School-Based Social Worker, Gr. 9-12 (Anticipated Vacancy) (SY26-27)

Job Details

Job ID: 5732366

Job Description

This position is an anticipated vacancy. It is expected to be vacant. However, the current incumbent has a right to rescind their retirement, leave, or resignation up until the day of the expected vacancy date. Your hire will not be confirmed until the position is vacated, and you may start the year as a Long-Term Substitute if the position does not become vacant by the start of the school year.

To be considered for this position, candidates must apply to the Social Worker [Candidate Pool Posting] (SY26-27) ( and be screened through the Central Office screening process.

Background and Overview

The Boston Public Schools is committed to providing every child in every classroom an equitable, world-class, high-quality education with the same unfettered access to every conceivable resource to unlock the greatness within them. As part of an equitable Multi-tiered System of Supports that advances students’ learning and outcomes, The Office of Social Work serves BPS students and families by supporting school-based Social Workers across the district with providing high-quality, culturally responsive direct services.

The Office of Social Work supports social workers with consultation, professional development, and crisis response. Through a regional support model, all school-based social workers receive support from a District Social Worker in addition to the Program Director of Social Work. The Office of Social Work aims to provide high-quality culturally and linguistically relevant mental health support in all BPS schools.

The Edward M. Kennedy Academy for Health Careers (EMK) seeks an exceptional Social Worker who is highly qualified and knowledgeable to join our community of teachers, learners, and leaders. Kennedy Academy teachers and leaders are committed to the vision of high expectations for achievement, equal access to high-quality instruction, academic proficiency for all students, and the closing of the achievement gap among subgroups within the schools.

Kennedy Academy is a Horace Mann In-District Charter High School. It is a college-preparatory and vocational high school for Boston students exploring careers in health and health-related fields. The Academy provides a supportive learning environment that promotes respect and embraces diversity. Students will attain the life skills needed to become productive and positive members of society. Kennedy Academy is a great place for those who seek to work in an environment that supports their creativity and innovation and respects their skills and abilities as educators.

In addition, over the next five years, Kennedy Academy will double in size, add new health-care pathways, college courses, and work-based learning, and offer graduates access to good-paying careers at Mass General Brigham thanks to a $38 million grant from Bloomberg Philanthropies, which marks the largest philanthropic investment in BPS history.

REPORTS TO: Head of School

Position Summary and General Responsibilities:

Kennedy Academy School-Based Social Worker will support the implementation of a variety of behavioral health supports, including trauma response and recovery, healing, and resiliency-focused school social work services. The Social Worker will support students and families in creating conditions that enable students to achieve their full potential academically, socially, and emotionally. BPS Office of Social Work supports school-based social workers with consultation, professional development, and crisis response.

Kennedy Academy Social Worker, in partnership with the other BPS providers and outside mental health partners, will support school communities by supporting the following:

• individual and group counseling and assessments

• crisis intervention and response

• managing a caseload, coordinating referrals to external agencies and programs in

• partnership with students and families

Through a lead role in the Student Success Team (SST) and other leadership bodies within the school, and working in close collaboration with other school-based teams, Social Workers:

• Facilitate or collaborate, as needed, with School Leaders, colleagues, and other stakeholders in the collection and monitoring of data to identify trends with a close eye on conditions, policies, and practices that may be creating or exacerbating issues that lead to the need for counseling and Tier 2/3 support.

• Utilize district-wide SST guidance implementation tools and support to actively assess Student Success Team practices.

• Continuously work to develop their own racial/cultural awareness alongside their colleagues (CLSP Competency 1) and authentic relationships that allow for cultural learning and understanding with students and families (CLSP Competency 2) in order to do this work well.

The Social Worker will attend professional development and receive coaching and feedback from the team of District Social Workers, the Program Director of Social Work, and the Director of Student Support to ensure continuous improvement in service delivery and compliance with district protocols, policies, and professional standards of practice.

Reports to: School Leader (with secondary evaluation from the Program Director of Social Work)

Student Success Team Responsibilities

• Coordinate and/or actively participate in the Student Success Team.

