2022 Summer Treatment Program (STP) Elementary Counselor

The Center for Children and Families at Florida International University announces Elementary Program Counselor positions for 2022. The Summer Treatment Program (STP) provides services to children with Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Conduct Disorder, Oppositional-Defiant Disorder, learning problems, and related behavior problems. The program provides treatment tailored to children's individual behavioral and learning difficulties.

The dates of employment for the Counselor position are Monday, June 6, 2022 through Saturday, August 13, 2022. Counselor hours of employment are 7:30 AM to 6:30 PM, Monday through Friday.

Counselors will be paid $14/hour, with overtime pay for any hours in excess of 40 per week. Current students also may be able to arrange for academic course credit through their university departments.

Children and counselors are assigned to groups of four or five counselors and 10 to 15 children of similar age. Children participate in a variety of classroom-based and recreational activities. Staff members implement an extensive behavior modification treatment program including feedback and associated consequences for positive and negative behaviors, daily and weekly rewards for appropriate behavior, social praise and attention, appropriate commands, and time-out from positive reinforcement. Counselors also record, track, and enter daily records of children’s behavior and response to the treatment. Counselors will work under the supervision of experienced faculty and staff members.

Counselors deliver the treatment components during daily sports-based recreational periods in which children practice and play soccer, teeball/softball, and basketball. Counselors plan and conduct skill drills to address children’s skill deficits, provide appropriate coaching, assess children’s knowledge of the game rules and procedures, model appropriate sports skills, and encourage and reinforce effort, sportsmanship, leadership, and teamwork. All counselors are required to be familiar with the rules and fundamentals of each sport and will be expected to model appropriate skill and enthusiasm. Counselors also assist with daily social skills training sessions, conduct problem solving discussions, and assist with the implementation of daily report cards and individualized treatment programs. In addition, Counselors lead weekly Fun Friday activities such as video games, water slides, and field day activities that serve as reinforcers for children who met their behavioral goals for the week. Most of the daily activities take place outdoors and counselors are physically active throughout the day. Counselors will be required to transport, setup, and breakdown sports equipment used in games, drills, and recess activities.

Prior to the start of employment, Counselors will be required to read the STP-E program manual and to be familiar with the behavior modification program and rules and procedures for daily activities, including the rules and fundamentals for the sports played in the program. Counselors will be required to memorize information such the operational definitions for the behavior modification system categories, activity rules, rules for classifying behaviors, and other related information. Counselors will need to spend a significant amount of time preparing prior to the start of employment.

During the first two weeks of employment, Counselors will participate in a variety of training activities. Training will consist of lectures, slide and video presentations, testing, and daily active role-plays during which staff members will act as counselors and children during activities such as games, drills, discussions, and time out.

The Center for Children and Families is directed by William E. Pelham, Jr., Ph.D., who is a Distinguished Professor of Psychology and Psychiatry at Florida International University. The STP has been conducted since 1980 and was named as a Model Program for Service Delivery for Child and Family Mental Health by the Section on Clinical Child Psychology and Division of Child, Youth, and Family Services of the American Psychological Association. The STP has also been used in clinical trials conducted under the auspices of the National Institute of Mental Health and SAMHSA and has been named a program of the year by CHADD, the national parent advocacy group for children with ADHD.

Experience in the STP may be helpful to prepare students for further study or employment in the fields of education, mental health, physical education, pediatrics, psychiatry, recreational therapy, behavior analysis, social work, counseling, and related areas. Staff members have uniformly reported the experience to be the most demanding but also the most rewarding clinical experience of their careers.

Desired qualifications for Counselors include: undergraduate-level study in Psychology, Education, Behavior Analysis, Social Work, or related field; and experience working with children or adolescents in settings such as summer camps, after-school programs, sports programs, daycare programs, and educational programs. Previous experience in teaching, refereeing, or coaching children in sports is preferred.

Participation in the STP requires staff members to ensure the safety, well-being and treatment of children and adolescents with mental health, learning, attention and behavior problems. Staff must be able to visually scan the environment, attend to and hear verbal exchanges between children, provide neutral, corrective feedback on children’s misbehavior (which can include aggression), provide a consistent, warm, positive climate for children, and actively engage in sports and physical activity. Applicants must be able to meet the above requirements of the position.

Positions are competitive so interested individuals should apply as soon as possible.

All finalists must clear a Criminal Background Check initiated by the Division of Human Resources at FIU before an offer of employment will be made. All finalists must be digitally fingerprinted and cleared by the Department of Children and Families (DCF).

Temporary Disclosure

As a temporary employee, you will not be eligible to participate in all employee benefit programs (e.g., paid leave, retirement, or tuition reimbursement).

Under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA), a temporary employee who works on average 30 hours or more per week may be eligible to enroll in health care benefits. As a temporary employee, you are also eligible to enroll in supplemental plans (e.g. dental, vision,) which requires full payment on your part.

Equal Opportunity

FIU is a member of the State University System of Florida and an Equal Opportunity, Equal Access, Affirmative Action Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability or protected veteran status.

For a detailed description of the program, and to apply for this position, please visit https://ccf.fiu.edu/summer-programs/summer-treatment-program/index.html

Temporary

Desired qualifications for Counselors include: undergraduate-level study in Psychology, Education, Behavior Analysis, Social Work, or related field; and experience working with children or adolescents in settings such as summer camps, after-school programs, sports programs, daycare programs, and educational programs. Previous experience in teaching, refereeing, or coaching children in sports is preferred.

High school diploma with four (4) years of experience or two (2) years of post-secondary education with one (1) year of experience.

The dates of employment for the Counselor position are Monday, June 6, 2022 through Saturday, August 13, 2022. Counselor hours of employment are 7:30 AM to 6:30 PM, Monday through Friday.

Counselors will be paid $14.00/hour, with overtime pay for any hours in excess of 40 per week. Current students also may be able to arrange for academic course credit through their university departments.

• Criminal Background Check
• Fingerprinting Check
• Clearance by The Department of Children & Families

As a temporary employee, you will not be eligible to participate in all employee benefit programs (e.g., paid leave, retirement, or tuition reimbursement).

Under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA), a temporary employee who works on average 30 hours or more per week may be eligible to enroll in health care benefits. As a temporary employee, you are also eligible to enroll in supplemental plans (e.g. dental, vision,) which requires full payment on your part.

Upon completing an assignment, employees may apply for a position on FIU Careers.

Prospective Employee

If you have not created a registered account, you will be asked to create a username and password for use of the system. It is recommended that you provide an active/valid e-mail account as that will be the main source of communication regarding your status within the process. In this account, you are able to track your applicant status in "My Applications".

To be considered eligible for the position as an internal candidate, departmental staff must meet minimum requirements of the position, be in good performance standing, and have been continuously employed in their present job for at least six months.

Before you begin the process, we recommend that you are prepared to attach electronic copies of your resume, cover letter or any other documents within the application process. It is recommended that you combine your cover letter and resume/curriculum vitae into one attachment. Attached documents should be in Microsoft Word or PDF format. All applicants are required to complete the online application including work history and educational details (if applicable), even when attaching a resume.

• This posting will close at 12:00 am of the close date.