Educators for Quality Alternatives
EQA serves students who have dropped out, been expelled from, or have struggled academically or behaviorally in traditional settings and are looking for an accelerated path to graduation. There are three high school campuses, The NET: Central City which opened in 2011, The NET: Gentilly which opened in 2017, and a third high school campus, NET: East / New Orleans Accelerated High School (NOAH), which opened in 2020 as a merger with ReNEW Accelerated High School. Students at the high schools earn a high school diploma and participate in internships, career counseling, and career training in various fields including construction, medical, and digital media. EQA also serves middle school students through The Bridge Middle School, a therapeutic program for 7th and 8th grade struggling students. For all settings, our goal is that our students leave school with the skills, confidence and experience necessary to succeed in the career and education path of their choice.
Position Summary
EQA Schools seeks a highly skilled counselor to provide individual and group counseling to its students and to provide leadership to the school’s trauma-informed approach.
More than half of EQA School’s students have behavioral struggles. A large percentage of students suffer from PTSD or C-PTSD due to exposure to high levels of neighborhood violence. In a city and state which lack appropriate mental health, crisis, and wrap-around services, EQA Schools believes it has more responsibility than schools normally do for providing high quality mental health services to its students.
This position is designed to join a team consisting of a combination of full and part time individuals such as: school counselors, deans of students, family coordinators, attendance coordinators, psychologists, and Special Education personnel. EQA School’s culture is based on restorative approaches and all staff are selected for and trained in working with students with high levels of need and trauma.
EQA’s Counselors are responsible for:
Assessing student needs
Connecting students to resources
Designing and providing interventions and counseling
Managing crisis prevention and interventions
Training, consulting with, and supporting staff
Maintaining high levels program management and accountability
Serving as a member of the School Based Level Committee
Coordinating wrap around services with community service providers
Supporting drop out intervention programs
Constantly developing your craft
Position Requirements:
Education & Experience
5-10+ years experience effectively counseling adolescents with mental health, behavioral health, and trauma issues
Experience with restorative approaches, SAMSHA’s 6 Principles of Trauma-Informed Approaches, and effective, culturally responsive interventions for adolescents with CPTSD
Experience in schools preferred but not required
LCSW or LPC required; all Louisiana certification/licensure must be in good standing
Skills & Approach
Passion for improving educational opportunities for urban students and for being a part of a strong, mission-driven team
Commitment to EQA’s mission, vision and growth
Demonstrated record of effective collaboration with diverse teams and with building effective partnerships
Excellent communication and interpersonal skills
Careful, detail oriented data/file/information management
Flexible and learning mindset focused on effective and innovative problem solving
Dedicated to continually growing as a professional and as a servant leader
Details
Start date: January 2026
Location: 12000 Hayne
Salary: Commensurate with experience
Benefits: Comprehensive benefits and retirement
Reports to: Principal
