School Social Worker (Intermediate/Middle School) Job Description

JOB TITLE: School Social Worker

FLSA CLASSIFICATION: Exempt (Professional), salaried employee

WORK DAYS: 246 days per year (does not include paid holidays)

STANDARD HOURS PER DAY: 8 hours per day

SALARY SCHEDULE & BENEFITS: The School Social Worker is a salaried, support staff position and is eligible for benefits on the “Support Staff” benefits schedule. The starting pay for this role is $55,000.

REPORTS TO: Director or Principal of the campus they are assigned to for the school year.

SUPERVISES: School Social Worker has no direct reports.

Generals Summary

The School Social Worker addresses barriers to student learning, including social, emotional and mental health challenges, and provides services at the school-wide, family, small group and individual levels. The School Social Worker will be assigned either an Intermediate (5th or 6th Grade) or Middle (7th or 8th Grade) focus, with the understanding that adjustments may be made by their supervisor to meet the needs of students and families.

Essential Functions

• Utilize student, school and community data to plan, identify and implement evidence-based, culturally competent and measurable social work program goals, small group goals and individual student goals.
• Demonstrate knowledge of laws, rules and policies which impact students, families and the school community creating protections and/or eliminating barriers to successful student outcomes.
• Provide assessment and instruction/intervention services at the school-wide prevention level, at the targeted classroom/small group level and at the individual behavioral/mental health level to address issues that prevent learning readiness.
• Develop and maintain a deep working knowledge of all aspects of Warren’s virtual learning programs.
• Work collaboratively with school professionals, parents and community leaders in a culturally responsive manner to support the optimum learning environment for students.
• Serve as a member of educational multidisciplinary teams with responsibilities that may include the preparation of student and family social and developmental histories, functional behavioral assessments and positive behavioral intervention strategies.
• Provide brief individual and group counseling to students and families who need help with personal concerns or development problems.
• Consult with school staff and parents regarding strategies for helping students cope with personal and social concerns.
• Access and link community resources to students, families and the school in response to identified needs.
• Advocate for student success and engages families and the school community in student achievement. To accomplish this responsibility, home and/or agency visits are required.
• Other duties may be assigned.
  
  

Entry-level Requirements

EDUCATION/TRAINING: Master's degree (MSW) in Social Work.

CERTIFICATES and LICENSES: Must hold an Indiana School Service Personnel license:

• School Social Worker; or,
• Indiana Professional Licensing Agency license: LSW or LCSW.
  
  

EXPERIENCE: Prior experience working as a school social worker is preferred.

OTHER: Ability to perform the essential functions and to fulfill the physical/sensory/environmental requirements of the job (with or without accommodations) is required.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS: The duties and responsibilities of the Social Worker primarily involve talking to, listening to, and interacting with students and families. Physical movement throughout the classroom/school to personally engage students is very important.

This job typically involves some combination of walking, standing and sitting, and may involve some lifting, carrying, pushing and/or pulling of objects and materials of moderate weight (l2-20 pounds). However, this job does not require heavy lifting or other physical abilities often associated with manual labor.

Efficient use of a personal computer is important to the effective accomplishment of these job responsibilities.

SENSORY REQUIREMENTS: The ability to communicate verbally in person is very important. The School Social Worker must excel in written and oral communication with a variety of audiences including district administration and staff as well as students and families. This individual should have the ability to read, analyze and interpret data and write reports. Must be able to effectively present information and respond to questions from groups of teachers, parents, students, administrative personnel and the general public both verbally and written.

ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS: Tasks are regularly performed without significant exposure to adverse environmental conditions, such as dirt, dust, pollen, odors, wetness, humidity, rain, fumes, temperature and noise extremes, machinery, vibrations, electric currents, traffic hazards, animals/wildlife, toxic/poisonous agents, violence, disease, or pathogenic substances.