Summer Counselor

Breakthrough Greater Boston (BTGB) is a successful college access and teacher training program. BTGB offers six years of academic enrichment and college preparation to middle school and high school students with high potential but limited opportunities. Simultaneously, BTGB recruits, trains and inspires a diverse cohort of high achieving college students to become the next generation of urban teachers. Using a Students Teaching Students model, BTGB provides engaging, tuition-free academic programming during the summer and after school. Our students gain the skills and motivation to succeed in rigorous high school courses and ultimately in college. Meanwhile, our teachers gain hands-on experience, research-based training and coaching from professional educators. 

 Over the past six years, 97% of our graduating students have matriculated to four-year colleges, and 82% of them have persisted through their undergraduate years. On average, more than 75% of our graduating teachers have gone on to pursue careers in education. After two decades of success at our original Cambridge site, BTGB embarked upon a significant program expansion and opened a second site in Boston in summer 2013 and a third site in Somerville in 2018. 

 SUMMARY 

BTGB is seeking part-time Summer Counselors at each of our campuses: Boston, Cambridge and Somerville. At each campus the Summer Counselor will be responsible for supporting our students’ social-emotional health. The Summer Counselor trains and supports our teachers and professional staff in that effort and reports directly to the Director of Student Services. Breakthrough’s 2021 Summer Program will be fully remote and all responsibilities for the Summer Counselor role will be completed remotely. 

 RESPONSIBILITIES 

Direct Clinical Service and Support 

• Provide individual counseling support to students and Teaching Fellows via doxy.me 
• Support and facilitate social emotional learning groups using curriculum from Harvard’s PEAR Institute 
• Identify and appropriately support student mental health challenges, making outside agency referrals as needed 
• Keep accurate records of individual and small group counseling activity 
• Write a brief end of summer report summarizing your work with each student 
• Work with other professional staff to respond to urgent situations and members to manage mental health crises 

Training and Ongoing Support of Teaching Fellows 

• Lead a pre-summer workshop focused on adolescent development, trauma-informed practices, mandated reporting, and relationship building 
• Provide consultation and coaching regarding strategies and interventions to support students demonstrating disruptive or otherwise challenging behaviors 

QUALIFICATIONS 

• Experience as a counselor with public middle school or high school students in a diverse setting, preferably on a full-time basis for at least two years
• An unwavering commitment to equity, in deepening your personal understanding and in advancing our collective work 
• Experience providing telehealth counseling or mental health support services 
• Excellent interpersonal skills, especially the ability to build relationships and communicate effectively with families 
• Creativity, energy, flexibility, organization and strong work ethic 
• A sense of humor and an authentic appreciation for “middle school humor” 
• Master’s degree required 
• Prior experience with Breakthrough model highly desirable; familiarity with Boston Public Schools, Cambridge Public Schools or Somerville Public Schools a plus 
• Preferred licensures: LICSW, LCSW, LMHC, MSW, PhD 
• Fluency in Haitian Creole, Portuguese or Spanish, a plus 
• Candidates of color and those from low-income backgrounds strongly encouraged to apply 

 Breakthrough Greater Boston encourages individuals of all backgrounds to apply for this position, and we do not discriminate on any basis prohibited by applicable law. We celebrate the diversity of our world and our community, and we seek to build a team that reflects that diversity in every way. We welcome and encourage all qualified applicants who share that same vision, as we wish to engage all those who can contribute to our work and this mission. 

 LOGISTICS 

Programming for all three Breakthrough Greater Boston campuses will be remote this summer. All pre-summer trainings, academic classes, community teambuilding activities, and staff meetings will happen on Zoom and Nearpod.

 The Summer Counselor will be expected to work 8-10 hours per week during the six-week Summer Program (July 5 – August 13). There will be approximately 4-6 hours of prep work prior to the Summer Program and an additional 4-6 hours of work during Evaluation Week (August 16 – August 18). Exact hours will be mutually decided upon by the Summer Counselor and Director of Student Services. A sample schedule is below:

 Monday – Thursday

11:45 – 12:45  SEL skill building groups

12:50 – 1:20 Individual student check-ins

1:30 – 2:00 Teaching Fellow consultations and check-ins 

*Counselors should allow for an additional hour per week outside of program hours for prep work and phone consultations with program staff.

**During teacher orientation weeks (late-June) and evaluation week (mid-August), hours are flexible and will be mutually decided upon by the Summer Counselor and Director of Student Services. 

 COMPENSATION 

The Summer Counselor is a paid position earning $37/hour. 

 APPLICATION PROCESS 

To apply, please email your resume and a cover letter detailing your interest in Breakthrough Greater Boston and relevant skills/experience to jobs@btgbmail.org with the subject line “Summer Counselor.” If you are only interested in applying for one site (Boston, Cambridge or Somerville), please include that in your cover letter. Otherwise, your application will be considered for all sites. We are reviewing applications on a rolling basis and will begin to fill positions immediately, so it is best to submit your application as soon as possible. 

 For more information, please visit www.breakthroughgreaterboston.org. 

 Thank you for your interest in Breakthrough Greater Boston!