SCHOOL SOCIAL WORKER

Summary

The School Social Worker promotes and enhances the overall academic mission by providing services that strengthen home, school, and community partnerships and address barriers to learning and achievement. The School Social Worker significantly contributes to the development of a healthy, safe, and caring environment. Such an environment is achieved by advancing the understanding of the emotional and social development of children and the influences of family, community, and cultural differences on student success along with the implementation of effective intervention strategies. 

Required Education

Holds a valid student services license as a school social worker as defined in North Carolina School Board Policy LINC-001.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

The School Social Worker’s job is to empower students, families, and school personnel to access available opportunities and resources that develop each student's potential. Integrated into all major functions are home, school, community assimilation; diversity and cultural competence; dropout prevention; graduation awareness; adherence to federal and state statutes, professional development and practices, School Social Work Standards, and the National Association of Social Workers Code of Ethics.

• Effectively and appropriately assesses and addresses the needs, characteristics, and interactions of students, families, LEA personnel, and the community.
• Uses knowledge and understanding of the reciprocal influences of home, school, and community to intervene for student success via such practices as assessment, crisis intervention and response, home visits, conflict resolution, individual and group counseling, consultation, program development, dropout prevention, graduation awareness, and coordination of school and community services.
• Advocates for appropriate services for students and their families, by facilitating change that effectively responds to the needs of students, families, and school systems using appropriate statutes, case law, policies, and procedures. 
• Consults and collaborates with stakeholders on behalf of students and their families. 
• Effectively plans, implements, and evaluates programs that promote student and family success.
• Advocate, facilitate, and contributes to School Social Worker accountability for outcomes aligned with local, state, and federal policies and guidelines. 
• Maintains current and appropriate resources for education stakeholders. 
• Accurately and appropriately interprets and utilizes student data.
• Consults and collaborates effectively with parents/guardians, teachers, administrators, and other educational/community resources regarding students with identified concerns and needs.
• Implement an effective referral and follow-up process as needed.
• Participates in professional development activities to improve knowledge and skills.
• Conducting reliable and valid assessments of students and organizations to inform the design of interventions to remove barriers to learning. 
• Remaining current with school-based intervention research and using evidence-informed practices in service delivery. Interventions shall be designed to enhance positive educational experiences and involve the student, the family, other team members, school personnel, and community resources as needed.
• Providing crisis intervention services related to family violence, substance abuse, and behavioral disorders.
• Engaging in advocacy that seeks to ensure that all students have equal access to education and services to enhance their academic progress. 
• Serving as leaders and consultants in promoting a positive school climate and facilitating an understanding of factors in the home, school, and community that affect students’ educational experiences. 
• Providing training and engaging parents, school personnel, other professionals, and community members in the removal of barriers to learning. 
• Supporting and facilitating educational reforms and initiatives including those that emphasize multitier prevention, early intervention, parent education and involvement, service integration, partnerships, and support for student transitions.
  
  

Physical Environment

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Must be physically able to operate a variety of equipment including computers, copiers, etc. 
• Must be able to exert up to 10 pounds of force frequently; and 20 pounds of force occasionally; and/or a negligible amount of force constantly to lift, carry, push, pull, or otherwise move objects.

Work Environment

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Must be adaptable to performing under stress and when confronted with emergency situations.  There may be changing priorities and interruptions during the workday. 
• Requires the ability to compare and/or judge the readily observable, functional, structural, or composite characteristics of data, people, or things.
• Requires the ability to speak and/or signal people to convey or exchange information.  Includes giving instructions, assignments, or directions to subordinates or assistants.
• Requires the ability to read a variety of correspondence, reports, forms, articles, proposals, contracts, etc.  Requires the ability to prepare correspondence, reports, forms, evaluations, policies, etc. using prescribed formats.
• Requires the ability to apply principles of logical or scientific thinking to define problems, collect data, establish facts, and draw valid conclusions; to interpret an extensive variety of technical instructions in mathematical or diagrammatic form.
• The ability to record and deliver information, explain procedures, and follow oral and written instructions.  Must be able to communicate effectively and efficiently in a variety of technical or professional languages including medical, legal, and counseling terminology.

DISCLAIMER: The above statements are intended to describe the general purpose and responsibilities assigned to this position. They are not intended to contain or be interpreted as a comprehensive inventory of all duties, responsibilities, and skills that may be required of the employees assigned to this position. This description may be revised by the supervisor, with HR review and approval, at any time.