The Brearley School is a nationally respected learning community of approximately 770 girls in K-12 and 200 faculty and staff members. An independent school that draws students from all five boroughs of New York City and beyond, Brearley is a center of extraordinary intellectual energy and exuberance.
Our mission has long combined outstanding academics with an insistence on a larger purpose: we seek to prepare our students for principled engagement in the world. In pursuit of this goal, we actively strive to build, nurture and sustain a diverse faculty and student body. We are committed to developing antiracist citizens for growth in an antiracist community, and we expect our faculty, staff, students, parents, and trustees to pursue meaningful change through deliberate and measurable actions.
The position of Director of Counseling Services is an integral part of Brearley’s vision for our Student Life program, which seeks to redefine the model of healthy achievement and success. The Director serves as a vital nexus for all activities in support of the social and emotional wellbeing of our girls in Classes K – XII. We are looking for an individual who will embrace an inclusive and culturally sensitive approach to wellness and will help provide the momentum needed to sustain and nurture a healthy, safe, and caring school environment. In partnership with the Head of Upper School Student Life, the Director will work closely with the Lower School Psychologist, the Middle School Counselor, the K-12 Counselor, the Head School Nurse, and the Director of Student Support Learning Services, among others, to promote the health and wellness of our student body. In addition, the Director will provide traditional counseling services as necessary to Upper School students. As a leader in this thread of the School’s work, the Director must be comfortable balancing collaboration with colleagues with work in an entrepreneurial and self-directed manner.
The Director of Counseling Services is a full-time staff position, reporting to the Assistant Head of School for Student Life.
The position’s responsibilities include:
● Provide supervision and oversight of Counseling Services: Middle School Counselor; Lower School Psychologist, and K-12 Counselor ● Supervise all social-emotional wellness programming in K-12, including our sexuality education program ● Collaborate with administrators and health services in the evolution of the sexuality education program.
● Collaborate with Division Heads and Counseling Services to design, implement, and follow up on policies and procedures ● Collaboratively create a strategic plan focused on equitably enhancing mental health policies and systems ● Provide leadership, direction, and coordinate resources during school-related critical situations or emergencies ● Train administrators, faculty, and staff on relevant social and emotional developmental issues ● Provide direct short-term counseling to Upper School students, referral services for families, and consultation to parents, faculty, and staff on an as-needed basis. ● Work with Division Heads and Parent Association leadership to develop parent education programming. ● Provide leadership and support in the areas of diversity, equity, and inclusion
Requirements ● Must be a New York State licensed psychologist and have a minimum of five years of experience post-licensure ● Ph. D. or Psy. D. psychology, counseling psychology, or clinical psychology ● 2-3 years prior experience in a school setting ● Experience providing clinical supervision ● Experience in the design and implementation of a social-emotional curriculum ● Experience dealing with a widely diverse community socio-economically, racially, and culturally, and demonstrated ability to work effectively in multicultural environments to administer culturally competent and developmentally appropriate support ● Experience in providing trauma support, crisis-management skills, and experience facilitating crisis-preparedness training ● Strong writing, verbal, and listening skills ● Exceptional attention to detail and organizational skills
Submitting Your Résumé
Interested candidates may apply for this position by completing an application and uploading a cover letter and resume at https://www.brearley.org/page/about/employment-opportunities.
The Brearley School is an equal employment opportunity employer committed to hiring exceptional, dedicated teachers of diverse backgrounds. We consider qualified individuals for employment with the School regardless of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, disability, or any other state or federally protected classification.