Student Assistance Counselor
Listed compensation
$55k-$78k
The week · per this posting · weekdays assumed
Ask the employer about the work setting, call expectations, weekend coverage and time off.
Job Description
Nathanael Greene Middle School
Do you believe one trusted adult can change a student’s entire story?
We do too.
We are hiring a Student Assistance Counselor (SAC) to join a school-based team that supports students navigating substance use, stress, trauma and related challenges.
You will be embedded directly in a school community - working alongside educators, families, and community partners - to help students get back on track, stay connected to learning, and access the support they need to thrive.
This is a full-time, in-person, school-year position with annualized (year-round) pay.
This is not office work.
This is relationship-building work. Prevention work. Hope-building work.
What You Will Do
- Develop and lead school-wide prevention campaigns focused on substance use prevention and mental health.
- Provide classroom-based substance use prevention education using evidence based curriculum.
- Screen and identify students at risk and connect them to the appropriate level of care
- Provide short term, brief intervention and support to students
- Facilitate evidence-based individual and group early intervention programs
- Support students reentering school after treatment or crisis
- Collaborate closely with school administrators, teachers, school-based mental health team, and families
- Document services, referrals, and outcomes in a secure electronic data system
- Be a steady, calm presence when things feel unsteady
Who You Are
- You believe substance use prevention and early intervention matters
- You are calm and thoughtful in high-pressure or uncertain situations
- You listen more than you talk, and respond with empathy and clear boundaries
- You understand that behavior is communication, especially for young people navigating stress or trauma
- You can build trust with young people who may be hesitant to engage or have been disappointed by adults in the past
- You value collaboration and work effectively with educators, families, and community partners
- You are organized, ethical, and accountable, with strong attention to documentation and follow-through
- You are comfortable working in a fast-paced school environment where priorities can shift quickly
Salary set by Collective Bargaining Agreement.
Requirements
- Master’s degree in behavioral health specialty: Social Work, Counseling or Psychology.
- A minimum of 1-2 years supervised counseling experience with teens.
- Knowledge of adolescent and child development.
- Knowledge of alcohol, marijuana, tobacco, and other drugs.
- Ability to engage adolescents in individual, group, and classroom sessions.
- Professional verbal, written, and presentation skills.
- Ability to exercise sound professional judgment.
- Computer competence using the Internet, Word, Excel.
- Ability to learn electronic data collections systems required by funding sources.
Key Responsibilities
The Student Assistance Counselor will lead school-wide prevention campaigns and provide direct support to students struggling with substance use, trauma, and mental health challenges. They will collaborate with educators and families to facilitate early intervention programs and ensure students remain connected to their learning environment.
Qualifications
- Experience
- 2+ years of experience
Key Skills
Counselor Career Context
The cost-of-living index for Rhode Island is 102.3 (US average = 100; BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)), so the posted ~$66k midpoint carries the purchasing power of roughly $65k in an average-cost state. 63.1% of Rhode Island clinicians report burnout symptoms in WeekdayDoc's Burnout Index (2026-01 data).
Of the 50 active Counseling listings this role was benchmarked against, 72% are remote, 36% have no call, 72% require no weekends.
Counseling pay on WeekdayDoc is up 18.8% vs. the prior quarter (through Sep 2026).
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