Job Description: Psychological Counselor

Employment…

General Information about Duke TIP Summer Studies

Duke TIP campus-based Summer Studies Programs offer gifted students in grades 7-10 the opportunity to learn highly challenging material at a rate commensurate with their advanced abilities. Students enroll in a single Duke TIP-designed course for three weeks of in-depth study and attend nearly 40 hours of class each week between Monday morning and Saturday afternoon. Summer Studies Programs are offered on several college campuses. These programs provide young scholars the unique opportunity to experience college classroom instruction and residence hall life. Highly qualified Instructor/Teaching Assistant teams teach classes of 15 to 18 students. Outside the classroom, a carefully selected staff of Residential Counselors supervises students during meals, free time, and planned social and recreational activities.

The Psychological Counselor Position

The Psychological Counselor is an integral part of the administrative team with the On-Site Director (OSD), Residence Life Coordinator (RLC), and the Academic Coordinator (AC). The primary responsibility of the Psychological Counselor is to support all residential and academic staff members by providing assistance for students who are experiencing social or emotional difficulties. The Psychological Counselor also assists with students experiencing academic difficulties. The Psychological Counselor assists the On-Site Director with staff orientation and training. He/she will also conduct workshops with students and staff throughout the term on issues such as stress management and conflict resolution. Psychological Counselors maintain high visibility on campus, attending major events, observing classes, participating in staff meetings, and meeting daily with students. Interactions with staff and students take place during meals, free-time, activities, and scheduled office hours. The Psychological Counselor will have approximately 2 days off each week, to be scheduled in conjunction with OSD, but must provide constant (24-hour/7 days a week) availability by pager to respond to crisis situations. The Psychological Counselor reports directly to the Director of Educational Programs at the main Duke TIP office, but should confer regularly with the OSD, RLC, and AC to discuss student and site issues.

Qualifications

A Master’s Degree is required, with graduate work in the field of clinical psychology or counseling experience strongly preferred. Experience with gifted students is helpful. Applicants must possess excellent organizational skills as well as an ability to work cooperatively with others. A genuine interest in the academic, social, and emotional growth of adolescents, a positive and professional attitude, and a willingness to serve as a role model for staff and students are also necessary. There is a driving requirement for certain positions at Duke TIP. Eligible drivers must possess a valid driver’s license, be at least 21 years old, have an approved driving record on file, and be willing to drive Duke TIP vehicles.

Specific Duties

Student Counseling

Provide individual crisis intervention counseling to referred and self-referred students who are experiencing social, emotional, or academic difficulties.
Facilitate group conflict resolution sessions for referred and self-referred students.
Required to conduct in-service workshops for students on topics of stress management, study skills, and career exploration once or twice each term.
Work in concert with the Academic Coordinator to assist and assess students identified by instructors as experiencing social or behavioral difficulties in the classroom.
Work in concert with the Residence Life Coordinator to assist and assess students identified by residential staff as experiencing social or behavioral difficulties in the residential setting.
Maintain an active and engaged presence on the campus through regular participation in students’ dining and social programming activities in order to obtain an accurate assessment of the social and emotional climate on campus.
Provide 24-hour availability for emergency situations through pager.

Referral Services

Refer, as necessary, students with severe difficulties to appropriate therapeutic agencies.
Serve as liaison to Student Health Services for consultation in response to severe student difficulties.
Serve as liaison to parents regarding concerns about students’ emotional and behavioral difficulties such as homesickness, social withdrawal, or aggressive behaviors.
On student arrival days, check in student medications according to the policies outlined in training.

Staff Training and Support

Attend a three-day training session at Duke University, immediately prior to the program.
Assist On-Site Director, Residence Life Coordinator, and Academic Coordinator with the design and implementation of orientation programs for academic and residential staff.
Conduct in-service workshops, as requested, for residential and academic staff on topics such as child abuse, crisis intervention, learning disabilities, medications, and self-destructive behavior prevention.
Provide consultations for approaches to serve the needs of students with emotional, social, or behavioral difficulties. Assist with student meetings as needed.
Meet as needed with On-Site Director, Residence Life Coordinator, and Academic Coordinator and stay in frequent contact with the Coordinator of Educational Programs and Director of Educational Programs to discuss student problems and to make recommendations for advisement and other action leading to desirable outcomes.
Confer with the Director of Educational Programs at least once a week to discuss student issues.
Provide weekly reports by e-mail to Director of Educational Programs.
Provide consultations to On-Site Director and residential staff in cases of crisis assessment and prevention.
Serve as consultant to On-Site Director, Residence Life Coordinator, and Academic Coordinator regarding internal staff conflict resolution, communication skills, and team building.
Serve as psycho-educational consultant to residential, academic, and administrative staff regarding students with behavioral and/or emotional problems.
Attend weekly academic and residential staff meetings on a regular basis.
Provide informal, individual, confidential support to residential and academic staff regarding job-related stress.

General Expectations

Arrive on your contracted start date at the specified time and location.
Perform all contractual duties at the assigned times.
Support the Duke TIP Mission and all administrative decisions.
Abide by all Duke TIP policies and procedures.
Attend all designated orientation sessions and all scheduled meetings during the term.
Residential Staff members, the Residence Life Coordinator, and the On-Site Director are required to live in program-sponsored housing, return to the residence hall by 2:00am, and sleep in assigned room each night. (On off-duty nights, residential staff may sleep off-campus or in the assigned room.)
Instructional Staff, Academic Coordinators, Psychological Counselors, Operations Coordinators, and Office Assistants may choose to live either in program-sponsored housing or off campus; those living on campus are not required to spend every night on campus. However, on each night spent on campus, staff members must return to their residence hall by 2:00am and sleep in assigned room.
Obey all traffic laws, including speed limits and seatbelt regulations, when transporting students or driving Duke TIP vehicles for other business purposes. Duke TIP vehicles may not be used for personal errands.
Refrain from the following strictly prohibited activities:
- Consuming alcoholic beverages in the presence of students or at any time at the program site (including, but not limited to, housing facilities, classrooms, parking lots, athletic fields, etc.) regardless of the distance from Duke TIP's designated area.
- Returning to campus in an inebriated condition.
- Possessing, selling, distributing, or using illegal drugs.
- Inviting guests to visit the residence halls or to stay overnight in residence hall rooms.
- Using tobacco products in the residence hall or in the presence of students.
- Using inappropriate language, including profanity, discriminatory statements, and sexual innuendoes.
Maintain professional relationships with all staff members. Relationships and/or conflicts among staff members should never interfere with the proper performance of duties.
Maintain professional relationships with students at all times.
Enforce all student rules fairly and consistently according to the policies outlined in training.
Abide by all policies set forth by the host institution.
This position requires a full time commitment. Holding other jobs or taking classes during the contracted time period is prohibited.