Urbana School District #116

TITLE: Social Worker

LOCATION: Thomas Paine Elementary School

SUPERVISOR: This position reports directly to the building Principal and the Assistant Superintendent for Special Services.

SUPERVISES: Supervises the work of student social work interns as applicable.

JOB SUMMARY: The Social Worker promotes and enhances the overall academic mission of the Urbana School District #116 by providing services that strengthen home/school/community partnerships and alleviate barriers to learning. The Social Worker contributes to developing a healthy and safe environment by advancing the understanding of the social, emotional, and developmental needs of District students and their families.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS: To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential function satisfactorily.

• Provide assertive outreach and act as a liaison between students, parents, staff, and community agencies.
• Assess students to determine their need for school social work or other services and address the social and emotional needs of students based on assessment.
• Provide crisis intervention to school-age children and their families as appropriate and as requested by administrative personnel assigned to the school.
• Establish and maintain home/school ties for students and work with families concerning home situations related to school performance.
• Participate in Special Education Services evaluations of students, including adaptive behavior assessments and social development studies.
• Provide assistance to teachers or teams in planning to meet the needs of students.
• Participate in efforts to remediate student truancy, delinquency, and behavior problems.
• Maintain records memorializing professional social work services rendered.
• Coordinate student transitions within District programs, schools, services, and communities.
• Maintain communication with appropriate community agencies and aid in finding solutions to community-wide problems that affect students and families.
• Evaluate and refer students and their families to appropriate resources within the school and community.
• Adhere to laws and procedures involving child abuse/neglect and cooperate with community agencies to identify the need for protective services for children.
• Identify and offer in-service training for school personnel and parents to engage in group social work meetings.
• Participate in professional growth activities, including workshops, institutes, seminars, and research projects.
• Participate in local, state, regional, and national professional organizations related to the social work profession.
• Recommend lesson and curriculum modifications to meet the needs of individual students and groups of students.
• Perform any and all additional duties as assigned by the Board of Education, Superintendent of Schools, Building Principals, and/or the Assistant Superintendent for Special Services.

QUALIFICATIONS:

EDUCATION

• Minimum Master’s Degree from an accredited college or university in social work.

EXPERIENCE

• Two years or more of school-based experience is preferred except in the case of a new Social Worker.

LICENSES/CREDENTIALS: Valid Illinois School Social Work Certificate

OTHER SKILLS AND ABILITIES: Ability to communicate and collaborate

START DATE: August 2024

NOTE: This is an exempt position within the collective bargaining unit. It is not an administrative position.

AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER

REVISED: April 2012