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U.S. Department of the Interior

School Counselor

📌AZ🕑Full-time

19d

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Duties

As a School Counselor CY-1710-21, your typical work assignments may include the following under supervision:

  • Serving as a school Guidance Counselor, the incumbent works within the general guidance function supplementing and complementing the guidance role of the Administration, Guidance, academic and/or Vocational Staff.
  • Provides individual and group counseling services to students, in the areas of personal, academic and vocational counseling, designed to assist in achieving as acceptable self-concept, self-understand, self-adjustment, self-directiveness and self-discipline; all of which will prepare them to cope with the realities of their environment and life situations in an adequate and self-satisfying manner.
  • Conducts individual and group guidance/orientation services for new and re-entering students to orient them to the advantages, requirements, services and opportunities of the school.
  • Counsels with students on a regular basis regarding careers, educational, social interest and/or other similar matters, helping them to explore alternatives.
  • Conducts and implements the school testing services to meet the needs of the students.
  • Collects, interprets and organizes the program data for appraisal purposes. Prepares case summaries, case histories and case studies for professional use. Provides safeguards for the utilization of confidential student data.
  • Sets up and maintains files and records of individual and group counseling sessions.
  • Utilizes the services of the other disciplines and promotes the interdisciplinary team approach to problem solving. Also uses community and other agency referral services to assist students.
  • As requested, assists dormitory and other school staff in in-service and seminary training sessions. Acts as liaison to community referral sources.
  • Works closely with the academic staff, to follow the academic growth of students; recommend conferences to discuss individual student problems experienced in the academic area with concerned staff members, for the purpose of arriving at solutions to student problems. Serves a team member on IEP and IRG student committees.
  • Counsels with each student based on career surveys of each individual and prepares a class schedule that reflects the career pathway of one career academy.

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Requirements

Conditions of Employment

  • Appointment may be subject to a suitability or fitness determination, as determined by a completed background investigation for Public Trust position.
  • Must be able to obtain and maintain a background clearance.
  • Must be certified by a state's Department of Education.
  • Must obtain and maintain School Counselor Certification.
  • Must obtain and maintain valid state driver's license.

Qualifications

Who May Apply:

  • Applicants with Indian Preference
  • All U.S. Citizens

Qualifications: In order to qualify, you must meet the education and experience requirements contained in the approved job category for P.L. 95-561 described below.

Basic Education Requirement for Pay Level 21-24: Applicants must possess a Masters degree (or higher) in guidance & counseling or counseling psychology or closely related field. Degrees in non-Guidance & Counseling fields must have minimum of 24 hours in guidance & counseling.

Applicants must also have state certification as School Counselor in the state where they will be employed. Emergency and provisional certifications may be accepted under the conditions imposed by the state certification authority.

Applicants who hold State certification in a State other than where the position is located; appointments will include provisional contract to allow incumbents two full contract terms to obtain full State certification.

Pay Level Requirements: To qualify for a pay level, you must have completed the degree requirement and if stated the required semester hours at the next level of education from an accredited university in a Guidance & Counseling.

Pay Level 21 requires a Master's Degree

Pay Level 22 requires a Master's Degree plus 15 graduate semester hours

Pay Level 23 requires a Master's Degree plus 30 graduate semester hours

Pay Level 24 requires a Doctorate Degree

Pay tables for Bureau of Indian Education Title 25 positions can be found at https://www.bie.edu/topic-page/education-pay-table-archives

Basis of Rating: All applicants for this position will be rated based upon the documentation submitted. Applications are evaluated based on extent and quality of their experience, training and/or education as reflected in the assessment questionnaire.

Applicants will be further evaluated according to the degree to which they possess to determine the potential to acquire knowledge, skills, abilities, and personal characteristics as listed below.

The judgment of qualifications will be based on the material submitted; therefore, it is to the applicant's advantage to give complete and thorough responses and to present information in a neat and orderly fashion. Qualifications and Indian preference eligibility will be determined on the basis of information submitted.

Experience is considered for determining appropriate pay setting and refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations. Your resume must clearly describe your relevant experience to be considered.

Education

To meet the education requirements, you must submit a legible copy of transcripts from an accredited institution with your name, school name, credit hours, course level, major(s), and grade-point average or class ranking. Official transcripts are required upon selection.

To meet the education requirements, you must submit a legible copy of transcripts from an accredited institution with your name, school name, credit hours, course level, major(s), and grade-point average or class ranking. Official transcripts are required upon selection. Web print-outs and student advisement copies are NOT acceptable.

