School Social Worker

BENTON HARBOR AREA SCHOOLS

JOB DESCRIPTION

JOB TITLE: Social Worker

LOCATION: Secondary Buildings (Middle School & High School)

SUPERVISOR: Director of Special Education

JOB SUMMARY:

The School Social Worker provides support to secondary students, parents, and school staff by addressing social, emotional, and behavioral challenges that impact learning. The Social Worker delivers direct and consultative services for students with Individualized Education Plans (IEPs), conducts Functional Behavioral Assessments (FBAs) and Behavior Intervention Plans (BIPs), and collaborates with staff on interventions related to attendance, substance use, peer conflict, school safety, mental health, and social adjustment. The School Social Worker will work with students in one‑on‑one, small group, or classroom sessions. A successful School Social Worker is compassionate, professional, and committed to empowering adolescents. Finally, the School Social Worker is knowledgeable of outside services such as shelters, food banks, mental health providers, juvenile justice partners, and medical care and maintains regular communication with outside agencies that have the resources to support students and families.

QUALIFICATIONS:

• A Master's in Social Work from a graduate school of social work program approved by the Michigan Department of Education (MDE). This includes a minimum 500-clock-hour supervised social work practicum. Additional specialized training and certification to work within the school setting.
• A license and certification to practice Social Work.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
• Knowledge of trauma-informed practices, adolescent development, and crisis intervention.
• Professionalism, empathy, and discretion.

JOB FUNCTIONS AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Providing therapeutic services to students with social, emotional, or behavioral needs outlined in their Individual Education Plans (IEPs).
• Developing Functional Behavioral Assessments (FBAs) and corresponding Behavior Intervention Plans (BIPs), other intervention or treatment plans, and workshops or prevention programs as necessary.
• Addressing issues such as attendance, bullying, peer conflict, gang involvement, substance use, school safety, and mental health concerns.
• Communicating with students to determine the areas in which they may need assistance or counseling. Assisting teachers and administrators with behavioral and attitude issues by communicating with students to find the causes of their distress.
• Providing information, when appropriate, to outside support services to help students with economic, emotional, or physical issues.
• Assisting at‑risk students or students with disabilities.
• Communicating with parents, teachers, and administrators to understand students' challenges. Maintaining case files and reports to track students' progress and problems.
• Helping students and families suffering from abuse, violence, hunger, or homelessness to access resources like shelters, food banks, and medical care.
• Engaging in collaborative conversations with the Homeless Liaison, Student Affairs Officer, Community Engagement Coordinator, InterCare, and juvenile justice partners.
• Facilitating student support groups (conflict resolution, coping skills, peer relationships, decision‑making).
• Serving as a crisis response team member and providing emergency intervention when necessary.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES:

• Commitment to Equity: Passionate about closing the achievement gap and ensuring that every child, regardless of background or circumstance, receives an excellent education.
• Leadership: Coaches, mentors, and challenges others to excel despite obstacles and challenging situations.
• Focus on Data-Driven Results: Relentlessly pursues the improvement of school leadership, instruction, and operations, and is driven by a desire to produce quantifiable student achievement gains.
• Innovative Problem‑Solving: Approaches work with a sense of possibility and sees challenges as opportunities for creative problem solving; takes initiative to explore issues and find potential innovative solutions.
• Adaptability: Excels in constantly changing environments and adapts flexibly in shifting projects or priorities to meet the needs of a dynamic transformation effort; comfortable with ambiguity and non‑routine situations.
• Teamwork: Increases the effectiveness of surrounding teams through collaboration, constant learning, and supporting others; sensitive to diversity in all its forms; respects and is committed to learning from others.

Funding Source:

If this position is funded using Title dollars, federal regulations do not allow a promise of employment beyond the current year of allocated funds. This position, at any time, may be dissolved based on funding availability and data collected from a comprehensive needs assessment and demonstration of effectiveness.

Terms of Employment:

Salary based on education and experience pursuant to the Benton Harbor Area School Board policies and collective bargaining agreement for any position that falls under collective bargaining.

Physical Demands:

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to stand, walk, sit and talk. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision and depth perception.

The information contained in this job description is for compliance with the American with Disabilities Act (A.D.A.) and is not an exhaustive list of the duties performed for this position. Additional duties are performed by the individual currently holding this position and additional duties may be assigned. Job descriptions are not intended as and do not create employment contracts. The organization maintains its status as an at‑will employer. Employees can be terminated for any reason not prohibited by law.

Benton Harbor Area Schools provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.

This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation and training.

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER