Advocate Counselor - Theater Arts Production Company School (TAPCO)-Bronx, NY

The Advocate Counselor works in the Bronx, at the Theater Arts Production Company School, a 6th -12th grade arts-based Community School.

The Advocate Counselor focuses on supporting students who are chronically and severely chronically absent from school, struggling academically, behaviorally, and who have a history of poor attendance. The Advocate Counselor provides supportive mentoring services, including but not limited to attendance outreach, home visits, classroom support, crisis intervention, and individual and small group social-emotional support in partnership with the school staff to support students in reaching their academic and social emotional goals.

The Advocate Counselor position is a 10-month position (September – June), 40 hours per week, and will be supervised by the Community School Director.

The hourly range for this role is $22.50-$25.50.

How You'll Be Making a Difference

• Responsible for a caseload of students, including maintaining attendance and educational progress, providing students and families with continuous feedback and resources to meet the needs and ensure academic success
• Provides individual and group mentoring to students on a weekly basis
• Conducts daily student attendance outreach
• Leads and facilitates attendance team meetings
• Utilizes data to inform attendance practices and outreach
• Provides outreach to students and their families, including phone calls, written correspondence, and home visits (home visits always conducted in pairs)
• Facilitates communication between students, families, and school staff
• Completes required documentation, including Dr. Cloud notes, in a timely manner
• Provides crisis support, conflict mediation and social-emotional support
• Completes regular assessments and provides resource referrals in support of school-based services (with support of the site manager)
• Facilitates milieu services in common spaces, such as classroom, cafeteria, and afterschool push-ins
• Participates in staff meetings and staff development opportunities
• Collaborates on transdisciplinary team of Wediko and school staff to create individualized plans to support student progress
• Occasional evening and weekend hours required for school events
• Cultivates and maintains positive and effective relationships with Wediko team, school and school administrators, and other Community Based Organizations
• Supports the implementation of the Community School Model
• All functions and task responsibilities are subject to change, as deemed necessary by Site Manager and Program Manager based on needs of assigned site

Qualifications

• Associate’s degree in social sciences; Bachelor’s degree strongly preferred
• 1 or more years' experience providing direct services in school-based or residential program
• Knowledge of attendance outreach best practices
• Strong communication (verbal and written with proficiency in English) and interpersonal skills
• Ability to approach challenges in a collaborative, supportive, and creative manner
• Commitment to working from a strengths-based perspective
• Commitment to ongoing learning and development, with proven use of supervision to improve practice
• Excellent organization and prioritization skills
• Flexible schedule and willingness to work school hours, and on occasion some evenings to support school community events

Valuing Diversity

We are committed to excellence in diversity, equity, and inclusion, while simultaneously creating a culture that supports those values. We believe the differences we bring enhance our ability to provide exceptional service and care to diverse children, families, and communities. Moreover, diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging align with our values and our mission to help vulnerable children and their families build permanent, positive change.