School Social Worker (25-26 School Year)

About Destine Prep

We are dedicated to creating a welcoming learning environment that offers an enriching and rigorous curriculum to scholars in Schenectady, New York. Our schools provide an extended learning day and school year and enrichment activities in music and the arts to ensure your child receives the high-quality education they deserve.

School Social Worker to provide individual and group counseling for students to support their social, emotional and behavioral needs that interfere with their ability to be successful in school.

• Provide individual and/or group counseling services to students with specific school-based counseling needs to improve their educational adjustment;
• Assist in developing positive behavioral intervention strategies and implement behavioral intervention programs and tiered supports for students;
• Mobilize family, school, and community resources to support each child in their educational program;
• Provide family education and training services;
• Participate in meetings of the Committee on Special Education (CSE) and in the determination of eligibility and recommendations for services for individuals with educational disabilities;
• Complete social history evaluations and updates as needed;
• Provide crisis intervention as needed; when available;
• Engage parents in support of their children’s school adjustment;
• Assist parents in accessing community resources, program and supports for students with special needs;
• Collaborate with school personnel in developing and implementing effective social and behavioral interventions for students;
• Work in tandem with the Culture team to set the tone for student culture;
• Consult and collaborate with social services, mental health agencies and other community providers;
• Participates in the professional community by communicating regularly with administration and staff, assisting with problem-solving around student issues, and maintaining appropriate training and professional development.

Destine Preparatory

• Perform other duties as outlined by School Leadership and Coach.
• Committed to furthering anti-racism, equity, and racial justice in all our efforts, and expect all our stakeholders to participate in this work so that we can create a future without limits for our students together.
• Complies with all charter, federal, state, and local laws and regulations, including the NYS Department of Education, Department of Health, and NYS Office of Children and Family Services.
• Adheres to organization policies and procedures; promotes and supports mission, vision, and values, including developing and participating in internal surveys and data collection for continuous improvement initiatives.

Core Competencies

• Knowledge of various therapeutic techniques (e.g., Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Solution-Focused Therapy);
• Strong skills in crisis intervention and de-escalation techniques;
• Ability to assess students’ mental health and emotional needs and provide appropriate interventions;
• Ability to respond to emergencies and high-stress situations involving students or families;
• Knowledge of referral processes to appropriate mental health professionals when necessary;
• Strong written, interpersonal, and communication skills focusing on student and family satisfaction and ability to work on and communicate with a cross-functional team with multiple stakeholders.
• Adaptability and comfort working in a complex, fast-paced environment that demands continuous learning and improvement.
• Act as a positive role model, effectively manage emotions and demonstrate self awareness and empathy for yourself and others.
• Impeccable organizational and problem-solving skills and a detail-oriented mindset that focuses on driving excellent results.
• Ability to manage and implement change and continuous improvement initiatives with proven creative thinking skills.
• Strong time management skills with the ability to manage multiple tasks simultaneously and meet tight deadlines.
• Help maintain a school-wide culture that best fits the needs of our students, teachers, and families.
• Demonstrated resourcefulness in setting priorities and guiding investment in people and systems.
• Clear understanding that changing behaviors and habits require repetition and practice.
• Exhibit patience and flexibility with others and display high social and emotional intelligence.
• Extremely reflective and understanding of the importance of receiving feedback for ongoing professional growth and development.
• Excellent relationship builder with proven experience building trusting relationships with students, leading change, mobilizing others, and being champions to support the organization’s instructional mission.
• Understanding of handling confidential and sensitive information with extreme discretion..
• Established computer literacy, including but not limited to MS Office Suite and other database systems.
• Demonstrate an understanding that changing behaviors and habits require repetition and practice.
• Aptitude to analyze and use qualitative and quantitative data regularly to drive decision making strong judgment.
• Significantly strong project management skills and an ability to multitask effectively and prioritize work efforts.
• A deep commitment to racial and educational equity; supports building an organization that reflects the community Destine Prep serves; holds self and others on the team accountable for centering equity.
• Displayed passion for and a commitment to the mission and vision for high-quality public education.

Education & Experience

Required:

• Master’s in Social Work (MSW) from an accredited college or university
• Valid NYS Licensed Master Social Worker (LMSW)
• Certifiable as a NYS School Social Worker
• Aptitude to create and work within an inclusive environment that honors and supports a diversity of backgrounds and perspectives.

Preferred:

• Certified as a NYS School Social Worker
• Valid NYS Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) or Licensed Clinical Social Worker with Psycho-Therapy Privileges (LCSW-R)
• Experience as a school social worker, preferably in a charter or public school environment.
• Prior experience working in schools and urban communities.

Physical Requirements

The physical demands described here represent those that an employee must meet to perform the essential functions of this job successfully. Reasonable accommodations may enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions.

• Prolonged periods were spent sitting at a desk and working on a computer.
• Must be able to access and navigate all areas of the school and other facilities as needed.
• Specific vision abilities required by the job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus.
• The employee needs to read, write, and speak English fluently.
• While performing the duties of this job, the employee is required to stand, walk, sit, use fingers to type, handle or feel objects, tools, or controls, reach with hands and arms, climb stairs, balance; stoop/bend and reach, kneel, crouch or crawl; talk, hear.
• Dexterity requires writing and operating standard office machines such as computers, printers, copiers, fax machines, phones, and calculators.
• Ability to occasionally lift and move up to 20 pounds.

Salary and Benefits

Destine Prep offers a competitive salary, comprehensive health benefits, and retirement benefits. Aside from extensive professional development, all of our staff members are equipped with a laptop computer, email, high-speed internet access, and all necessary supplies. ($54,600-$74,600)

Start Date

Summer 2025

Schedule

• Working hours of 7:10am-4:15pm

• After-hours and weekend events will be required and communicated in advance

Benefits:

• Health insurance
• Vision insurance
• Dental insurance
• 401(k) with 3% matching
• Life insurance
• Paid time off
• Professional development assistance
• Supplementary Insurance Offerings through Aflac & MassMutual
• Discount Program through Working Advantage

Job Type: Full-time

Pay: $54,600.00 - $74,600.00 per year

Benefits:

• 401(k) matching
• Dental insurance
• Employee discount
• Health insurance
• Life insurance
• Paid time off
• Professional development assistance
• Vision insurance

Schedule:

• Day shift
• Evenings as needed
• Monday to Friday
• Weekends as needed

Work Location: In person

Salary : $54,600 - $74,600