Arbor Heights Elementary - Social Worker - 0.5 FTE

About the role

A school social worker is a professional in the fields of social work and education who holds a valid school social worker certification. The purpose and role of the school social worker is to provide an integral link between school, home, and community in helping students achieve academic and social success by removing barriers and providing services that include:

• Mental health and academic counseling
• Support for students and parents
• Crisis prevention and intervention
• Professional case management
• Collaboration with other professionals, organizations, and community agencies
• Advocacy for students and parents

School social workers work directly with school administrators as well as students and families, at various levels and as part of an interdisciplinary team in the educational system. They provide leadership and professional expertise regarding the formation of school discipline policies and procedures, school-based mental health services, crisis management, social-emotional learning, and other support services that impact student academic and social-emotional success. School social workers also facilitate community involvement in the schools while advocating for student success.

Responsibilities

• 25% Developing an integral link between school, home, and community
  • Serve as the liaison between school, home, and community
  • Identify strengths and needs of student, family, school, and community, and provide appropriate referrals and/or resources
  • Build on strengths and increase skills and capacity for resilience
  • Remove systemic and social justice barriers for students and families
  • May provide home and community visits to better meet needs of students and families
• 25% Providing mental health and academic support
  • Provide direct mental health and social-emotional services in the form of short-term individual or group counseling to ensure skill development and long-term academic and emotional success
  • Identify, link, and leverage other community resources and systems that can provide families with additional services and support
  • Collaborate with other professionals and community organizations to bring relevant mental health supports to the academic setting
• 10% Professional case management for students and families
  • Advocate and develop systems that better meet the needs of students and families
  • Partner to evaluate and discuss options to meet needs and goals, and implement action plans
  • Provide ongoing support and coordination, including wraparound services and collaboration with community agencies
• 10% Collaboration with other educational professionals and development of school-based interdisciplinary teams
  • Develop and coordinate effective building systems, in partnership with administrators, that remove barriers caused by oppressive and negative societal factors
  • Provide innovative leadership and expertise on school-based mental health needs and systems that impact student academic and social-emotional success
  • Provide systems coordination in collaboration with school-based personnel to provide a continuum of services and supports strongly based in the social justice perspective
• 10% Collaboration with organizations and community agencies to provide wrap-around support
  • Leverage expertise of interdisciplinary school team members, community stakeholders, and guardians/families to maximize and mobilize resources
  • Challenge barriers of systemic inequities and work within the system to eliminate discriminatory or oppressive practices
  • Utilize evidence-based, data-driven interventions for tiered responses to promote strength-based cultural wellness of the thriving whole child
• 10% Implementation of social-emotional learning
  • Provide leadership and professional expertise on planning and implementing school-wide comprehensive social-emotional learning, including training and supporting staff, and facilitating small group and individual skill-building in a Multi-Tiered System of Support (MTSS)
• 5% Crisis prevention and intervention
  • Identify, assess, and respond to student and school community needs with immediate supports for physical and psychological safety
  • Conduct suicidal and homicidal assessment and intervention and postvention
  • Carry out the building’s Crisis Response Plan and implement preventative systems utilizing a race and equity lens
• 5% Leadership and guidance in the formation of discipline and behavioral procedures
  • Provide consultation, development, and equitable implementation of school-wide Positive Behavior Intervention and Supports (PBIS), Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS), and Restorative Justice practices
  • Utilize data to identify disciplinary practices that perpetuate discriminatory practices and recommend alternative, proactive supports to increase student life-long emotional and academic success

Reports to the assigned Building Administrator or designee.

Requirements

Knowledge

• Implicit bias, culturally responsive teaching, anti-racist practices, and racial equity literacy
• Trauma-informed practices
• Social Work Code of Ethics: Service, Social Justice, Dignity and Worth of the Person, Importance of Human Relationships, Integrity, and Competence
• Social Work theory and practice
• Whole child social, emotional, and behavioral support at Tier 1, Tier 2, and Tier 3
• Child development and learning styles
• Child, youth, and adult mental health
• Crisis intervention and prevention
• Group facilitation for children and adults
• Community resources and resource mapping
• Racial equity work and culturally responsive instruction, including evidence of impact
• State content standards and district curricular materials
• District policies and state and federal laws related to confidentiality, school records, mandated reporting, family law, truancy, homeless, foster youth, and disabilities, and regulations governing Special Education
• Evaluation Framework and Rubric for Social Workers (based on Danielson’s Framework)
• Systems: child protective services, juvenile justice, foster care, community mental health, hospital, special education, and WA Dept. of Social and Health Services (DSHS)

Abilities

• Identify advocacy needs within the school community and take initiative in action with an equity and social justice lens
• Model and facilitate adult learning, including leading professional development
• Maintain accurate records and produce reports
• Analyze and interpret data to assess needs, implement change, and inform plan of intervention, supports, and resources
• Reflect on one’s practice and learning needs
• Communicate effectively orally and in writing: listen non-judgmentally and clearly convey information for advocacy and resource mapping
• Prioritize in a fast-paced environment with multiple demands
• Establish and maintain effective, positive relationships with students, parents/guardians, district administrators and staff, community agency representatives, and the public in a multicultural and diverse environment
• Adapt to change and remain flexible
• Apply and use effectively a variety of evidence-based practices
• Work cooperatively in a team and with staff, administrators, and support personnel with a whole-child approach
• Maintain high ethical standards
• Provide direct mental health counseling and facilitate social-emotional learning through individual, group, and whole classroom settings

Skills

• Developing collaborative working relationships
• Clear and effective oral and written communication
• Organization and time management
• Conflict resolution and crisis intervention
• Strong assessment, analytical, and diagnostic skills
• Safety planning for harm to self and others
• Proficient with Microsoft and other basic technology programs
• Application of anti-racist and racial equity practices
• Deliver services using an equity and inclusion lens

Qualifications

Minimum Qualifications

• Master’s Degree in Social Work
• Education Staff Associate (ESA) Certificate in School Social Work

Preferred Qualifications

• Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker (LICSW)
• Two (2) years of applicable experience preferred
• If recent graduates are considered, 2nd-year Master’s degree field placement in a school preferred

Certifications & Licenses

• Valid Washington State Education Staff Associate (ESA) Certificate in School Social Work
• Preferred: National Board equivalent for Social Workers (LICSW) or National Association of Social Workers (NASW) Certified School Social Work Specialist (C-SSWS)

Criminal Justice fingerprint and background check required.

Benefits

Seattle Public Schools benefits are administered by the Washington State Healthcare Authority (HCA) under the School Employees Benefits Board (SEBB). Eligibility for benefits is determined by the number of hours employees are anticipated to work during the school year (September 1 through August 31). Any employee who is scheduled to work 630 hours or more in a year is eligible for benefits.

Pay

Refer to the salary schedule associated with this role and others like it.