School Social Worker

About Breakthrough Public Schools


Breakthrough Public Schools is a high-performing charter network serving scholars across five campuses in Cleveland. We operate as a unified system grounded in a shared academic vision and the Arc of the Year - our framework for adult development and instructional excellence.

Within that Unified Model, Breakthrough maintains a clear and structured approach to school social work - ensuring that students receive developmentally appropriate mental health supports that remove barriers to learning and strengthen access to academic success.

The School Social Worker (SSW) plays a critical role in ensuring students have the social-emotional and mental health supports necessary to fully access instruction.

The School Social Worker reports to the Principal and works in close partnership with the school culture team.

Scope of Work: Mental Health Practitioner & Student Support Specialist


The School Social Worker implements Breakthrough's model for school social work to ensure students receive appropriate, timely, and effective mental health supports.


This role exists to:

• Remove barriers to learning
• Strengthen students' social-emotional regulation
• Provide structured mental health interventions
• Support safe, productive classroom environments
• Ensure students have access to additional supports when needed

The School Social Worker works closely with the culture team, teachers, families, and external partners to ensure coordinated student support.

Core Responsibilities

1. Implementation of the Breakthrough School Social Work Model


The School Social Worker delivers services aligned to the Breakthrough Unified Model for school social work.


This includes:

• Designing and delivering developmentally appropriate mental health interventions
• Utilizing evidence-based practices such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), and other research-supported approaches
• Providing individual and small-group counseling services
• Supporting students in developing emotional regulation, coping skills, and resilience
• Facilitating social-emotional skill-building sessions in collaboration with classroom teachers

Interventions are purposeful, structured, and aligned to student need - not reactive or unstructured.

1. Student Support & Access to Learning

The School Social Worker ensures students have access to the additional supports necessary to succeed in school.


This includes:

• Providing crisis intervention for students experiencing acute distress
• Supporting students during transitions between home and school
• Collaborating with the culture team to develop proactive support plans
  Participating in Student Support Team (SST), MTSS, 504, and IEP meetings as requested
• Contributing to data reviews that inform intervention refinement

The School Social Worker ensures mental health supports strengthen - not replace - access to rigorous academic instruction.

1. Collaboration with Culture & Instructional Staff

The School Social Worker works in close partnership with the school culture team to ensure a coherent student support system.


This includes:

• Aligning mental health supports with behavior systems
• Supporting classroom teachers in implementing social-emotional strategies
• Providing consultation to staff on student regulation and support strategies
• Examining student data alongside faculty to refine interventions
• Ensuring consistency between academic, behavioral, and mental health supports

The School Social Worker contributes to a proactive, aligned system of student care.

4. Family & Community Partnership


The School Social Worker builds strong, culturally responsive partnerships with families and external agencies.


This includes:

• Facilitating regular family communication regarding student progress and supports
• Demonstrating sensitivity to family and cultural patterns in counseling sessions
• Coordinating with community mental health agencies when ongoing services are required
• Supporting families in accessing external resources when appropriate

Family engagement is clear, respectful, and solution-oriented.

5. Data & Professional Practice


The School Social Worker uses data to inform and refine interventions.


This includes:

• Monitoring student progress toward intervention goals
• Maintaining accurate and confidential documentation
• Tracking service delivery and outcomes
• Adjusting supports based on student response

The School Social Worker receives feedback from school leadership and continuously refines practice in alignment with Breakthrough expectations.

What Success Looks Like

A successful Breakthrough School Social Worker:

• Implements structured, evidence-based mental health interventions
• Responds effectively to student crises
• Partners closely with the culture team
• Strengthens classroom access for students with social-emotional needs
• Uses data to refine interventions
• Builds strong, culturally responsive family partnerships

Most importantly:


Students are better regulated, better supported, and better able to access high-quality instruction because of the School Social Worker's work.

Skills & Qualifications

• Master's degree in Social Work, Counseling, or related field (required)
• Licensed through the Ohio Counselor, Social Worker and Marriage and Family Therapist Board (LSW or LISW required)
• 2+ years of counseling experience preferred (urban setting strongly preferred)
• Must obtain Pupil Services Registration through the State Board of Education
• Strong knowledge of evidence-based mental health practices (CBT, DBT, etc.)
• Ability to use data to drive intervention decisions
• Strong communication skills with students, families, and staff
• Highly organized and able to manage documentation requirements
• Receptive to feedback and committed to professional growth

ANY PERSON WHO KNOWINGLY MAKES A FALSE STATEMENT IS GUILTY OF FALSIFICATION UNDER SECTION 2921.13 OF THE REVISED CODE, WHICH IS A MISDEMEANOR OF THE FIRST DEGREE

DISCLAIMER:


The information outlined in this job description indicates the general nature and type of work performed by employees within this classification. It is not intended to provide a comprehensive inventory of all duties, responsibilities or competencies required of employees within this classification.

Benefits:


Compensation packages are competitive and commensurate with experience. Breakthrough Schools offer a comprehensive benefit package that includes medical, dental and vision, life and disability coverage. Employees also participate in the State Teachers Retirement System of Ohio (STRS) or the School Employees Retirement System of Ohio (SERS).


Breakthrough Public Schools is an equal opportunity employer and will not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment because of race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, or national origin.