School Social Worker

Professional School Social Worker Job Description

Civitas Education Partners, (CEP) seeks to produce high-performing schools where elite scholarship and transformational experiences create thriving campuses, foster responsive leadership, and serve local and global communities. CEP is a school management organization that operates three campuses of Chicago International Charter School (CICS), CICS Ralph Ellison High School, CICS Northtown Academy High School, and CICS Wrightwood Elementary School. CEP aims to provide its teams and students with an exceptional experience rooted in high expectations for student achievement and civic responsibility.

Reports To: School Principal/Leadership Team Designee

Position Summary: Civitas Education Partners (CEP) is seeking a School Social Worker to strengthen support structures intended to promote access and equity for all students. School Social Workers possess an unwavering belief that all students can succeed on the path of their choice and lead exemplary lives, and ground their work with students and staff in this belief. By anticipating and meeting the social-emotional needs of the school community, School Social Workers ensure that students are ready and available for learning and feel welcome, safe, and encouraged. Further, School Social Workers equip students with effective coping strategies, social-emotional guidance, and the interpersonal skills needed to be successful inside and outside of school. Finally, School Social Workers partner with families, teachers, counselors, administrators, and other stakeholders to promote equity, a positive school environment, and advocacy for students.

The School Social Worker will report to the Principal or designated member of the leadership team, will serve as a member of MTSS/RTI team, and will partner with school and network leadership teams to carry out the responsibilities of the role. The School Social Worker will also work with families.

Duties and Responsibilities:

Provide, evaluate, and recommend related services for diverse learners.

• Participate in special education meetings as well as IEP (Individualized Education Program) meetings to apprise team of student progress, present levels of performance, and continued needs.
• Draft goals for diverse learners receiving or in need of social work services and share goals with Case Manager.
• Prepare written reports as required.
• Maintain accurate and current records of services rendered to students, parent contacts, and coordination of services for students and families.
• Troubleshoot a student's living situation when circumstances affect the child's adjustment and functioning in school and at home.
• Prepare a social or developmental history on a diverse learner.
• Develop and facilitate individual, small group, and family counseling groups, based on identified or expressed need.
• Mobilize family, school, and community resources to enable the child to learn as effectively as possible in the school setting.
• Assist in developing positive behavioral intervention strategies, behavior intervention plans, and other supports needed to promote productivity and prosocial interactions in the school setting.
• Assess students with mental health concerns.
• Obtain and evaluate student data, including test results, personal histories, school records, teachers' reports, parental information, and agency reports.
• Observe and analyze student behavior and administer and evaluate achievement and other types of tests in order to develop student behavioral and educational goals.
• Other duties, as assigned within the parameters of the Collective Bargaining Agreement.

Deliver social work services to students to promote social, emotional, and academic progress and achievement.

• Develop and implement intervention strategies to increase social, emotional, and personal growth.
• Assist with conflict resolution and anger management. Help disciplinary personnel with investigations.
• Help students develop appropriate social interaction skills.
• Train students on harassment, bullying, Title IX policies and protocols, and other guiding principles and regulations critical for student understanding and implementation.
• Assist student in understanding and accepting self and others. Engage in and support anti-racist practices and interactions.
• Provide crisis intervention for individual and small groups of students, coordinating with community agencies, partners, and administrators to address the crisis.
• Act to address emergency mental health situations, contacting the proper agencies and authorities.
• Serve on crisis intervention team and help lead school wide crisis response.
• Identify and report child abuse and neglect.
• Assist students in identifying and solving emotional and social problems, adjusting to school and community life, troubleshooting family relationships, and preparing for appropriate post-secondary training.
• Participate in re-entry processes for students who are returning to school after an extended absence due to discipline, illness, or other circumstance.
• Assist students in evaluating and devising solutions related to their relationships with other students and with teachers and/or administrators.
• Help students predict the consequences of various courses of action open to them; reinforce behavior appropriate to the school environment by utilizing guidance techniques.
• Assist in the planning, development and implementation of programs which include initiating group and individual activities to assist students with social, emotional, and personal growth.
• Plan and execute school wide programming to address or prevent systemic issues affecting the student body and school community or to contribute to a positive school climate.
• Use technology to expand and improve service delivery.