Education must have been obtained from an accredited or pre-accredited institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications.

Applicants must NOT submit transcripts directly received from colleges or universities as these digital PDF files are either portfolios or encrypted with restrictive permissions.

USAJOBS portal does convert such files or flatten all pages, it will upload only one page (normally the transcript key only)

OPM has provided steps/job aid for how applicants can validate PDFs. See OPM's updated online resources Applicant Online Help.

BIE HR Office recommends use "Microsoft print to PDF" as new file and upload that "flat" pdf to application submission.

For further information on creditable education visit: Accreditation: Postsecondary Education Institutions | U.S. Department of Education

Foreign Education: If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet the qualification requirements, you must show the education credentials have been evaluated by a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign education programs and such education has been deemed equivalent to that gained in an accredited U.S. education program; or full credit has been given for the courses at a U.S. accredited college or university. For further information, visit: Recognition of Foreign Qualifications | International Affairs Office (ed.gov)

Additional information

  • Multiple positions may be filled from this announcement.
  • All selections under an announcement must be made within 3 months from the issuance date of the certificate referral list
  • A Recruitment Staffing Differential IS offered which is an additional 25% added to the salary of the position. Staffing Differential are paid throughout the contract period. (Available up to 4 contract terms)
  • An additional Staffing Differential for Remote Location (Locality) IS offered which is an additional 25% added to the salary and paid throughout the contract period.
  • A Retention Incentive IS offered for lump sum payment at end of school term. It is calculated at 25%of base pay. (Available up to 4 contract terms)
  • Government quarters ARE available. Employees who have dual occupancy in government quarters for this location are eligible for Housing Stipend of $2,500 at end of each semester.
  • Bureau of Indian Education has determined that the duties of this position ARE NOT suitable for telework under any circumstances.
  • Position is covered by Bargaining Unit/Union - Federation of Indian Service Employees, American Federation of Teachers Local 4521
  • One academic year (equivalent to two academic semesters) probationary period may be required.
  • Travel and Relocation expense will not be paid.
  • FLSA: EXEMPT
  • Tour of Duty: FULL TIME SEASONAL
  • May require overtime work.

DRIVING REQUIREMENT: Incumbent may be required, as an incidental duty, to operate a government-owned or leased motor vehicle, in the performance of duties, therefore, a valid driver's license is required. Incumbent must have a safe driving record within the three-year period immediately preceding submittal of GSA Form 3607 and be able to meet the safe driving requirements of the Bureau of Indian Education.

The Investigative Process for Public Trust Positions: Background investigations for public trust positions are conducted to gather information to determine whether applicants are reliable, trustworthy, of good conduct and character, and loyal to the U.S. The information that provided on the Questionnaire for Public Trust Positions (SF-85P) and the Declaration for Federal Employment (OF 306) may be confirmed during the investigation. The investigation may extend beyond the time covered by this form, when necessary to resolve issues. The applicant's current employer may be contacted as part of the investigation, although the applicant may have previously indicated on applications or other forms that the applicant did not want the current employer to be contacted. If the applicant has a security freeze on their consumer or credit report file, then the agency may not be able to complete the investigation, which can adversely affect the applicant's eligibility for a public trust position or the ability to obtain Federal or contract employment. To avoid such delays, the applicant must request that the consumer reporting agencies lift the freeze in these instances.

In addition to the questions on the SF-85P, inquiry also is made about the applicant's adherence to security requirements, the applicant honesty and integrity, falsification, misrepresentation, and any other behavior, activities, or associations that tend to demonstrate a person is not reliable, trustworthy, or loyal.

After a suitability /fitness determination is made, the applicant may also be subject to continuous vetting which may include periodic reinvestigations to ensure the employee is continuing suitability for employment.

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Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.

How You Will Be Evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

Once the announcement has closed, your resume and supporting documentation will be used to determine if you meet the qualifications listed on this announcement. NO documentation can be submitted AFTER THE CLOSING DATE, applications are evaluated based on documentation submitted by the CLOSING DATE.

If you are minimally qualified, your resume and supporting documentation will be compared to your responses on the assessment questionnaire to determine your level of experience.

If you rate yourself higher than is supported by your application package, your responses may be adjusted and/or you may be excluded from consideration for this position.

If you are found to be among the top qualified candidates, you will be referred to the selecting official for employment consideration.

Your qualifications will be evaluated on the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities and other characteristics):

  • Customer Service (Clerical/Technical)
  • Oral Communication
  • Psychology
  • Statistical Analysis