Pupil Appraisal Social Worker

Position Description:

• Reporting to the Director of Pupil Appraisal in the Student Support Unit, the Pupil Appraisal Social Worker provides direct services to local schools, focusing on consultation/support of intervention services, evaluations as described by law, and in-services.  The Pupil Appraisal Social Work also assists the Director of Pupil Appraisal in collecting and compiling data as needed for district, state, and federal reports.  

Reports To:

• Director of Pupil Appraisal

Scope of Responsibility:

• Explains and interprets the intervention, referral, screening and evaluation process to parents, teachers, principals and school system personnel.
• Explains and interprets school social work services to parents, teachers principals, and other members of the parish school system.
• Facilitates communication between the home and school, seeking to involve families in the educational process.
• Provides consultation and/or training programs for parents, either on an individual or group basis.
• Serves as a liaison between the school, home and community agencies through reciprocal referral arrangements, collaboration on cases and assistance to families in obtaining and utilizing community resources.
• Functions as pupil appraisal staff member in the conducting of evaluations of referred children when social, emotional, behavioral, developmental, adaptive behavior, and family assessment as determined necessary.
• Administers, interprets, scores and records findings of a variety of assessments/diagnostic instruments/ tests.
• Coordinates individual student evaluations as assigned or designated and submits within specified timelines.
• Communicates and interprets findings and recommendations to parents and appropriate school personnel.
• Acts as a Psycho-Educational Consultant to schools in developing preventive strategies for children needing special services.
• Organizes and conducts in-service training with school personnel.
• Attends and participates in all A/BIT meetings.
• Establishes working relationships with professionals and community agencies.
• Observes students in classrooms or on campus behaviors, consulting with teachers regarding professional recommendations and impressions.
• Consults with teachers, parents and appropriate persons regarding the significance of psychological data to the learning and/or behavioral process.
• Participates in special education eligibility determinations.
• Maintains accurate case records in accordance with the requirements of parish, state and federal laws, regulations and/or policies. 
• Conducts functional behavioral assessments and develops/monitors behavior support/intervention plans for students as needed.
• Performs other duties as assigned by the Director of Pupil Appraisal or the Executive Director of Compliance and Pupil Appraisal.

Skills and Qualifications:

• We seek detail-oriented, independent self-starters who demonstrate an unwavering commitment to raising student achievement and who have a record of high performance in challenging situations.

Successful candidates will also demonstrate:

•  Master’s degree in Social Work from an accredited university/college required.
•  Licensed by the Louisiana Board of Social Work Examiners as a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and certification as a Qualified Social Worker as described in Bulletin 746 of the Louisiana Department of Education.
•  Demonstrated experience in developing/implementing interventions and conducting evaluations.
•  Strong written and oral communication skills in multiple settings and the ability to be an engaging change agent and culture-creator that can inspire and motivate.
•  Exceptional analytical and problem-solving skills, with an ability to use quantitative and qualitative data to make decisions and recommendations.
•  Working knowledge of federal and state laws, policies and regulations relevant to special education.
•  Proficient in Microsoft Word and skilled in Excel and PowerPoint.

Desirable Qualifications:

•  Bilingual

Physical Involvement:

• Sitting is required part of each work day.  
• Must be able to operate office equipment.  
• Standing, walking, reaching, bending, lifting up to 10 pounds is sometimes required.  

Compensation:

• JP Schools offers a competitive salary that is commensurate with experience.  
• JP Schools also offers a competitive benefits package.