School Social Worker - BRYT/Bridge Program

About the role

The School Social Worker provides direct clinical and systemic support to students facing social and emotional barriers to academic success. By delivering evidence-based interventions and fostering strong school-family-community partnerships, the Social Worker ensures that all students have equal access to high-quality instruction and academic achievement.

Responsibilities

• Provides individual and group counseling focusing on therapeutic relationships and systemic change to support students' social-emotional well-being.
• Serves as an active member of the school's Crisis Team and provides representation to the district-wide Crisis Task Force as needed.
• Participates in Special Education TEAM meetings, conducts Social/Developmental Histories, and provides direct clinical support to assigned special education programs.
• Serves as the primary school liaison to the Department of Children and Families (DCF), Psychiatric Emergency Services, and juvenile courts.
• Acts as the in-building coordinator for McKinney-Vento students and collaborates with the Multilingual Department to support the emotional needs of English Learners.
• Convenes and leads re-entry meetings for students returning from treatment facilities or outside placements to ensure a successful transition back to the academic setting.
• Provides clinical strategies and resources to assist faculty in managing complex behavioral and emotional issues within the classroom.
• Conducts direct outreach and provides advocacy for families, ensuring language accessibility and identifying home-based strengths that promote student functioning.
• Maintains comprehensive, secure, and confidential records of student progress and clinical interventions.
• Fulfills special education responsibilities, including serving as a member of the evaluation team and conducting home assessments.
• Completes all reports related to IEP goals and progress monitoring for students with special needs.
• Commits to ongoing professional development, staying current with evidence-based practices and antiracist pedagogical frameworks.
• Contributes to the school community by participating in staff meetings, serving on committees, and supporting extracurricular activities as directed.
• Plans and supervises purposeful assignments for educational support staff and volunteers to maximize their impact on student learning.

Requirements

Required Certificates, Licenses, Registrations:

• A valid Massachusetts Teaching License in School Social Worker/School Adjustment Counselor (All Levels)

Education:

• A Master’s Degree from an accredited college or university in Social Work, Counseling, or a related field is required.

Experience:

• Proven track record of delivering high-quality clinical support and managing diverse caseloads.
• Experience working with students in academic, social/emotional, and career domains within a school district or clinical setting is preferred.
• Bilingual proficiency in Spanish and/or Portuguese is encouraged.

Skills

• Ability to design and implement Tier 1, Tier 2, and Tier 3 social-emotional interventions to meet the diverse psychological and behavioral needs of students, including those with IEPs and 504 plans.
• Data-Driven Decision Making: Proficiency in collecting and analyzing behavioral data, social-emotional screening results, and attendance patterns to inform clinical interventions and track student progress toward IEP goals.
• Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS): Ability to work effectively within Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) and multidisciplinary teams to develop proactive, school-wide strategies that promote academic success and social-emotional wellness.
• Clinical Case Management: Skill in coordinating complex cases by serving as a liaison between families, school-based teams, and community agencies such as DCF, Psychiatric Emergency Services, and the juvenile court system.
• Restorative Practices & Crisis Management: Mastery of restorative justice, conflict transformation, and de-escalation techniques; ability to provide immediate crisis intervention and lead re-entry meetings for students returning from outside placements.
• Compliance & Ethics: Thorough knowledge of the principles, practices, and ethical standards of school social work/counseling, including the maintenance of clinical confidentiality and accurate record-keeping.
• Instructional Technology: Proficiency in using Google Workspace for Education and specialized data-tracking software to manage caseloads, monitor progress, and facilitate collaborative planning.
• Communication: Ability to communicate clearly and concisely to diverse stakeholders, effectively translating clinical observations into actionable educational strategies for teachers and parents.
• Cultural Proficiency: Demonstrated cultural proficiency and competence in fostering an equitable and inclusive district environment for all staff, students, and families, ensuring language accessibility in all clinical communications.
• Professionalism & Clinical Composure: Maintain regular, predictable, and punctual attendance; exhibit professional composure and objective judgment when responding to high-stakes emotional situations or behavioral escalations.