School Social Worker

Division / Department: CCS School Sites / School BasedEvaluation Instrument: Certified; Non-TKES/LKESPay: CCS Certified Salary SchedulePay Type: Salary/ExemptRetirement: TRSContract Work Year: 10.5 MonthsReports to: Director of Student Services, School Principal

Minimum Qualifications

Education and Experience: Minimum of a Master's degree in Social Work or related field. Preferred: Master's Degree in Social Work and a valid Georgia certificate. Accepted: Qualify for a provisional SSW certificate.

Goal

The School Social Worker collaborates directly with school personnel, families and children in identifying, developing, and implementing intervention strategies to address behavioral, academic, health, economic, attendance, or family issues. Serves as a liaison between schools, home, and community agencies and services.

Representative Duties & Responsibilities

• Acts in a professional manner and maintains a professional attitude towards the public and colleagues; adheres to cultural diversity guidelines and exhibits the fundamentals of good public/customer service.
• Complies with school, system, state and federal regulations and policies, including the Educator Code of Ethics and Social Work Code of Ethics as related to job requirements.
• Maintains confidentiality of sensitive information and material; adheres to chain of command.
• Participates in professional organizations, workshops and staff development activities and applies what is learned to the job.
• Collects data and prepares reports associated with the position as required by local, state, federal agencies, and grants.
• Resolves conflicts which may be created between the student/family and school staff/administration as a democratic institution, especially issues related to foster care and homeless.
• Works with school personnel, families, and children in identifying, developing, and implementing intervention strategies to address behavioral, academic, health, economic, attendance, or family issues.
• Consults and collaborates with other school personnel in developing appropriate case management plans regarding identified at-risk students, including homeless and children in foster care.
• Is involved in ongoing collaboration with other community agencies, such as the Gordon Prevention Initiative, to assist students and their families with identified problems.
• Assists with identification, receives reports of child abuse concerns, and makes necessary referrals to the Department of Family and Children Services.
• Conducts and/or assists with staff development activities related to child mental health issues.
• Assists with the implementation of parent workshops related to the social, emotional well-being of students.
• Advocates with other service providers to identify neighborhood and community issues and gaps in services and attempts to mobilize resources in response to identified student and family needs such as poverty and homelessness.
• Works in collaboration with community agencies and resources to meet the tangible needs of the individual student and his/her family when these are factors in non-attendance and socially dysfunctional families.
• Maintains special knowledge and understanding of social work practices, state laws pertaining to child welfare, and state and local board policies.
• Maintains a professional awareness of regulations regarding child welfare, attendance, and student homelessness by having a working knowledge of state law, board policy, administrative regulations, and attendance through professional training sessions, conferences, and workshops.
• Serves as a liaison between the state department and organized groups within the state for the purpose of interpreting needs, aims, functions, and developments related to attendance, homelessness, foster care, and other social work services to aid in academic success.
• Ability to assist in providing counseling for individuals, small groups, and classrooms.
• Ability to communicate well with school personnel, parents, students and central office staff while complying with the confidentiality requirements in local, state, and federal policies. (Oral and written communication skills)
• Ability to work productively under pressures of time and volume.
• Ability to be regularly, predictably, and reliably at work.
• Constant and consistent ability to supervise students when required.
• Provides comprehensive mentoring, outreach, and supportive services to students in-person and/or virtually.
• Develops and implements individual intervention strategies to increase likelihood students stay in school and graduate.
• Communicate on a regular basis with parents to discuss achievements/ areas of concern for students.
• Schedules parent-teacher conferences as necessary for students.
  
  

Additional Responsibilities For CHS Social Worker

• Works with students to develop a graduation and/or achievement plan.
• Conducts home visits as necessary to check on at-risk students.
• Communicate on a regular basis with academic and CTAE personnel regarding at-risk student progress.
  
  

Additional Responsibilities For Homeless Social Worker

• Provides case management services for identified HCY.
• Consults and collaborates with other school personnel in developing case management plans for identified HCY as appropriate.
• Serves as the main point of contact for schools and outside agencies related to services and educational rights of HCY.
• Maintains special knowledge and understanding of state/federal laws as related to homeless children and youth.
  
  

Additional Responsibilities For Foster Care Point Of Contact

• Serves on the regional FCPOC Committee.
• Serves as the contact person for school and outside agencies related to services and rights related to children in foster care.