Special Education Caseworker

Students with Limited or Interrupted Formal Education (SLIFE) Social Worker
Office of Social Work (OSW) & Office of Multilingual and Multicultural Education (OMME)

Application Process: Applicants will follow the pool process, be prescreened by a panel of representatives from both Office of Social Work and OMME. The candidate pool will then be shared with school leaders for hiring teams to interview.

Reports to: School Leader; Program Director of Social Work or Director of Student Support; Students with Limited or Interrupted Formal Education (SLIFE) are newcomer English learners, ages 9 or older, have ELD levels 1 or 2, who have experienced interrupted education or have limited formal education prior to enrolling in the district. Students in SLIFE programs often come from a home in which a language other than English is spoken, have gaps in their education from their home country, and are at least two grade levels behind in reading and mathematics. They may have attended school in the U.S. but can have gaps in language and literacy due to ineffective or missing instruction.

OMME and the OSW have partnered together to address an ongoing gap within the SLIFE programs in the Boston Public Schools. Social workers are uniquely qualified to contribute to their school communities because they are trained within a strengths-based and social justice model which enables them to build on students’ community cultural wealth. This also means social workers are able to support in addressing structural barriers to student success. The SLIFE Social Workers’ caseload ratio will be much smaller than district ratios in order to allow for the utmost targeted support.

The Boston Public Schools is committed to providing every child in every classroom an equitable, world-class, high-quality education with the same unfettered access to every conceivable resource to unlock the greatness within them. As part of an equitable Multi-tiered System of Supports that advances students’ learning and outcomes, The Office of Social Work serves BPS students and families by supporting school-based Social Workers across the district with providing high-quality, culturally responsive direct services.

Boston Public Schools seeks an exceptional SLIFE SOCIAL WORKER who is highly qualified and knowledgeable to support the implementation of a variety of supports that include mental health counseling, trauma response, healing, and resiliency-focused school social work services that support students and educators to create conditions wherein students may achieve their full potential academically, socially and emotionally. This position requires a bilingual/ bicultural social worker who can support students/ families in their native language as identified by the program.

In collaboration with the school and educators the social worker will work to support positive culture and climate within the SLIFE program and ensure the SLIFE students are able to fully participate and engage in school activities.

In collaboration with a cohort of SLIFE Social workers and with support from the Program Director of Social Work design and implement a Newcomer Orientation Program which will orient students to their new school and available school and community resources.

Provide or coordinate mental health services for students on assigned caseload, including 1:1 individual and group counseling services.

As a valued member of the Student Success team, support the design of tiered interventions that support the implementation of an equitable Multi-Tiered System of Support.

Support the collection of progress monitoring data within the Panorama platform to ensure instruction, supports and services lead to desired outcomes for participating students.

Support individual and whole school crisis intervention in collaboration with the BPS district wide Crisis Team as needed, including supporting Suicide Risk Assessments and Threat Assessments.

Provide direct consultation to teachers, school administrators, and community partners to support student success, including coordination of both school-based and outside-provider services.

Serve as liaison between student, home, school, and community resources in collaboration with the school’s family liaison. Attend monthly professional development provided by the Office of Social Work.

Maintain and provide student data and written reports as needed, including timely completion of monthly reports for the Office of Social Work.

Perform other related duties as assigned by the School Leader and Director of Student Support.

Effectively analyze data from assessments, draw conclusions, and share appropriately.

Exhibit strong knowledge of child development and how students learn and behave, and design effective and rigorous plans for support with measurable outcomes.

Build a productive learning environment where every student participates and is valued as part of the class community. Parent/Family Engagement: Provide parents with clear expectations for student learning behavior and/or wellness and share strategies to promote learning and development at school and home.

Collaborate with colleagues through shared planning and informal conversation to analyze student performance and development, and to plan appropriate interventions at the classroom or school level. Provide advice and expertise to general education teachers and the school community to support appropriate and effective academic, behavioral, and social/emotional learning experiences for students.

Education: Master’s Degree in Social Work or Mental Health Counseling.

Bilingual/Bicultural in the identified SLIFE Program Language.

Minimum of 2 years professional experience in an urban setting similar to Boston Public Schools providing educational and clinical services.

Experience working with youth of immigrant and refugee backgrounds.

Certification by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education as a School Adjustment Counselor/School Social Worker.

Licensed Certified Social Worker or Licensed Mental Health Counselor.

Demonstrated ability to build positive relationships with and among students, adults, and multiple stakeholders from various racial/ethnic and linguistic backgrounds.

Demonstrated understanding of racial equity and ability to engage in dialogue about race, intersectionality and systems of oppression.

Strong skills in the Google Suite platform.

Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker (LICSW).

Four (4) years experience or more in Boston Public Schools or similar setting.

Certification in Safety Care De-escalation.

Certification in Psychological First Aid.

Experience working with the special education system.

Please refer to the BPS website for more information on salary and compensation. Salaries are listed by Unions and Grade/Step. The start and end times of BPS schools vary, as do the lengths of the school day. Some BPS schools have a longer school day through the “Schedule A” Expanded Learning Time (ELT) agreement.

The Boston Public Schools, in accordance with its nondiscrimination policies, does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, age, criminal record, physical or mental disability, pregnancy or pregnancy-related conditions, homelessness, sex/gender, gender identity, religion, national origin, ancestry, sexual orientation, genetics, natural or protective hairstyle, military status, immigration status, English language proficiency, or any other factor prohibited by law in its programs and activities. If you require an accommodation pursuant to the ADA for the application process, please contact the Accommodations Unit at View email address on click.appcast.io Boston Public Schools