About DVFriends

Delaware Valley Friends School is a national leader educating bright students in grades 1-12 with reading, writing, and other related learning differences. The school attracts students from across the Philadelphia area and is in the midst of several years of program expansion and enrollment growth. Students receive a comprehensive, research-based, college preparatory curriculum, individualized instruction, cutting-edge assistive technologies, and successful college placement, with an emphasis on metacognition and self-advocacy within a community based on Quaker values.

About you and the role

As a school counselor at DVFriends, you will join a dynamic team aligned in the goal of helping bright students with learning differences reach their full potential. The lower and middle school counselor partners with the administrative team in overseeing the developmental and emotional health and well-being of students. They are available to provide emotional support, crisis intervention and mental health services to students whose emotions may be impacting their ability to have success in the school setting. The lower and middle school counselor also holds a (create and teach) health and wellness-focused teaching load. The lower and middle school counselor reports to the lower and middle school division directors. 

Here’s what you’ll do:

• Provide short term counseling and crisis interventions to students as needed

• Coordinate programming on substance use and awareness/prevention, sexual health, stress management and overall health and wellness

• Hold a partial health and wellness teaching load

• Serve as a member of Student Support Committee

• Act as the division liaison with students’ outside mental health professionals and refer students who have ongoing emotional issues to qualified psychologists or licensed social workers

• Provide appropriate information to faculty and staff regarding students’ specific emotional needs and mental health, as appropriate

• Serve on the Admissions Committee for Lower and Middle School

• Remain abreast of current laws and ethical standards as they relate to student safety and emotional health

Your Skills

You'll be the right person for this job if:

• You deeply understand students who learn differently and have the ability to support faculty in meeting each student’s needs.

• You love being around lower and middle school aged students.

• You know yourself well, faults and strengths, and approach others with empathy and generosity of spirit.

• You’re good at building trust with external and internal stakeholders and have a strong customer service orientation.

• You are drawn to serving an institution with the mission of Friends education, and previous experience in a Friends school is a plus.

• You have a demonstrated commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice work.

• You hold a master’s degree in school counseling or a related field.

Benefits

You’ll benefit from:

• A competitive salary that is benchmarked against other independent schools in the region

• A robust health insurance plan, including a school contribution that covers the employee cost and a portion of the cost for a partner and dependents.

• Employer match of retirement plan contributions up to 6% of salary.

To Apply

DVFriends has partnered with Applied to ensure an application process that is equitable and free of implicit bias. Review of candidates is rolling, and will continue until the position is filled. Interested candidates are encouraged to complete their applications before that date.

We are an equal opportunity employer

DVFriends is working to create a community that recognizes the strength of diversity and aspires to create an inclusive,  respectful, and just community. We welcome people of any race, religion, color, national or ethnic origin, sexual orientation, sexual identity, gender, gender identity and expression, age, military or veteran status, family structure, marital status, disability, citizenship status, and socioeconomic status to join our community. DV does not discriminate on the basis of these characteristics in our policies or practices.