• Collaborate with School Leadership to establish sustainable structures and partnerships

• and ensure the voices of students and families are elevated in co-constructing solutions to issues.

• As a valued member of the Student Success team, the social worker will support the design of tiered interventions that support the implementation of an equitable Multi-Tiered System of Support.

• Support the collection of progress monitoring data within the Panorama platform in collaboration with other staff to ensure that intervention, support, and services lead to the desired outcome(s) for participating students.

• Model and promote authentic relationship-building and collaboration with students, families, school community, and partnering agencies.

• In partnership with the Student Success Team, the School-Based Social Worker will establish & monitor a Multi-tiered System of Support (MTSS): Tier 1, 2 & Tier 3 classroom and student-level interventions in a manner that does not pathologize students.

• Social Workers will collaborate with the SST members to ensure students elevated to the student success team have a plan, progress monitoring, and assessment of the interventions

• Communicate goals and activities of the student support program to students, staff, and the larger community.

Professional Learning

• Attend monthly professional development provided by the Office of Social Work. The topics will focus on department policies and practices as well as evidence-based mental health practices, community partners, mental health, SEL, Trauma-informed practices, and healing practices.

• The social worker may be required to attend professional Development for up to 9 of the 18 contractually required PD hours to focus on mental health-specific topics offered by the Office of Social Work. The social worker’s school-based hours shall be determined by their direct supervisor.

Direct Service

• Provide individual and/or group counseling, including IEP and non-IEP services. A maximum of 10 individual sessions with students with IEPs per week is recommended. As needed/ if applicable, serve as a member of the IEP/504 Team for assigned students.

• Provide Tier 2/3 interventions such as check-in/check-out, suicide, and threat risk Assessments. Conduct sociological assessments when requested as part of the Special Education eligibility process, and upload them to Edplan in a timely manner. This may include home visits.

• Support individual and whole-school crisis intervention, in collaboration with the BPS district-wide Crisis Team as needed. This includes supporting Suicide Risk Assessments and Threat Assessments (with the school crisis team).

• Consult around school and classroom climate strategies that support social-emotional development and promote active student engagement in learning.

• Match students with appropriate services that align with students' and families' expressed needs and aspirations, which may include referrals to external agencies; monitor their progress and coordinate follow-up services for each student, serving as a case manager.

• Track and maintain data on mental health partners and the services they provide.

• Maintain and provide student data and written reports as needed, including timely completion of monthly reports for the Office of Social Work.

• Performs other related duties as assigned by the School Leader or Program Director of Social Work.

CORE COMPETENCIES: Using the Rubric of Effective Teaching, the Office of Human Resources has identified priority skills and abilities that all BPS teachers should possess:

Accountability for Student Achievement

(II-A-1 Quality of Effort and Work, II-D-2 High Expectations, I B-2 Adjustments to Practice)

• Sets ambitious learning goals for all students, uses instructional and clinical practices that reflect high expectations for students and student work, and engages all students in learning.

• Consistently defines high expectations for student learning goals and behavior.

• Assesses student learning regularly using a variety of assessments to measure growth and understanding.

• Effectively analyzes assessment data, draws conclusions, and shares them appropriately.

Communicating Professional Knowledge

(I-A-1 Professional Knowledge, I-A-2 Child Adolescent Development, I-A-3 Plan Development)

• Exhibits strong knowledge of child development and how students learn and behave, and designs effective and rigorous plans for support with measurable outcomes.

• Demonstrates knowledge of students’ developmental levels by providing differentiated learning experiences and support that enable all students to progress toward intended outcomes.

Equitable & Effective Instruction

(II-A-3 Meeting Diverse Needs, II-A-2. Student Engagement, II-B-1. Safe Learning Environment,

II-B-2 Collaborative Learning Environment, I-D-3 Access to Knowledge)

• Builds a productive learning environment where every student participates and is valued as part of the class community.

• Uses instructional and clinical practices that are likely to challenge, motivate, and engage all students and facilitate active participation.

• Consistently adapts instruction, services, plans, and assessments to make curriculum/supports accessible to all students.

