School Social Worker - 2024/2025 School Year (Woodlawn High School and Middle School)

The Woodlawn Campus of the University of Chicago Charter School (UCW) opened in September 2006. It has a three-part mission: 1) to assist students in developing the habits of mind, work, and heart to be successful in college and good citizens of their community; 2) to contribute to the community through student research, service, and leadership; and 3) to improve teaching and learning by serving as a site of professional development for teachers and school leaders. Woodlawn educates students in grades 6 -12.

Position Summary

Full-time, salaried position with the principle task of helping teachers, students and families make the best use of available opportunities and resources to fully develop each student’s individual potential. As the School Social Worker, this position will bring to the educational process an understanding of the psychological development of children and the influence of family, community, and cultural differences as they interact with schooling. This position will assist a group of at-risk parents/guardians and extended family members with the development and implementation of building strong school relationships, increased access to resources and parenting skills and techniques that lead to students success in school. This position reports to the campus director.

As School Social worker, primary responsibilities will include, but are not limited to:

• Work with school leadership, leadership, staff, and parents to design, implement, and support school practices and specific social emotional programming that promotes a healthy learning environment
• Provide social work support to assist parents with children who have individual education plans (IEP)
• Provide professional consultation to a group of parents/guardians and extended family members in order to facilitate pro-social development and address academic and development concerns
• Serve as an active member of the student support/RTI team
• Serve as an active member on the Academic and Social Support Team (AS3) who provides social work expertise, promoting family involvement through workshops, meetings, home visits, publications, parent center programs and participation in FTCO (family-teacher-community-organization)
• Actively participate in school wide staff meetings and professional development relevant to the field of social work and as it relates to school systems and practices
• Provides individual and group counseling sessions to help resolve interpersonal or family problems that interfere with school performance, including crisis intervention consultation as needed.
• Conducts interviews with students, family members, and school personnel to gather information required to assess student social, emotional and behavioral adjustment to school and the community.
• Maintains regular contact with students’ parents/guardians to inform of student’s progress, areas of difficulties and any changes or situations in home life that may affect school performance.
• Develops and updates Individualized Education Plans (IEP) and Behavior Intervention Plans (FBA/BIP) as needed in adherence to, school, state and federal regulations and procedures.
• Attends and participates in IEP team meeting, facilitating at the discretion of the school district. Actively participates in other team meetings when necessary to address specific student and parent concerns.
• Collaborates with education and social services professionals to develop appropriate agency services for students and their families.
  
  

Qualifications

The qualified candidate will have at least 3 years proven experience working with a diverse group of young people and their parents in a variety of situations and/or youth organization; a master’s degree in social work; appropriate Illinois State Board of Education licensure is required, reliable transportation, insurance and valid driver’s license, experience with families in crisis, ability to advocate for clients, previous experience with in-home services and social service case management preferred, Licensed Clinical Social Worker is a plus; commitment to professional development; energy for a new school; and a passion for youth and a vision for their potential.

UCCS recruits, hires, compensates, promotes and otherwise manages employees and prospective employees on the basis of individual merit without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national or ethnic origin, age, disability, genetic information, veteran status or any and all other factors protected by law. This policy includes UCCS’s commitment to maintain a workplace free from sexual or other unlawful harassment or discrimination of any nature.