Counselor Advocate - FT

At Commonpoint, community is at the heart of everything we do. With more than 90 program sites and flagship locations in Little Neck, Bayside, Forest Hills, East Elmhurst, and Jamaica, we proudly serve over 125,000 individuals each year. From early childhood to older adulthood, we support people from all walks of life on their journeys from crisis to stability and empowerment. Our wide range of programs, spanning social services, education, and recreation, reflects our mission to build a more connected, inclusive, and thriving community for all.

The Full-Time Counselor Advocate plays a lead role in supporting the academic, social-emotional, and overall well-being of students while helping coordinate the delivery of student and family support services within the school community. Working within Commonpoint’s holistic, strengths-based, and family-supported approach, this position builds strong relationships with students and families and works collaboratively with school leadership, Commonpoint staff, and community partners to address student needs and promote positive outcomes. Counselor Advocate provides individual and group support, monitors student attendance and progress, facilitates workshops and enrichment activities, conducts student and family outreach, and connects families to appropriate school, agency, and community resources. In addition to direct service responsibilities, the Full-Time Counselor Advocate provides day-to-day guidance and oversight to Part-Time Counselor Advocates, helping to coordinate caseloads, outreach efforts, documentation, student interventions, and program priorities. The role supports consistency and quality across counseling and advocacy services and helps ensure that identified student needs are appropriately followed up on.

The position also serves as a key collaborator between Commonpoint and the school community, working with teachers, school leadership, support staff, mental health professionals, families, and community-based partners to coordinate services, strengthen referrals, and develop collaborative strategies that support student success.

The Full-Time Counselor Advocate participates in interdisciplinary meetings and contributes to a coordinated approach to addressing attendance, academic, behavioral, social-emotional, and family needs.

This role reports directly to the Community School Director.

● Support agency initiatives by carrying out assigned duties accurately and efficiently, while following established processes and contributing to basic data collection, reporting, or documentation as required.

● Use agency resources responsibly by following established procedures, safeguarding equipment and materials, and/or supporting cost-effective operations.

● Work effectively with supervisors, coworkers, and cross-department teams to ensure clear communication, timely task completion, and a positive, respectful work environment.

● Follow all safety protocols, policies, and procedures to maintain a safe work environment for staff, partners, and the public, and promptly report concerns or incidents.

● Supervise & Support: Provide active supervision of students from Kindergarten through Eighth grade, ensuring a safe, inclusive, and engaging program environment

● Program Facilitation: Plan and facilitate engaging educational, recreational, and enrichment activities aligned with the program schedule and site plan.

● Positive Youth Development: Model respectful behavior, reinforce program expectations, and use positive behavior management strategies to support student success.

● Guide Transitions: Safely supervise and support students as they transition between activities, maintaining structure and engagement throughout the program.

● Program Administration: Complete daily attendance and assist with required program documentation accurately and on time.

● Communication & Reporting: Promptly communicate participant concerns, behavioral issues, injuries, or program-related concerns to the Program Director or Assistant Program Director. Assist with completing incident reports and required documentation as needed.

● Maintain Program Spaces: Help organize, prepare, and maintain activity spaces and materials to ensure a safe, clean, and welcoming environment.

● Team Collaboration: Work collaboratively with program staff to ensure consistent implementation of daily programming and operations.

● Embed SEL: Incorporate Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) into daily programming through check-ins, reflection activities, positive behavior modeling, and relationship building. Elevate concerns appropriately and collaborate with supervisors and mental health staff when needed.

● Inclusive Practice: Adapt activities and materials to ensure youth of all abilities, including those with IEPs and disabilities, can participate safely and meaningfully.

● Content Areas: Support programming across focus areas, including SEL, Health & Wellness, and College & Career Readiness, as outlined in the site plan.

● Continuous Improvement: Assist with participant surveys and other program data collection efforts to support continuous quality improvement. Establish rapport with all program participants. Assist them in identifying their educational and behavioral goals and helping them formulate future plans.

● Implement and conduct workshops on life skills and student enrichment.

● Recruit students and conduct intake assessments and interviews.

● Monitor participants' attendance and academic and career progress on assigned caseload.

● Provide interpersonal group and individual counseling.

● Provide necessary referrals to community resources.

● Work in a collaborative team, including participation in staff meetings, contractor meetings, and staff development, to support student progress.

● Monitor and document student progress in various service areas (guidance and counseling, academic support, life skills, and work readiness).

● Conduct daily attendance outreach, including home visits if necessary.

