School Social Worker @ Riverside Academy West

Global Educational Excellence

www.careers.gee-edu.com

About Us: GEE Academies are welcoming environments that are focused on student achievement and building community. Our faculty receive excellent support through our mentor program and weekly professional development sessions.

FLSA Status: Exempt / Employment Type: Full Time / Reports To: Academy Principal /Benefits: health, dental, vision, supplemental insurance, merit pay bonus and 401k retirement plan.

Purpose: The primary focus of the school social worker is to assist students whose emotional/social problems interfere with their ability to obtain maximum benefit from the educational program. The social worker may also act as a liaison between parents/guardians, school, and public or private agencies responsible for student care and services in order to assist parents in taking advantage of services available in the school and community.

Education & Job Requirements:

• Master’s Degree in School Social Work 
• Minimum of 1-2 years of experience as a school social worker
• Must qualify to obtain a temporary or full approval as a school social worker
• Approval issued through the Office of Special Education.
• Satisfactory criminal background check required

Tasks:

• Conducts social work evaluations with students suspected of having emotional/behavioral problems which may qualify them for special education services.
• Participates in the Multi-Disciplinary Team meeting to review the results of a social work evaluation and makes a recommendation relative to eligibility in the special education category of emotional impairment.
• Participates in the Individual Educational Planning Team (IEPT) meeting to identify the amount of social work support a student may require and develops annual goals/short-term instructional objectives related to the social/emotional needs of an eligible student.
• Provides social work services as described in the IEP related to specific goals and objectives and provides written evaluations on student progress.
• Conducts functional behavior assessments and writes behavior intervention plans in cooperation with IEPT members.
• Provides training for staff and assists staff in carrying out behavior intervention plans.
• Maintains appropriate confidential records for each student served.
• Develops and plans activities with general education and collaborative teachers to facilitate inclusion of special education students with behavior problems in the general education classroom.
• Mentors social workers eligible for temporary approval as a school social worker during their first year of employment.
• Duties related to providing general social work services on a school-wide basis:
• Provides pre-referral consultation to teachers and school leaders regarding students with behavior/adjustment issues and joins the child study team when students with behavior problems are referred for interventions.
• Provides consultation to parents/guardians regarding family and community adjustment and utilization of community resources.
• Assists teachers and provides training related to classroom management skills.

• Serves as a liaison between the school and community service agencies.
• Makes home visits for family consultation and evaluation.
• Assists school teams in developing and carrying out crisis response plans.
• Assists staff and parents in adjusting to crises/trauma.
• Assists the school team in developing and implementing school-wide behavior intervention strategies.

• Provides social skills training as part of school-wide behavior intervention strategies

Physical Requirements:

Employee must be capable of performing physical demands of the job, including but not limited to lifting, bending, stooping, squatting, and standing for long periods of time. Work environment has a raised noise level.

This document is intended to describe the general nature and level of the work performed by those assigned to this position. This is not an exhaustive list of all duties and responsibilities. Administration reserves the right to amend or change responsibilities to meet business and organizational needs as necessary.