US School Social Worker Consultant (Short-Term Opportunity)

About IREX: IREX is an independent nonprofit organization dedicated to building a more just, prosperous, and inclusive world by empowering youth, cultivating leaders, strengthening institutions, and extending access to quality education and information. 

Position Summary: IREX is seeking a qualified U.S.-based school counseling professional to develop a motivational interview guide that can be used by guidance counselors and other trained professionals to support students in understanding the ways that social media and news consumption impact their mental health. The motivational interview guide will serve to help school counselors provide 1-1 in-depth support to students who may need specialized assistance in developing skills to recognize and resist manipulative media. The motivational interview guide will be based on IREX’s existing Learn to Discern approach and the corresponding curricula materials created for it. The motivational interview guide should be simple and intuitive for counselors to use, and should use questions to get students thinking about social media consumption. The chosen candidate will also be requested to train IREX staff on use of the final product in schools.

The chosen candidate will have experience working in a U.S.-school counseling context and will be extremely familiar with the current school counseling environment in the U.S. Candidates should also be familiar with the motivational interviewing techniques.

Please note this position is part time and based on needs of the project, with an expected approximate engagement of around 30 days. The chosen consultant will work remotely; no travel will be required or offered.

Summary of Responsibilities:

• Review and become familiar with IREX’s Learn to Discern approach, curriculum, and materials 
• In coordination with program staff, adapt IREX’s Learn to Discern curriculum into a motivational interview guide for guidance counselors in a U.S. middle school context
• Incorporate best practices and contextual nuance into the motivational interview guide to make it as relevant and applicable as possible
• Develop indicators to measure motivational interview guide impact, if appropriate
• Train IREX staff on use of the final interview guide
• Participate in meetings and/or calls with IREX and/or middle school staff as appropriate

Skills and Experience:

• Demonstrated experience (recent or current) providing school guidance counseling services in the U.S.
• Strong familiarity with current standards and best practices for school guidance counselors in the U.S.
• Demonstrated understanding of effective youth learning techniques and best practices
• Familiarity and knowledge of the motivational interview format
• Knowledge of the general media consumption habits of U.S. youth; knowledge and experience working with students to improve media consumption habits preferred
• Previous experience creating school resources preferred
• Excellent English-language communication skills, especially written

To apply: Please upload a CV, cover letter demonstrating previous related experience, list of 3 references, and proposed hourly rate for the work. This position is open until filled.