● Provide consistent one-on-one and small-group mentoring to identified students.

● Build positive relationships focused on attendance, academics, social-emotional well-being, and school engagement.

● Monitor student attendance and progress and conduct student/family outreach as needed.

● Identify barriers to success and connect students and families to appropriate resources.

● Collaborate with school staff and the Community School team to coordinate student support.

● Maintain required mentoring documentation and participate in student support meetings.

● Safety & Compliance: Follow Commonpoint and SACC policies related to active supervision, attendance, transitions, participant safety, mandated reporting, behavior management, and incident documentation.

● Professionalism & Confidentiality: Maintain the privacy and confidentiality of participants and families by following agency policies regarding confidentiality, photography, video recordings, personal devices, and social media. Do not take, share, or post program-related photos, videos, or information without agency authorization.

● Program Administration: Complete attendance, communicate participant concerns to supervisors, and assist with incident reports and required documentation.

● Bachelor's Degree in Education, Social Work, Human Services, Child Development, Psychology, Public Administration, Recreation, or a related field required.

● Minimum three (3) years of experience working in youth development or afterschool programming.

● Experience managing staff, compliance, community partnerships, and program operations.

● Strong leadership, organizational, communication, coaching, and problem-solving skills.

● Proficiency with Microsoft Office, Google Workspace, and data management systems.

● Master's Degree preferred.

● Experience implementing inclusive programming and supporting diverse learners.

● Spanish speaking preferred

● Relationship Builder: Develops trusting, supportive relationships with students and families.

● Student-Centered: Prioritizes students’ academic, social-emotional, and behavioral needs.

● Collaborative: Works effectively with school staff, families, community partners, and Commonpoint teams.

● Proactive & Solution-Oriented: Identifies barriers and connects students and families with appropriate supports and resources.

● Dependable & Organized: Manages caseloads, outreach, documentation, and follow-up consistently.

● Adaptable: Responds effectively to changing student, family, and school needs.

● Professional & Confidential: Maintains appropriate boundaries, confidentiality, and professionalism while prioritizing student safety and well-being.

Commonpoint offers competitive base salaries benchmarked against comparable nonprofit organizations in the New York metropolitan area. Salaries are determined based on internal and external equity, as well as each position’s scope, qualifications, and organizational impact. We believe in compensating staff fairly and consistently, ensuring that all salary decisions align with our mission-driven commitment to equity and transparency.

To maintain fairness across the organization, salary offers are set according to established salary bands and are not subject to negotiation. New hires typically start near the beginning of the salary range to allow for growth based on performance, professional development, and tenure.

Our total rewards package reflects our dedication to employee well-being, growth, and recognition. Current benefits include:

● Tiered health, dental, and vision insurance options.

● Pension plan and 403(b) retirement savings opportunities.

● Generous paid time off and family-supportive policies.

● Professional development and education support to foster career growth.

● Recognition and appreciation programs for exemplary performance.

● Employee discounts on programs and services.

● Access to free amenities, including private seasonal pool clubs and fitness facilities at select locations.

● Long-service severance upon retirement.

● Work is performed primarily in a school or office setting, with regular activities conducted in classrooms, gyms, cafeterias, outdoor spaces, and other program environments as needed.

● Position may require exposure to varying environmental conditions, including outdoor weather, loud noise, and other conditions associated with school-age and community-based programming.

● Requires the ability to sit, stand, walk, bend, stoop, reach, and use a computer and other office equipment for extended periods throughout the workday.

● Must be able to lift and carry materials, supplies, and equipment weighing up to 25 pounds, with occasional assistance for heavier items as needed.

● Requires flexibility to work occasional evenings, weekends, and extended hours to support program operations, special events, training, family engagement activities, and agency initiatives.

● Travel between program sites, schools, agency locations, and community events may be required based on program, operational, and funding needs. Temporary reassignment to alternate program sites, including summer program locations, may also be required to support agency operations.

Location: 41-15 104th Street, Corona, NY, 11368

Salary Range: $60,000 - $65,000

Working Schedule: Eg- Mon- Fri, 8am- 5pm depending on programming needs, some flex for weeknights and weekends

How to Apply
Interested candidates are invited to submit their resume and cover letter to Monica Flores at [email protected].and Frances Ramos at [email protected]

Please include the Role “Counselor Advocate - FT” and Site “PS 16” you are applying for in the subject line. Due to the high volume of applications, only qualified candidates will be contacted for further consideration.