Partner with parents and families to engage them in practices that will support their student's functioning within the school community and connect them to community resources.

• Work with parents/families to facilitate their support in their student's school adjustment.
• Help families develop strategies to alleviate family stress in an effort to enable the student to function more effectively in the school community.
• Develop and maintain a comprehensive, culturally responsive database of community resources and agencies that families and students can access.
• Assist parents in accessing and utilizing school and community resources.
• Provide guidance on alternative placement options for students, when needed.
• Conduct parent meetings on issues/topics that address parent concerns, improve parent skills, or connect parents to critical information needed to support a positive and productive school experience.

Contribute to staff professional development to increase staff capacity to build positive, productive relationships, troubleshoot interpersonal matters, develop new practices, and adhere to mandatory statutes.

• Develop staff in-service training programs.
• Train staff on protocols pertaining to mandated reporting, students living in transitional situations, Title IX, and other state, district, and network requirements.
• Provide staff with essential information to better understand factors (cultural, societal, economic, familial, health, etc.) affecting a student's performance and behavior and help staff devise strategies to prevent or address concerns thoughtfully.
• Assist teachers with behavior management.
• Provide direct support to staff.
• Other duties, as assigned within the framework of the Collective Bargaining Agreement.

Demonstrate a dedication to collaboration, innovation, and flexible approaches to professional practice.

• Participate positively and productively in team, department, school, network, and parent meetings.
• Actively participate in the development and implementation of new social work structures, techniques and approaches to service delivery and program construction.
• Actively participate in discussions and programs to improve student performance, experience, attendance, conduct.
• Consult with teachers about building positive, productive relationships with students.
• Collaborate with the school faculty and administration in revising programs based on current and future needs and programming.
• Engage actively, positively, and productively in the coaching process.
• Accept and apply coaching feedback.

Reflect, support, and promote the mission and vision of the school as well as the principles of D.E.I.

• Demonstrate preparation and skill in working with students from diverse cultural, economic and ability backgrounds.
• Support the creation of inclusive, identity-affirming spaces for students.
• Implement professional practice and responsibilities, demonstrating cultural competence.
• Implement D.E.I principles in interactions with members of the school community.

Qualifying Education/Licensure:

• Bachelor's Degree (Required)
• Master's Degree in Social Work (Required)
• Current Illinois State Board of Education licensure for social workers or current, comparable out-of-state licensure (Required)
• Bilingual Spanish/English; Arabic/English; Urdu/English (Strongly Preferred)

Other Qualifications:

• 1-2 years experience working with students in a school or similar setting (Required)
• Experience in urban high school setting (Strongly Preferred)
• Ability to work with student information databases to record or change information, fulfill compliance mandates, or other tasks as needed.

Knowledge and Experience:

• Substantial knowledge of school social work principles, techniques, and scope and limitation of practice.
• Understanding of the differences between social work and school counseling and ability to operate with that understanding.
• Ability to modify strategies and interventions as necessary to meet student needs.
• Ability to work effectively and professionally with students, parents and/or guardians, staff members, and community representatives.
• Capacity to be flexible in approaches to programming structure and service delivery.
• Fundamental understanding of human development principles as applied to children, adolescents, and families.
• Strong ability to apply contemporary principles and practices to school social work.
• Solid oral and written communication skills.
• Sound and professional judgment.
• Ability to use technology effectively to support and augment social work practice, to complete compliance tasks, and to communicate efficiently with stakeholders.

Compensation: Civitas Education provides a competitive salary and benefits package. We are also committed to supporting professional growth/membership educational organizations that align with our work and demonstrate a transformative impact on participants.