Franklin Academy seeks a compassionate, student-centered Counselor to support the social, emotional, and personal growth of neurodivergent adolescents in our community-oriented residential school. This engaging role involves providing individual and small-group support, collaborating closely with academic and residential staff, and guiding students as they develop emotional regulation skills, healthy coping strategies, and greater independence. The Counselor is an active member of daily campus life, offering support both in and out of traditional office settings and participating in residential activities, school programming, and ongoing professional development.

1. Student Counseling & Clinical Support

• Serve as a primary counseling resource for assigned students, providing ongoing therapeutic support.
• Conduct individual counseling sessions tailored to each student’s cognitive, emotional, and developmental profile.
• Design and facilitate group counseling experiences focused on social skills, emotional regulation, executive functioning, and adaptive skills.
• Apply evidence-based techniques to support student growth and well-being.

2. Residential & Community Support

• Provide milieu counseling support in residential and community settings.
• Participate in residential interventions as needed to support students daily living, social integration, and emotional health. 
• Serve in assigned residential coverage duties, including one weekday evening per week and weekend rotations.
• Provide crisis intervention and emotional support during evenings, weekends, and on-call situations.

3. Collaboration & Consultation

• As a member of the Student Life Division, consult regularly with residential and academic staff to support student success and coordinate interventions.
• Participate in multidisciplinary Student Life meetings to review student progress and update support strategies and interventions.
• Coordinate care and maintain communication with outside psychiatric and therapeutic providers.
• Maintain open, consistent communication with parents and caregivers regarding student progress and concerns.

4. Program Development

• Contribute to the student life division through enhancing the vision of the counseling department in alignment with Franklin Academy’s mission.
• Participate in staff training and provide professional support to colleagues when appropriate.

5. Community Engagement & School Service

• Chaperone off-campus trips and school-related travel.
• Serve on Franklin Academy committees as assigned.
• Actively participate in school-wide professional development activities.
• Engage fully in the life of the school community, including residential and extracurricular programming.

About Franklin Academy

Franklin Academy is a coeducational boarding and day school in East Haddam, Connecticut, set on a 75-acre campus along the Connecticut River and bordering the 700-acre Chapman Pond Preserve. Serving neurodivergent students in grades 8 through postgraduate year, Franklin supports intellectually capable learners whose needs around executive functioning, language processing, emotional regulation, and social cognition are not well met in traditional school settings. Our students are curious, motivated, and deeply relational, and they thrive in an environment where educators value flexibility, creativity, and a strengths-based approach to learning. Our faculty and staff are the heart of Franklin Academy. We seek educators and professionals who are eager to work collaboratively in a holistic boarding school environment where academic, residential, and student support programs are intentionally aligned. Franklin is not a traditional boarding school or a single-model program. Instead, we integrate best practices from independent schools, special education, and neurodevelopmental research to prepare students for college and life through explicit skill-building and authentic relationships.... This work is demanding and deeply meaningful, and while it is not the right fit for everyone, those who join our community find purpose, professional growth, and the opportunity to make a lasting impact on students’ lives.

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Connections working at Franklin Academy