents.

• Assist in coordination and act as a liaison with agency partners who provide school-based and community-based mental health services for students.

• Participates in evaluations and re-evaluations, which could include attending meetings, completing classroom observations and administering a clinical assessment tool when necessary

• Acts as a liaison between the school, school counselors, psychologists, hospitals and psychiatrists and partner agencies.

• Supports building counselors and School Support Interventionists in their efforts to work with students in crisis.