Adjustment Counselor/School Social Worker

Social Worker Opportunity

Chelsea is seeking a social worker to join the student support team. Successful candidates are those excited to work in a dynamic school environment that values collaboration and teamwork. This position requires a great deal of case management, referral management, and coordination with other staff, adult supporters, and community agencies. Bilingual candidates (English/Spanish) are preferred.

Social workers in the Phoenix Charter Academy Network are charged with operating within these key areas:

1. Internalize mission and make this central to all decisions and actions inside and outside of the school in addition to upholding the scholar code of conduct at all times.
2. Meet with individual scholars in accordance with their individual needs, or IEPs or 504 plans, to provide counseling toward identified goals so that school success is possible.
3. Create and maintain relationships and formal partnerships with local mental health and family counseling agencies as well as other partners who may be able to offer services to Phoenix scholars and families in need.

Specific responsibilities include:

• Be the clinical part of the student support team, provide consult to SS staff assisting scholars with or without IEPs and 504s in crisis (both in the moment and with appropriate follow up) and with ongoing behavioral interventions;
• Create personal, warm relationships with all scholars, even those that are not targeted for social work intervention, sending a clear message that the academic work is central to the mission of the school and all relationships in the school are in place to support the academic success of scholars in college and post-secondary endeavors.
• Work collaboratively with BEST teams and outside psychologists to acquire assessments and higher level of care for scholars;
• Outreach to parents and adult supporters to discuss and address clinical needs of scholars;
• Manage intakes and reporting, including counseling intakes and Medicaid paperwork;
• Assist staff and personnel who have heard scholar disclosures with managing, processing and dealing with confidential and privileged information that scholars may disclose;
• Coordinate and case manage scholars hospitalized or in other residential settings or treatment programs;
• Attend IEP and other meetings to assess and address scholars in need of or receiving special education services;
• Design and implement social-emotional support groups addressing needs identified in current scholar body;
• Provide psycho-education to personnel regarding social and emotional disabilities and well-being;
• Collect all data relative to social work, use this data to support scholar achievement and organizational strategies and share data with staff as part of professional development;
• Work with school nurse and student support team regarding medication issues, scholars who are pregnant, and scholars with chronic illnesses;
• Support new scholar orientations and occasional student support center shifts.
• Work as part of student support team during summer: retention work, re-engagement work, training new staff, etc.
• Participate in all meetings with student support team to ensure the Phoenix scholar's support growth goals are being met.
• Commit to growing professionally through consistent and constant feedback and reflection; remain humble and relentless. Be committed to professionally developing through feedback, tackling challenging tasks, and professional development meetings/trainings.

Qualifications include:

• Education: Bachelor's in related subject (school psychology or counseling)
• Years of experience: 2+ preferred (may include practicum and related graduate fieldwork)
• Preferred licensure: school social worker/school adjustment counselor (MA license, initial or professional)
• Spanish/Portuguese language skills highly preferred
• Employment is based on qualifications for the role as well as a successful background check

Phoenix Charter Academy aims to show the world what all young people can do, and to defy the limitations of societal assumptions, classism, and racism. Phoenix Charter Academy was founded on the unwavering belief that all students can succeed at high levels. While this mantra is typical of high-performing schools, particularly those in the charter sector, Phoenix truly endeavors to reach every student, focusing on a growing number on the margins of the traditional public district education system: students who have dropped out of high school, students who are parenting children of their own, students who are or have been involved with the juvenile justice system, students who are older and new to the country and cannot gain access to public schooling, and students who are under-credited relative to the number of years they have spent enrolled in high school. We believe that these students, like all students, are completely capable of developing the skills necessary to set themselves up for lifetimes of economic prosperity and success. We support our students with individually tailored and academically rigorous curricula and push them to succeed at the highest levels by providing them with the resources and mentoring that they need to reach their full potential.

Why our work is important:

Students across America are dropping out of high school at an alarming rate. Dropping out of high school has a substantial impact on a young person's life. Over the course of their lifetime, an individual who drops out of high school is more likely to have reduced earning power, greater social service dependency, increased rates of criminal involvement, and shorter life expectancy. Phoenix Charter Academies addresses this trend by creating environments where students can demonstrate their talent and resilience and prepare themselves for success through high school, college, and beyond.

Commitment to DEI:

At Phoenix, we recognize the importance of forming a school community inclusive of all visible and invisible identities. We act to ensure that our students and staff always see reflections of themselves and their communities.

At Phoenix, we aim to break down systemic barriers by providing access to resources, experiences, and differentiated supports for historically marginalized groups.

At Phoenix, we solicit, value, understand, connect, and leverage multiple perspectives and experiences. We invite all perspectives except those that perpetuate oppression or dehumanization.

At Phoenix we do not just accept difference - we celebrate it, support it, and thrive on it for the benefit of our scholars and the communities we serve. We believe difference makes us stronger. Phoenix Charter Academy is an equal opportunity employer and as such, we do not discriminate against any team member or candidate because of race, creed, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression, national origin, disability, age, veteran status, marital status, pregnancy, or any other basis protected by federal, state or local law. Phoenix Charter Academy is committed to making any reasonable accommodations necessary to support an individual's employment.

Qualities of Phoenix staff member:

• Unwavering belief in our students - Phoenix staff operate with the deeply held belief that all young people want to and can succeed even in the face of substantial systemic barriers and societal constraints.
• Continuous improvement - Phoenix staff approach problem solving with curiosity and desire to understand the perspectives of others. They carry an internalized sense of "I can always learn more" and know that adults at Phoenix must model the qualities of being open-minded and willing to make mistakes and learn from them. Phoenix staff members embody "lifelong learner" mindsets and strive for constant improvement.
• Eager to learn - Phoenix staff must be able to learn as they go in a fast-paced, ever-evolving, urgent environment. They have the desire to receive direct feedback and the ability to implement the feedback into practice quickly.
• Commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion - Phoenix staff commit to understanding how their self-identity and experiences impact and interact with their daily work, colleagues, and students, and work toward furthering initiatives that promote a more equitable society.

What you'll bring:

• Communication - conveys information effectively and efficiently using verbal, non-verbal, and written communication skills; has knowledge and flexibility to communicate across lines of difference.
• Scholar orientation - works to deepen understanding of scholars and centers the needs of scholars in all aspects of how the work is done.
• Adaptability - adjusts and strategically aligns work to the school's mission while navigating complex and changing environments internally and externally.
• Strong work ethic with the ability to work independently and in a team environment

What you'll get:

We want you to be the best you can so you'll receive professional development, coaching, and the resources needed for you to succeed. An open, curious, and celebratory culture that embraces diversity as a leading asset and fosters equity and inclusion through affinity groups and continuous capacity building supported by our racial, justice, and equity working group. Competitive market comp, medical, dental, vision, mental health, and wellness plans, a 403b, and employee perks such as longevity bonus and pet insurance.

Equal opportunity employer

We are proud to be an equal opportunity employer, and as such, we do not discriminate against any team