Address
Form of workPOSITION SUMMARY: Reporting to the Director of Special Services, the District School Social Worker is responsible for supporting students and advocating for their social-emotional, mental, and physical wellbeing. The District School Social Worker is the link between the home, school, and community in providing direct as well as indirect services to students, families, and school personnel to promote and support students’ academic and social success. Their duties include counseling students, connecting at-risk youth and their families with helpful resources, and conducting home visits to provide additional support.
ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
Special Services Team Member for special education evaluations
- Participate in consultations re students considered for evaluation
- Interview parents/guardians of students referred for SE services
- Prepare and present reports at evaluation/re-evaluation meetings
- Attend biweekly consultation meetings
504 Coordinator
- Participate in consultations re students considered for evaluation
- Interview parents of students referred for evaluation
- Schedule and prepare documentation for initial evaluations and annual reviews
- Participate in meetings to determine/continue eligibility of students for 504 Plans
- Inform teachers, staff and parents of results of evaluations and distribute plans to pertinent staff and parents
Pupil Services Team Member
- Attend biweekly consultation meetings with Pupil Services Team re Tier I and Tier 2 students and other students of concern
- Attend biweekly consultation meetings with LSS regarding Tier III students of concern
- Provide to relevant staff school/family history and SSW action taken re students of concern
- Assist in providing services, contacting parents
- Develop/present professional development to staff at beginning of each school year and occasionally at other PDs throughout the year
Attendance Duties
- Draft various forms of attendance letters in Skyward dependent on levels of thresholds met by students with absences/tardies
- Schedule, print, send and file weekly Skyward attendance letters for students meeting various thresholds,
i.e. warning letters and/or truancy letters scheduling meetings for parents of students who have reached/crossed designated thresholds
- Attend with administrator and facilitate truancy meetings with parents, follow-up with parents who do not attend meetings
- Conduct home visits as needed and as workload permits
- Refer habitually truant students to TABS (if existent) or to the MKE Co. District Attorney
McKinney-Vento Program (MV)
- Interview parents/guardians in any of the three UCC schools who may meet federal law definition of “homeless students and unaccompanied youths”
- Determine, after consultation, whether family meets the definition of individuals who lack a fixed, regular and adequate nighttime residence due to loss of housing, economic hardship, or for a similar reason
- Provide resources to eligible students to allow equal access to the public school educational programs and services that allow them to meet the same challenging state academic standards to which all students are held
- Collaborate with Goldfish Uniform Store to accept vouchers prepared by SSW and given to eligible students to procure required school uniforms without delay
- Consult with Administration regarding transportation needs of eligible students in families with no vehicle or means of transportation to school
- Create and draft MV school protocol
- Alert relevant staff of a student’s confidential status in the program
- Complete DPI paperwork regarding eligible students and provide to designated HR staff person
- Maintain log of current MV students in the UCC system
Foster/Out-of-Home Care (OHC) Point-of-Contact (POC)
- Recipient of Education Passports sent by the MKE Co. Department of Child Welfare for students who enter the foster/OHC system
- Serve as the communication liaison with the local child welfare agency (CWA)
- Facilitate the sharing of information subject to laws and agency procedures, including Special Education needs and Individual and Disabilities Education Act
- Collaborate with the CWA Education POC to develop policies and procedures around making best interest determinations and transportation
- Consult with Administration in procuring transportation to/from school, if and/or when necessary
- Notify relevant staff/teachers of child’s waiver of educational fees
Child Protective Services (CPS)
- Point of contact for staff to consult regarding student of concern as it relates to abuse/neglect
- Assist school staff, if requested, in making a referral to CPS
- Make direct referrals regarding students of concern
- Develop school protocol and staff procedures regarding CPS, update annually
- Inform staff of mandatory reporting responsibilities
Peer Mediation
- Present to elementary classrooms to inform about the peer mediation program which educates and empowers students to resolve their personal conflicts
- Recruit/Select peer mediators from each classroom
- Train peer mediators (approx. 3-week training w/6 sessions)
- Facilitate requested peer mediations after receiving online referrals from students and teachers, with two peer mediators as leaders of the mediation
Other
- Provide families/students referrals to community resources/information
i.e. free vision exams, food banks, mental health clinics, domestic violence, energy assistance, grief resources, free/low cost legal/medical clinics, etc.
- Maintain directories of resources
- Assist counseling staff in social skills/behavior issues of school students, such as peer mediation program and check-in/check-outs
- Procure/Maintain emergency clothing supply (uniforms, winter wear) for students in need
- Carry out miscellaneous school-related tasks as requested by administration and staff as needed.
KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES
- Demonstrates knowledge with Windows and Chrome OS operating systems, Microsoft Office and Google G Suite.
- Demonstrates the ability to evaluate the effectiveness of programs and make recommendations for improvements.
- Demonstrate the ability to listen to others and remain receptive to new ideas.
- Demonstrate the ability to address criticism in an appropriate manner and develop constructive outcomes.
- Demonstrate sustained effort and enthusiasm in the quality and quantity of work.
- Demonstrate the ability to establish and maintain positive, effective working relationships with staff, students, and the community.
- Demonstrate effective time management, organizational skills, and prioritization of work to meet the needs of the users.
- Demonstrate the ability to follow and communicate effectively, both orally and in writing.
- Demonstrate initiative, flexibility, and the ability to work independently.
- Demonstrate excellent human relations and interpersonal skills.
- Bilingual Spanish/English is strongly encouraged but not a requirement of this position.
Qualifications
QUALIFICATIONS:
- Masters of Social Work and institutional endorsement
- Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction School Social work license
- Experience providing educational wraparound to empower students and families to reach
- their goals
- Commitment to the NASW Code of Ethics and addressing the environmental variables that contribute to barriers to learning
- Ability to foster positive, culturally responsive responsive, trauma-sensitive, and inclusive
school climate for all members of the school community
- Excellent oral and written communication skills
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT:
This job description outlines the general nature and level of work required of any employee assigned to this position. It does not intend to imply these are the only duties and responsibilities assigned to the job. The employee may be required to perform other job-related duties, as requested by the position’s manager(s), the Executive Director and/or Board of Directors. All is subject to change and possible modification to address changing business conditions and reasonably accommodate individuals with a disability.
