SCHOOL SOCIAL WORKER/COMMUNITY SCHOOL ENGAGEMENT SPECIALIST

Location

Jackson, MI | United States

Job description

To Apply: You should go to our website, to complete an online application.

Summary: Provides social work services for students and parents. Serves as part of a multidisciplinary team to seek out, screen and assess, coordinate, connect and navigate all students and families to supports and resources. Develops partnerships both within the school and community and ensures that students and families receive access to human services, health care, social service, and mental health supports in order to meet needs and support student achievement.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities: An employee in this position may be called upon to do any or all of the following. (Does not include all tasks an employee may be expected to perform; other duties may be assigned.)

1. Serve as initial point of contact for students and families in order to access services
2. Identify problems and situations interfering with ability of children to make optimal use of the educational experience
3. Advocate for appropriate access to human services, behavioral health services and medical health services and social supports
4. Serve as liaison between school, home and community service providers
5. Screen, assess, refer, connect and support students and families in navigating systems and services
6. Screen students for social emotional health using identified screening tools
7. Navigate students and families through system processes and protocol (i.e. education, mental health, social services, human services, healthcare)
8. Develop partnerships with, and coordinate, community resources and supports, within and outside the school system for use by students, families and school personnel
9. Promote and foster communication between all parties, to include: building/district staff, students, families, human services, behavioral health, medical health, social services and other community partners
10. Develop and implement student and family engagement strategies in order to build relationships, promote positive school culture/climate, raise awareness of Whole Child needs, connect families to supports and educate on available resources and supports available within the school and community
11. Assist in implementation of building Student Study Teams to assess needs of identified students, determine strategies to meet need, monitor progress and evaluate outcomes
12. Support implementation of MTSS tiered interventions along with positive behaviors supports and integration of additional support services
13. Serve as a member of diagnostic team and educational planning and placement committees and provide biological, psychological and sociological assessment information related to referred students
14. Provide comprehensive diagnostic evaluations of students suspected of being emotionally impaired and/or having autism spectrum disorder and collaborate with educational planning and placement committee in the determination of eligibility
15. Coordinate and support provision of professional learning for district/building staff around non academic indicators (i.e. trauma informed classrooms, Youth Mental Health First Aid)
16. Meet on a regular basis with school principal and other building/district leadership to review needed supports/services and address issues impacting student achievement
17. Consult with building/district staff on classroom and/or building strategies to meet student need
18. Participate in School Improvement planning process (especially related to Whole Child/organizational goals and strategies), as requested
19. Coordinate implementation, analysis, and use of needs assessment efforts to drive decision making around needed services and supports
20. Assist building/district staff in collection, reporting and use of pertinent data
21. Document student progress, write regular progress reports and complete all required paperwork in a timely manner
22. Attend required meetings
23. May serve on teams or committees.
24. May make home visits for the purpose of gathering helpful information on student or family, if appropriate for assignment
25. Regular and predictable in-person attendance is required for this position.
26. Other duties as assigned

Education and/or Experience: Master's degree in social work required. Candidates with experience in a school setting will be preferred.

Certificates, Licenses, Registration: Temporary or full approval as a school social worker in the State of Michigan. Current Michigan license as master's level social worker. Valid Michigan driver's license and good driving record (6 points or fewer).

Language Skills: Ability to read, analyze, and interpret general business periodicals, professional journals, technical procedures, or governmental regulations. Ability to write reports, business correspondence, and procedure manuals. Ability to effectively present information and respond to questions from groups of managers, clients, customers, and the general public.

Mathematical Skills: Ability to work with mathematical concepts such as probability and statistical inference, and fundamentals of plane and solid geometry and trigonometry. Ability to apply concepts such as fractions, percentages, ratios, and proportions to practical situations.

Reasoning Ability: Ability to define problems, collect data, establish facts, and draw valid conclusions. Ability to interpret an extensive variety of technical instructions in mathematical or diagram form and deal with several abstract and concrete variables.

Other Skills and Abilities:

• Ability to work with school, human service, behavioral health, and medical health personnel
• Ability to understand and work effectively within the dynamics of various agencies, schools, and others
• Knowledge of child development, behavioral health, and medical health assessment
• Extensive knowledge of community resources
• Able to work with a diverse group of people. Possess and demonstrate an understanding of various cultural and socioeconomic characteristics
• Strong relationship, collaborative, problem-solving, and organization skills
• Positive and can-do attitude that can tolerate a high frustration level
• Excellent communication skills (verbal, non-verbal, and written)
• Knowledge of basic computing platforms (Word, PowerPoint, Excel, Internet, and Google)
• Ability to be responsible for the safety and well-being of students

Physical Demands: The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to sit, talk and hear. Employee regularly performs duties using a personal computer, and a variety of files, forms, and documents and must be able to use hands, fingers, and arms in a manner that allows the individual to type, use a computer mouse, hold individual sheets of paper and sort materials. Employee must transport self in a motor vehicle to other work sites. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision and the ability to adjust focus. The employee may occasionally be required to life, push or pull up to 25 pounds, such as moving student equipment and wheelchairs.

Work Environment: The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

The noise level in the work environment is usually quiet to moderate. Most work is performed in a school or office environment, but the employee will also perform work in private homes.

Employment Date, Salary, and Fringe Benefits: Anticipated employment date is as soon as possible. Placement on the Special Education Certified Salary Schedule will depend on education, qualifications and experience. New employee starting salary range is $54,393 - $101,198. Paid health, dental, vision, life and long-term disability insurances, sick and personal business days.

Contact: Interested parties should go to our website, to complete an online application.

APPLICATIONS ACCEPTED UNTIL FEBRUARY 16, 2024 OR UNTIL FILLED

The information contained in this job description is for compliance with the American with Disabilities Act (A.D.A.) and is not an exhaustive list of the duties performed for this position. Additional duties are performed by the individuals currently holding this position and additional duties may be assigned.

Job tags

Salary

$54.39k - $101.2k