Cultural Proficiency

(II-C-1. Respects Differences, II-C-2. Maintains a Respectful Environment)

• Actively creates and maintains an environment that respects students’ diverse backgrounds, identities, strengths, and challenges.

Parent/Family Engagement

(III-A-1. Parent/Family Engagement, III-B-2. Collaboration)

• Engages with families and builds collaborative, respectful relationships with them in the service of student learning.

• Deep knowledge and understanding of and demonstrated ability to connect with the racial/cultural/ethnic background of students and families served.

• Consistently provides parents with clear expectations for student learning behavior and/or wellness and shares strategies to promote learning and development at school and home.

Professional Reflection & Collaboration

(IV-A-1. Reflective Practice, IV-C-1. Professional Collaboration, IV-C-2. Consultation)

• Regularly reflect on practice, seek and respond to feedback, and demonstrate self-awareness and commitment to continuous learning and development.

• Consistently collaborates with colleagues through shared planning and/or informal conversation to analyze student performance and development and plan appropriate classroom or school interventions.

• Regularly provides advice and expertise to general education teachers and the school community to support the creation of appropriate and effective academic, behavioral, and social/emotional learning experiences for students.

Qualifications - Required:

• Education: Master of Social Work (MSW) or Master of Mental Health Counseling

• MA DESE School Social Worker/School Adjustment Counselor License (All Levels)

• Licensed Certified Social Worker (LCSW), Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker (LICSW) or Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC) at the time of hire or if hired with a Master’s of Social Worker (MSW) must obtain a LCSW by the last day of school in the year of hire.

• Minimum of 3 years of effective professional experience in an urban setting similar to Boston Public Schools providing clinical services.

• Ability to meet the BPS Standards of Effective Practice as outlined above.

• Strong interpersonal skills to work with school, students, parents, and community-based agencies.

• Demonstrates understanding of racial equity and ability to engage in dialogue about race, intersectionality, and systems of oppression

• Demonstrates a deep sense of cultural humility and self-awareness.

• Current authorization to work in the United States - Candidates must have such authorization by their first day of employment.

Qualifications - Preferred:

• Prior work as a school-based social worker

• Knowledge of Special Education policies and procedures

• Certification as a trainer in the Safety Cares de-escalation and restraint program.

• BPS values linguistic diversity and believes that candidates who speak another language bring added value to the classroom, school, and district culture and diversity. BPS is particularly interested in candidates fluent in one of BPS's official languages: Spanish, Creole (Cape Verdean), Creole (Haitian), Chinese, Vietnamese, Portuguese, & Somali.

Terms: BTU Group 1

Please refer to the BPS website ( for more information on salary and compensation. Salaries are listed by Unions and Grade/Step.

The start and end times of BPS schools vary, as do the lengths of the school day. EMK has a longer school day through the "Schedule A" Expanded Learning Time (ELT) Agreement. The employee will be required to adhere to the work conditions, including calendar, schedule, and flexibility established by the School. Common planning time, program, department and committee meetings, and professional development occur on Wednesdays, generally between 2pm- 4pm.

The Boston Public Schools, in accordance with its nondiscrimination policies, does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, age, criminal record, physical or mental disability, pregnancy or pregnancy-related conditions, homelessness, sex/gender, gender identity, religion, national origin, ancestry, sexual orientation, genetics, natural or protective hairstyle, military status, immigration status, English language proficiency, or any other factor prohibited by law in its programs and activities. BPS does not tolerate any form of retaliation, or bias-based intimidation, threat or harassment that demeans individuals’ dignity or interferes with their ability to work or learn. If you require an accommodation pursuant to the ADA for the application process, please contact the Accommodations Unit at View email address on click.appcast.io .

Position Type: In-District Charter

Job Categories:

Student Services, Social Worker

Job Requirements

At least 3 year(s) of relevant experience preferred.

Master degree preferred.

Citizenship, residency or work visa required

Contact Information

Boston Public Schools, Office of Human Resources

2300 Washington Street

Roxbury, Massachusetts 02119

Email: View email address on click.appcast.io