Senior Counsellor / Counsellor (BEACON)

About the role

Student wellbeing and support is a top priority and a key foundation for NTU Education 2025. It enables NTU students to thrive and flourish in their educational journey. As a Counsellor in NTU, you will play a crucial role to enable NTU to fulfil its mission for student wellbeing and support. As a team member of the University Counselling Centre, you will provide counselling for undergraduate and graduate students and engage with various internal and external stakeholders to promote a NTU campus community approach to mental health.

BEACON is a satellite counselling service provided by the University Counselling Centre, designed to make professional counselling more accessible and convenient for students. The BEACON Counsellor provides short-term counselling support to students experiencing mild mental health issues, academic stress and interpersonal issues within the assigned colleges and/or schools. This includes provision of clinical services through different modes of counselling, i.e. face-to-face or online, developing strategies, planning and implementing counselling-related programmes, including referrals to relevant agencies.

The Senior Counsellor / Counsellor will conduct practice-based research and facilitates outreach, trainings and programmes for the NTU community. A proactive, resourceful and compassionate professional, the BEACON Counsellor works under supervision as part of a collaborative team.

The key responsibilities include:

Counselling assessments and interventions

• Provide short-term professional counselling services, including conducting risk and need assessments and delivering intervention plans over a variety of modes and approaches such as in person or online, within the assigned colleges and/or schools

• Facilitate case formulation, including preparation of assessment reports, delivery of case presentations, and referrals to relevant organisations within social services ecosystem

• Provide guidance to less experienced BEACON counsellors in challenging cases in alignment with protocol for escalation of emergency cases

• Escalate and co-lead sensitive crisis cases with more experienced mental health practitioners

• Provide consultation to staff on concerns they have regarding students at-risk

• Identify gaps in counselling tools and frameworks for local contexts and propose recommendations for greater cultural contextualisation to supervisors

• Provide inputs for improvements in counselling programmes and services

• Design, develop and/or facilitate wellbeing training initiatives and wellbeing portfolio / project annually

Maintain professional, legal and ethical standards

• Adhere to professional standards in clinical, legal and ethical practices, ensuring client consent and confidentiality and proper data privacy protocol in counselling

• Monitor staff adherence to professional standards in clinical, legal and ethical practices and assist in the development of clear data privacy protocol

• Assist in development of quality improvement projects to improve client care and services

• Document and maintain proper clinical records in accordance with policies and procedures of the University Counselling Centre.

• Use data-driven insights to identify gaps and drive improvements to counselling in line with the organisation's strategic direction

• Demonstrate expertise in counselling, pursuing additional trainings in specialised areas and developing a professional point of view

Community approach to case intervention

• Work collaboratively with and make recommendations to schools, student service offices, Halls of Residence, Support and Care Team, etc. to facilitate a campus community approach towards managing students with mild to moderate mental health issues

• Work in inter-disciplinary teams (e.g. Educational/Clinical/ Counselling Psychologist, Counsellor) to provide evidence-based psychotherapeutic interventions/treatment to students with mild to moderate mental health issues and/or co-morbid issues (e.g. Special Education Needs and mental health issues)

• Leads NTU community, i.e. colleges and schools, outreach initiatives

• Liaise with other professionals (e.g. psychiatrists, doctors) and Social Service Agencies to mobilise community resources to provide care and support for the students

• Refer and/or recommend external service interventions (e.g. family therapy) as part of the student’s overall treatment plan

Administrative support in University Counselling Centre (UCC)

• Support the daily operations of UCC, ensuring efficient and effective functioning

• Engage in data analysis and collation

• Perform additional duties as assigned by Head, UCC or Director, UWO

The requirements include:

• Master’s degree in counselling

• Clinical member and registered counsellor with the Singapore Association for Counselling (SAC)

• At least five (5) years of professional counselling experience

• Proficiency in professional counselling approaches and tools to help clients with diverse issues and conditions

• Experience in working with young adults, preferably in an educational setting

• Experience in working in a multi-disciplinary team is advantageous

• Strong attention to detail and commitment to maintaining accuracy in all operational aspects

• Strong organisational and multitasking skills, with the ability to prioritise and manage multiple tasks and responsibilities

• Possess professional values that are in line with the Code of Ethics of SAC

• Possess good interpersonal and communication skills

• Proficiency in IT skills (e.g. Microsoft 365, use of Apps, appointment booking systems, case management systems)

• A good team player who is able to work independently