Social Worker - Structured

Social Worker

The School Social Worker provides specialized therapeutic and behavioral support for students with autism-like characteristics within a structured K-2 learning environment. This role is defined as implementing the TEACCH model to promote social, physical, and intellectual growth, and ensuring strict adherence to legal mandates regarding Individualized Education Programs (IEPs). The Social Worker serves as a lead advocate for the student's emotional and developmental needs while maintaining the rigorous documentation required by law and district policy. Additional services for other students with IEPs are expected as time permits.

Instructional Support & TEACCH Integration Structured Development: Organize and lead activities, specifically designed to promote mental and social development within a TEACCH framework. Skill Instruction: Teach essential social-emotional learning (SEL) skills and concepts tailored to the developmental level of K-2 students with autism. Visual Organization: Arrange indoor and outdoor spaces to facilitate safe, motor-skill activities and creative play, utilizing TEACCH principles of physical organization and visual boundaries. Adaptive Methods: Adapt teaching methods and instructional materials to meet the varying sensory needs and intellectual interests of the students.

IEP Development & Legal Compliance IEP Participation: Serve as a core member of the IEP team, collaborating with teachers and administrators to develop, evaluate, and revise educational programs for students in need of special education. Service Minute Delivery: Ensure the exact delivery of mandated social work service minutes as specified in each student's IEP, maintaining high accuracy in service logs to meet legal and district regulations. Goal Formulation: Establish clear, measurable social-emotional objectives for all lessons and projects, ensuring they align with IEP goals and are effectively communicated to the children. Evaluation & Reporting: Conduct formal observations and evaluations of children's behavior and social development to provide data-driven input for IEP annual reviews and re-evaluations. Record Maintenance: Maintain accurate, complete, and confidential student records as strictly required by federal and state laws, district policies, and administrative regulations.

Collaboration & Consultation Family Liaison: Meet with parents and guardians to discuss progress, determine priorities for their children, and suggest home-based strategies to promote learning and development. Professional Coordination: Meet regularly with other staff members and specialists to plan and schedule lessons that follow approved curricula while addressing individual student needs. Case Identification: Identify children showing signs of emotional or developmental problems and discuss these findings with supervisors and specialists.

Precision & Accuracy: Must be exact or highly accurate in tracking service minutes and documenting student progress to ensure legal defensibility. Task Prioritization: Ability to determine tasks, priorities, and goals in a high-needs, multi-age special education setting. Bilingualism: Proficiency in a second language is preferred to support the district's multi-language families during IEP meetings and consultations. Professional Competence: Commitment to attending educational conferences and teacher-training workshops to stay current on special education law and autism-support strategies. Environmental Expectations Transition Management: Assist in assimilating children into the school environment daily, helping with greeting and selecting activities to reduce transition anxiety. Reporting: Prepare comprehensive reports on students and activities as required by school administration. Safety & Hygiene: Support the teaching of personal hygiene and proper habits while enforcing all administration policies governing student conduct.

Required Experience or Training: Illinois Professional Educator License with School Support Personnel endorsement in School Social Work Language: As a multi-language district, we always prefer staff who are bilingual but it is not required for this position Environmental Conditions: indoor climate-controlled office environment Examples of Equipment/Supplies Used to Perform Tasks: standard office equipment such as computer, telephone, radio communication devices FLSA Status: Exempt An Affirmative Action / Equal Opportunity Employer Mannheim School District 83 does not knowingly discriminate against employees or applicants on the basis of age, color, disability, gender, national origin, political affiliation, race, religion, sexual orientation, or veteran status.