Special Ed - Social Worker

BASIC FUNCTIONS

The primary function of the special education social worker is to assist students, parents, and school personnel in dealing with student needs through direct services in the schools, facilitating communication with community social service agencies, obtaining necessary collaboration with social, mental health, and juvenile justice service providers, and coordinating alternative and residential student placements. Primary Duties and Responsibilities Serving as the primary liaison between the schools and parents of students with disabilities, assisting with linking students, parents and school personnel to needed educational and community services. Providing direct services to students through group and individual counseling, social skill development groups, student-parent conferences, and assisting with review and modification of behavioral intervention plans. Providing direct assistance in assigned schools to teachers, support staff and principals in crisis intervention, individual student casework, and collaboration with social services, mental health and juvenile justice agencies. Participating in student multidisciplinary team evaluations and case conferences by assisting with parent interviews, completing social/developmental histories, formulating behavioral intervention plans, and implementing placement follow‑up services when necessary. Participating in the case conferencing process to place students in the School City of Hammond alternative programs, monitoring students during placement, and assisting with the student’s transition back to the home school. Assisting with the identification of students with alternative or residential placement needs and coordinating with the case manager the development and process of alternative service applications with the Indiana Department of Education, including identification of placement options and annual renewals. Maintaining primary follow‑up contact with placement agencies serving students on an alternative or residential basis, including ongoing monitoring, communication, periodic reporting of student progress and follow‑up with the student’s transition back to public school. Working with outside placement agencies as students re‑enter the public school setting following the student’s discharge from residential, hospitalization, or alternative programs. Facilitating parent involvement through home visits, parenting groups, utilization of the parent mentor and special education resource center, and maintaining parental communication in critical cases. Providing assistance to parents and families to access countywide wrap‑around services including social security, Medicaid, Medicaid Waiver, Autism Waiver, Bureau of Developmental Disabilities, Vocational Rehabilitation, Family and Children, Respite Care, and mental health, in addition to many other specific and personalized duties. Assisting with the implementation of staff development activities for parents and school personnel, relative to qualitative instruction, including student and program intervention, curricular adaptations, modifications, strategies for inclusive programming and assessment of program effectiveness. Delivering technical assistance to support school‑based planning teams with the formulation of school‑based improvement plans effective for special education students served within the building and with the implementation of site‑based instructional initiatives developed by school planning teams. Assisting with the development of written curricular guides, manuals, curriculum reports and administrative regulations to ensure district compliance with board policies and state regulations. Contributing to the development of periodic papers, newsletters, memoranda and other vehicles for the dissemination of professional information. Setting personal and professional objectives and achieving them to the extent possible. Performing other duties as assigned by the director of special education. Expectations Ability to effectively communicate with teachers, district personnel, parents and community participants. Competence to effectively and efficiently carry out duties, directives and special projects and assignments. High level organizational skills. Superior oral and written communication skills. Commitment to site‑based decision making. Knowledge of and ability to use interactive technologies. Demonstrated conflict resolution skills. Participation in professional conferences and meetings to maintain and expand professional knowledge and expertise. Requirements Master of Social Work (MSW). Indiana certification as a School Social Worker or statement of eligibility for this license from a university certifying official or the State Division of Teacher Education and Certification. Successful social work background. Experience with children and/or adults with disabilities (desirable). It is the policy of the School City of Hammond not to discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, or disability in its programs or employment policies as required by the Indiana Civil Rights Act (I.C. 22‑9.1), Title VI and VII (Civil Rights Act of 1964), the Equal Pay Act of 1973, Title IX (Educational Amendments), and Section 504 (Rehabilitation Act of 1973). #J-18808-Ljbffr School City of Hammond