Social Worker - Reiche Elementary

TITLE:  Social Worker - Reiche Community School

POSITION OVERVIEW:

Portland Public Schools seeks a talented, dedicated social work provider to join the Student Support Team and support students at Reiche Community School, which serves grades Pre-K through 5th. This position works as part of a team of student support professionals in the building and also collaborates with all district school social work providers in the Portland Public Schools. Social work providers address barriers that impede students' abilities to access their education by evaluating, engaging, and providing direct and indirect services to support social and emotional wellness and academic success. In alignment with the district's Strategic Plan and the Social Work Code of Ethics, Portland Public Schools social work providers provide social emotional support, clinical interventions, and advocacy to students and families to reduce barriers and improve educational outcomes.

Strong candidates will have knowledge and experience integrating trauma-informed and culturally-responsive approaches within a positive behavioral interventions and supports (PBIS) framework, supporting the implementation of social emotional learning (SEL) curricula, and use of evidence-based clinical/counseling interventions for individuals and small groups.

ESSENTIAL RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Participates in school-based teams involving collaboration with other school personnel and community agencies
• Consults and coordinates child welfare and safety referrals and provides follow-up case-management
• Provides crisis intervention and appropriate referrals and follow-up
• Makes referrals to public or private agencies with appropriate follow-up
• Serves as a liaison between school, family and community resources; serves as a source of information regarding community resources
• Collaborates with families to strengthen home-school communication in order to reduce barriers to students and families in participating in the education process
• Applies knowledge of health, mental health, disabilities, and child development across various cultural frameworks in order to ensure that children and families receive the full range of services they need
• Works within school community with attention to equity and cultural humility
• Participates in the individual education plan (IEP), 504, and response-to-intervention (RtI) teams and provides services as determined
• Maintains appropriate school records and provides written reports and communications; participation as a resource person in in-service training and planning

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES:

• Working knowledge of the pertinent standards and regulations in Maine programs, low-income and culturally diverse populations, and trauma-informed practices
• Knowledge of the principles and methods of social work
• Knowledge of positive behavioral interventions and supports (PBIS)
• Ability to collaborate with a diverse social work and teaching staff
• Ability to work collaboratively and effectively with PPS, community agencies, staff and families
• Effective team leadership skills
• Excellent written and oral communication skills, proficient computer skills, and time-management
• Preference shown for candidates with bilingual proficiency in Spanish, French, and/or Portuguese

EDUCATION, TRAINING, AND EXPERIENCE

• Master's degree in social work from an accredited college or university
• Experience in delivery of clinical services to students and families
• Additional combinations of applicable education, training, and experience

PREFERRED QUALIFICATION STANDARDS:

• A valid license issued by the Maine State Board of Social Work Examiners
• NOTE: While a valid license issued by the Maine State Board of Social Work Examiners is preferred, recent graduates of masters programs in social work and individuals seeking licensure are encouraged to apply if they meet minimum qualifications standards

EMPLOYMENT DETAILS:

• Schedule: School Year, Full Time (1.0 FTE)
• Assignment: Permanent
• Overtime: Salaried position, not eligible for overtime
• Contract: Part of PEA union see 2025-2028 CBA here)
• Salary: Based on education and experience, as outlined in CBA
• Benefits: Eligible for benefits as outlined here

ABOUT REICHE: 

Howard C. Reiche Community School, nestled in the urban West End neighborhood of Portland, is ranked the most wonderfully diverse of all elementary schools in Maine, celebrating 16 different home languages and students from 21 different birth countries. Over half our students are multilingual learners, and about a quarter of our students are welcome newcomers, recently arrived in America. Over 83% of our students qualify for free/ reduced lunch and 105 of our students are currently without a fixed residence. We value and nurture our relationships with our amazing, involved families and strive for an inclusive and equitable experience for all. Our dedicated support staff and talented teachers use their impressive skills to provide a quality education for all of our students. Our highly collaborative culture is joyful in the face of our important, challenging work. We have many partners in the West End Arts Community, including the Portland Symphony, Shoestring Theatre, the Portland Museum of Art, and more. We offer Chorus, Band and Strings for older students as well as extra-curricular sports and art classes for all ages. We are sustained by a unique Teacher-Led model that empowers our community of educators with distributed leadership and shared decision making. Every educator is on a committee that makes our school a better place. Get to know us and learn why our motto is: Come Experience the World At Reiche School!

--
Portland Public Schools is committed to maintaining a work and learning environment free from discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, pregnancy, gender, sexual orientation, marital/civil union status, ancestry, place of birth, age, citizenship status, veteran status, political affiliation or disability, as defined and required by state and federal laws.