Student Wellness Specialist needed at ADvTECH

Duties and Responsibilities:

Provision of Student Emotional and Mental Counselling Services

• Provides individual primary counselling to students and explores/determines if the student should be referred for secondary counselling and unpacks their referral options if appropriate.
• Provides students with coping techniques and skills to deal with life challenges.
• Receives the signed consent form from the student prior to the commencement of the first counselling session.
• Establishes trustworthy relationships with students that opens channels for communication between the campus and students.
• Facilitates group counselling for students with similar problems.
• Establishes a referral network for secondary counselling.
• Presents Life Skills workshops addressing relevant social and emotional problems experienced by students.
• Creates awareness campaigns surrounding universal social and emotional issues and sources relevant guest speakers to add value to the campaign and address students on relevant topics

Creation, Rollout and Monitoring of Awareness Campaigns

• In collaboration with the academic, academic operations and student experience teams, sets a bi-annual calendar for the following semester of awareness campaigns to promote and enhance community engagement awareness and involvement.
• Identifies key NGO’s / stakeholders, suggests possible campaigns and plans awareness campaigns accordingly.
• Designs, develops, implements and manages awareness programmes and campaigns and includes and oversees the Cares committee in assisting with marketing and creating awareness for these campaigns.

Planning, Rollout and Monitoring of Community Engagement Programmes

• Facilitates engagements between The IIE’s students, staff and Non Government Organisation (NGO’s) and identifies opportunities for Community Engagements projects.
• In collaboration with the academic, academic operations and student experience teams, sets and plans a bi-annual community engagement and outreach programme calendar of events.
• Markets sustainable community engagement outreach programmes and encourages student participation in these programmes.
• Creates awareness amongst staff and students regarding social and environmental issues.
• Manages logistics and implementation plans for the successful rollout of community outreach programmes.
• Empowers students with a sense of citizenship and encourages students to get involved in activities for community engagement projects in their area (e.g. by donating blood, donation drives and outreach projects).
• Provide volunteer opportunities for students to give back, participate in community outreach programmes and sharing the skills with them to do so.
• Co-ordinates communication and visibility of campaigns (including sharing posters on the WhatsApp community groups).
• Identifies beneficiary organisations with students for community outreach programmes.
• Facilitates, drives and organises the National CSI – KHUMO project on campus. Ensure collaboration with Academics, Academic Operations / Student Experience team and students.
• Identify a KHUMO school in need and determine the school’s needs analysis before the commencement of various projects at a school.
• Establish sustainable and strong relationships with identified school and ensure projects are maintained over a 3 year period.
• Manages the KHUMO budget and keeps track / records of the events / involvement with the KHUMO school and tracks spend allocated and utilised for various projects.
• Bursary and Bursary Management
• Identifies, appoints and manages the Cares committee to ensure involvement and rollout of awareness campaigns and community engagement initiatives and projects on and off campus.
• Conduct mid year reviews with the Cares committee to monitor academic performance and provide feedback on roles and responsibilities. Ensuring Cares committee training and development programmes are curated to ensure upskilling of committee.
• Manages the Student Wellness Specialists budget and augments budgets through fund raising initiatives for community engagement projects.

Student Wellness Administration and Reporting 

• Provides annual registration process support specifically relating to the marketing of the Student Wellness Specialist services.
• Communicates and liaises with students specifically in relation to Student Wellness services available.
• Compiles and submits weekly Student Wellness status and progress reports as well as the weekly Student Activity Report to the Manager: Student Wellness Services including statistics and details of counselling sessions and referrals. (SAR Report and the Cares Updates).
• Markets, uploads and maintains a monthly register of workshops and videos regarding awareness campaigns available and in the designated wellness weeks.
• Ensure all marketing material / posters / infographics / videos are approved and available to students prior to the commencement of the initiatives.
• Compiles and submits the necessary reports to the national office and ADvTECH head office as and when required.
• Ensure effective and efficient service delivery to students by monitoring and communicating with students via the various platforms (Online Booking form, IIE Assist, Email)
• Keeps records of each counselling session and any interventions implemented or recommended and captures notes on the relevant business system (SIS) to track these sessions for reporting purposes and ensure that the maximum number of sessions (6 per student issue) is not exceeded.
• Compiles and reports on monthly Corporate Social Investment (CSI) activities on the CSI Tertiary Hub.

Competencies Required:

• Advanced Communication and Interpersonal skills
• Organisational and Planning skills
• Analytical skills
• Counselling
• Computer skills

Minimum Qualification Requirements:

• Minimum of Postgraduate Diploma / Bachelor Honours Degree (NQF Level 8) in Counselling Psychology or Social Work.
• Ideal qualification Social Worker / Psychologist (NQF Level 9). Legal Requirements – Registered with Social Work Council or Health Professions Council of South Africa as a Registered Counsellor.

Minimum Work Experience Requirements:

• Minimum of 2 years Trauma Counselling and 2 years Community Engagement experience.