Social Worker

PROFESSIONAL – PUPIL PERSONNEL SERVICES

POSITION: Social Worker

QUALIFICATIONS: 1.  Hold an Illinois Professional Educator License with School 

    Social Worker (MSW) endorsement (Type 73).

2. Demonstrate excellence in verbal and written communications.

3. Experience with collaborative groups and processes in a 

    student-centered environment.

REPORTS TO: Director of Pupil Personnel Services/Special Education Services

JOB FUNCTION: The Social Worker is responsible for promoting the physical, mental,

emotional, and social well-being of students.

PERFORMANCE RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Provides direct services to students.
• Conducts social/developmental assessments of students referred for special education, assists in determining eligibility for special education.
• Provides the social developmental study in a case study evaluation or re-evaluation and participates in the identification of those children who require social work intervention.
• Consults and collaborates with staff in gathering and sharing information on a case, and in establishing and planning for the education development of the student.
• Designs and develops appropriate individualized service plans that are based on the IEP and supports the curriculum using diagnostic information from a variety of assessments and assessment processes.
• Counsels with students in areas of personal, social, emotional, and academic development regarding academic achievement.  Peer relationships, behavior, attendance, and motivation.
• Performs counseling and educational casework service with parents as an integral part of the task of helping students.
• Delivers large group (whole group) instruction to general education classes to teach pro-social skills as well as mindfulness/wellness/coping strategies to support life long mental health and wellness.
• Supports students to enhance their personal and social growth while offering opportunities to participate in the planning and direction of their own learning experiences and increase their responsibility for behavior and attitudes.
• Assists families in making appropriate referral contacts with social agencies.  Serves as liaison between home, school, and community agencies in cases requiring multiple interventions.
• Uses available and appropriate resources as a bridge to the instructional program, the home, other services.
• Plans, in collaboration with the educational team, for the prevention and intervention of inappropriate behaviors, while maintaining the dignity of the student.
• Participates with other staff members of the pupil personnel team in screenings, pre-referral conferences, multidisciplinary staffings, and annual reviews.
• Administer psycho educational social skill groups, classroom presentation and meetings on recognized aspects of concern for the students.
• Complete functional behavior evaluation reports on identified students.
• Provides crisis intervention services to children and families in the district.
• Support the district in adhering to school board regulations on truancy and absenteeism.
• Adhere to the values and ethics of the social work profession and use the NASW Standards for School Social Work Services and Code of Ethics as guides in decision-making model professional behaviors that contribute to addressing the needs of students, families, and the school community.
• Maintains case records and files.
• Understands the ADA, IDEA, FERPA, and State mandates regarding student and parent due process.
• Prepare oral and/or written reports relevant to the social work position as requested by the Director of Student Special Services.
• Administer district at-risk programs as they relate to social work to provide safe working and learning conditions, providing for both physical, safety, and environmentally safe conditions to work in and learn.
• Provide parent and staff workshops (Parent University and other sessions) to establish education for Mental Health, Wellness, Social Emotional and Trauma prevention programs.
• Serve on the District-Wide SEL Committee and create, develop, plan, share, and implement SEL activities at the school level.
• Serve on the District-Wide PBIS Committee and create, develop, plan, share, and implement PBIS activities at the school level.
• Work at all Registration Sessions for the district (typically 1-2 weeks prior to the start of the school year) to assist families, check for compliance with ISBE mandates/forms, provide information, record new student transfer-ins (with IEP’s/Related Services/504’s, EL, Mckinney Vento, etc.), and any other function needed.
• Maintain security and confidentiality of records, tests, and other items relating to students and staff.
• Provide home visits to ensure student wellness as deemed necessary by the building Principal,m Director of Student Services, or Superintendent.

• Provides proactive supervision and support during social settings/situations as needed to deter bullying, observe potential areas of concern, to ensure student safety, and to assist in maintaining calm, positive environments (i.e. lunchroom supervision, bus monitor, arrival/dismissal supervision, hallway supervision, recess, crisis/behavioral intervention)
• Follows universal precautions in accordance with OSHA standards.
• Other duties as assigned by the Director of Student Special Services and/or Superintendent.

TERMS OF EMPLOYMENT: 190-day contract-salary with benefits to be established

by the Board of Education.