High School Social Worker

Social Worker

The Republic R-III School District has designated a need for a district social worker to provide support, education, resources and mental health services for at-risk students. The social worker will also consult and work with families as well as school staff.

Qualifications

Bachelor's degree in Social Work required; Master's degree in Social Work preferred or Master's Degree in a related field with LCSW and School Social Work experience.

Duties

The duties of the social worker will include, but not be limited to the following:

• Assess student and family needs for the purpose of developing and implementing individualized plans of services to support educational objectives.
• Consult with parents, classroom teachers, nurses, counselors, administrators, other school staff and outside agencies.
• Encourage and assist families in their pursuit of community services that may assist in the removal of barriers.
• Provide staff support and education in the area of childhood mental health and human behavior.
• Provide individual, group and family therapy, based on need, maintaining a full caseload, based on mental health standards and ethics.
• Serve on a school team as liaison between home and school.
• Participate in meetings as necessary (staffings, trainings, IEPs, community forums, etc.).
• Enhance awareness of behavioral and mental health needs, services; and to promote community understanding of mental health and to enhance community response to mental health problems.
• Assist district in preventing student dropout, and improving attendance.
• Maintain data on students served.
• Be familiar with disciplinary guidelines, and at risk student characteristics/ needs, collaborating agency referral guidelines.
• Be familiar with special education regulatory requirements and assistance with process, as appropriate.
• Assist in coordinating workshops for parents and/or students for the purpose of assisting parents in family needs, building a working relationship with the school district and supporting the child's educational program.
• Foster effective communication with students, parents, and other staff members.
• Possess effective organizational and time management skills.
• Perform any other duties as assigned by the supervising staff.
• Performs essential functions.

Physical Requirements

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job:

• The employee will have to work inside classroom/school settings, outdoors in a variety of settings and weather conditions with some exposure to risk of injury and/or illness.
• The employee is required to stand and sit for prolonged periods of time; reach with hands and arms; and stoop, kneel, crouch and crawl.
• It may be necessary for the employee to intervene quickly which can include running and/or walking at an accelerated pace.
• Requires physical and emotional endurance.
• While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to talk, hear, and see.
• Specific vision requirements include the ability to see at close and far range with or without vision correction.
• Specific hearing requirements include the ability to hear within normal limits with or without the use of hearing aids.
• Fine Hand manipulation (keyboarding, fine motor tasks).
• The employee must work in stressful and hectic environments and be able to handle multiple tasks with frequent interruptions.
• The employee must be able to work long and irregular hours.
• Some students may display aggressive/assaultive behavior, including but not limited to biting, kicking, punching, and/or throwing objects, utilize profanity, or attempt to destroy property.

Employee Evaluation

Periodic evaluation of the social worker will be based upon the extent to which the duties are performed. Additional consideration will be given to:

• Adaptability (ability to perform effectively in the face of changing job demands);
• Initiative (taking necessary and appropriate action on one's own);
• Such factors as reliability, motivation, creativity, cooperativeness, and appearance;
• Ability to maintain appropriate student data, in a confidential manner, to assist in assessment of intervention success;
• Ability to follow directions and accept supervision;
• Ability to apply common-sense understanding to carry out instructions in all formats, in situations involving multiple variables.