Alternative High School School Social Worker

Position: Social Worker - Valley Transitional High School - Alternative Reporting to: Principal Contract Terms: 182 or 212 days, 7.5 hours per day, 5 days a week. Number of Openings: 1 full-time position Salary Schedule: Therapy Valley Collaborative is a Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education approved public school entity. Valley also provides Social Security Administration (SSA), Massachusetts Department of Developmental Services (DDS), Massachusetts Commission for the Blind (MCB) and Massachusetts Rehabilitation Commission (MRC) programs for Individuals over the age of 18 with special needs. Valley provides a robust pathway for students to continue their careers beyond high school by providing high quality academic, therapeutic, and vocational services to individuals referred by both local school districts and SSA, DDS, MCB and MRC. We provide programming so Students and Individuals with special needs can reach their educational and/or occupational goals. By sharing its resources with multiple school districts and social service agencies, Valley programs are able to maintain superior quality at reasonable costs to all those it serves while meeting or exceeding state standards. Essential Functions of the Job: This role is responsible to assist with mental health concerns, behavioral concerns, positive behavioral support, academic, and classroom support, consultation with teachers, parents, and administrators, as well as provide individual and group counseling/therapy. Additionally, this essential team member must demonstrate a positive and caring attitude and must remain flexible and adaptable in order to meet department needs. •Attend staff and clinical meetings, educational conferences, and training workshops. •Discuss student's progress with parents or guardians, teachers, administrators, collaterals, and other professionals regarding behavioral, academic, and social-emotional challenges. •Assist in determining priorities for students and their resource needs. • Develop and write student goals and objectives for Individualized Education Program •Prepare students for later educational experiences by encouraging them to explore learning opportunities and to persevere with challenging tasks. •Counsel individuals to help them understand and overcome personal, social, emotional, or behavioral problems affecting their educational progress. •Identify cases of abuse, neglect, family problems, etc. and encourage students and/or parents to seek additional assistance from mental health and social service professionals. •Evaluate students' abilities, interests, and personality characteristics using assessments, records, interviews, or professional sources. •Maintain accurate and complete student records as required by laws, district policies, and administrative regulations. •Provide crisis intervention to students when challenging/crisis situations occur at school. •Prepare reports on students as required by administration. •Facilitate daily individual and community group therapy sessions. •Social skill training related to social pragmatics, self-advocacy, and conflict resolution. •Collaborate with teachers and administrators in the development, evaluation, and revision of Individual Educational Plans and in the preparation of master schedules for curriculum offerings (Anti-Bullying Curriculum/Individual therapy). •Participate in and observe students during classroom instruction and social activities to evaluate students' performance, behavior, social development, and emotional health. •Establish and enforce administration policies and rules governing student behavior. •Participate in clinical case conferences with supervising psychiatrist. •Communicate effectively, in both written and oral fashion. •Demonstrated ability to develop healthy and therapeutic relationships with students in a creative and thoughtful manner. •Trained in or training eligible in SafetyCare. •All duties as determined by the building Principal or designee. •Strong interpersonal skills essential and contributions to team effort by accomplishing related results. •Ability to maintain a high degree of confidentiality. •Licensed by MA Board as LMHC or LICSW (LCSW if in process of obtaining LICSW) •Certification as a School Social Worker/Adjustment Counselor by Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE). •Experience working with students within a special education setting. Valley Collaborative is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Valley Collaborative is committed to maintaining a work and learning environment free from discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, pregnancy, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, marital/civil union status, ancestry, place of birth, age, citizenship status, veteran status, political affiliation, genetic information, disability, limited English speaking ability, or homelessness, as defined by state and federal laws. Additionally, we prohibit retaliation against individuals who oppose such discrimination and harassment or who participate in an equal opportunity investigation.