Middle School Social Worker

Social Worker Role

This position reports to the Pupil Services Division in a midsize urban school district located in the Capital region of Upstate New York. The social worker will work with teachers, parents, and school leaders to develop plans and strategies to improve students' academic performance and social emotional development. Students and their families will be referred to the social worker to deal with problems such as aggressive behavior, bullying, or frequent absences from school. This position requires a high degree of self-awareness, knowledge on the educational impacts of trauma and creativity when it comes to addressing the needs of students.

Social Worker Expectations

• Successful intervention work with high poverty populations;
• Successful intervention work with students with mental health needs;
• Ability to articulate their understanding of and support for high academic expectations; through their work with students and families;
• Able to articulate the barriers and strategies for overcoming those barriers of working with students and families in an urban setting;
• Knowledge of and linkage to community agencies and resources available to families and children;
• Advocates for children and families;
• Skill in collection and analyzing data needed to plan for student centered interventions ability to articulate this to other staff;
• Must be able to implement classroom behavior modification strategies;
• Be the lead in developing and implementing FBA's and BIP's;
• Work with students to build their resiliency and strengthen their assets to enable them to improve their pro-social skills within the school and community;
• Knowledge of Cognitive Behavioral Supports, Culturally Responsive Education Anti-Racist policies and Trauma sensitive practices;
• Support classroom staff with classroom management practices;
• Strengthen the bond between students and school through home visits, resulting in improved attendance.

Social Worker Key Qualities

• Able to be empathetic by caring, understanding, and cultivating an empowering environment for all students;
• Demonstrates patience with serious issues, students and families;
• Able to be dependable in ways that develop trust with students;
• Able to implement an organizational system to support both case management and student needs simultaneously;
• Being able to observe with skill and listen closely;
• Being able to make impartial informed decisions on behalf of students and families;
• Ability to be persistent and resilient when dealing with setbacks;
• Willing to be flexible and multitask as needed on demand;
• Ability to use a culturally responsive approach to develop relationships and execute interventions with fidelity;
• Willingness to learn, in order to be relatable, flexible, personable and adaptable;
• Engages in continuous self-care.

Minimum Qualifications

• LMSW/LCSW;
• School Social Work Certification;
• Graduation from a regionally accredited or New York State registered college or university;
• Experience working in schools and with children preferred.