Behavioral Health Counselor - Dependent (School Based)

Make a Difference. Support Student Success. Strengthen Futures.

Position Summary

Join our school-based behavioral health team and make a meaningful difference in the lives of students by promoting emotional wellness, positive behavior, and academic success. The School-Based Clinical Counselor provides individual and group counseling, clinical assessments, treatment planning, and case management to support students’ social, emotional, behavioral, and mental health needs.

Working under the supervision of an independently licensed clinician, you will collaborate with teachers, school administrators, families, and community providers to identify student needs, address barriers to learning, and develop strategies that support student growth and success. Through a strengths-based, trauma-informed, and culturally responsive approach, you will help students build coping skills, strengthen relationships, improve school engagement, and develop the confidence and resilience needed to thrive in school and beyond.

Current Ohio Licensed Social Worker (LSW) or Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) license required.

Key Responsibilities

• Provide individual and group counseling to students to address emotional, behavioral, social, and mental health concerns.
• Implement evidence-based counseling approaches, including cognitive behavioral interventions, to promote coping skills, emotional regulation, positive decision-making, and healthy relationships.
• Conduct clinical interviews, psychosocial assessments, and diagnostic evaluations, and prepare diagnostic summaries under appropriate clinical supervision.
• Develop and maintain individualized treatment and service plans that reflect students’ strengths, needs, goals, and developmental levels.
• Collaborate with teachers, school administrators, student support teams, and other school personnel to identify concerns, coordinate interventions, and promote positive student outcomes.
• Partner with parents, guardians, and caregivers to strengthen family engagement and support student progress across home and school environments.
• Support students experiencing challenges that may affect attendance, behavior, academic engagement, peer relationships, or overall school functioning.
• Monitor student progress, evaluate treatment outcomes, and adjust counseling strategies and interventions as appropriate.
• Provide case management, coordinate referrals, and connect students and families with additional behavioral health and community resources as needed.
• Maintain an active caseload and consistent engagement with students, families, and relevant members of the school support team.
• Participate in school-based meetings, case consultations, and multidisciplinary discussions to support coordinated student care while maintaining confidentiality and appropriate professional boundaries.
• Complete accurate and timely clinical documentation in accordance with agency policies, licensing standards, applicable privacy laws, school requirements, and contractual obligations.
• Maintain ethical standards and a culturally responsive, trauma-informed approach when working with students and families from diverse backgrounds.
• Complete required agency, school-based, regulatory, and funder training.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Required Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Ability to build rapport with students and engage children, adolescents, and families in a respectful, supportive, and developmentally appropriate manner.
• Understanding of student social-emotional development and the behavioral health factors that can influence learning, attendance, relationships, and school engagement.
• Knowledge of evidence-based counseling practices, trauma-informed care, behavior management strategies, and interventions that support student well-being.
• Ability to collaborate effectively with educators, school administrators, families, and interdisciplinary support teams.
• Strong verbal, written, organizational, and time-management skills.
• Effective clinical judgment, problem-solving, and decision-making abilities.
• Ability to manage competing priorities while maintaining consistent student engagement and timely documentation.
• Flexibility and adaptability in a dynamic school environment.
• Ability to maintain professional boundaries, protect confidential information, and respond appropriately to student and school needs.
• Working knowledge of DSM-5/ICD-10 diagnostic criteria and psychotropic medications, including common side effects.
• Proficiency in electronic clinical documentation systems and related technology.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or higher in social work, counseling, or a related field, consistent with applicable Ohio licensure requirements.
• Current Ohio Licensed Social Worker (LSW) or Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) license required. Independently licensed candidates holding an LISW or LPCC are also eligible, as applicable to the position.
• Two to five years of clinical counseling experience preferred.
• Experience working with children, adolescents, families, or school-based behavioral health programs preferred.
• Ability to practice within the scope of licensure and under required clinical supervision.
• Ability to work collaboratively within a school setting and support the social, emotional, behavioral, and mental health needs of students.

Essential Functions and Physical Demands

The position primarily involves sitting, counseling, documentation, communication, and collaboration with students, families, and school personnel. Duties may include occasional standing, walking throughout school facilities, reaching, handling materials, and driving between school or community locations as assigned.

Some activities may require bending, kneeling, crouching, or other movements. Visual demands include frequent near- and midrange viewing, with regular verbal communication and the ability to interact effectively with students and adults.

Equal Employment Opportunity

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran status, disability, or any other status protected by applicable law.