Social Worker (Elementary Level) (2024-2025, 1 YR ONLY)

Summary

Community Unit School District 200 is seeking a School Social Worker who will assist students with academic learning by providing strategic services that identify and address the social-emotional-environmental issues that interfere with the educational process. The School Social Worker will work with parents/guardians, teachers, school officials and community based resources to implement strategies that promote students' positive school adjustment.

Experience working with the social/emotional needs of children and knowledge of special education.

Certification Requirement(s)

Current State of Illinois Professional Educator License (PEL) with a School Social Worker endorsement

Job Function

School social workers enhance the academic mission of the district. Social workers assist students with academic learning by providing strategic services that identify and address the social-emotional-environmental issues that interfere with or create barriers to the educational process. Working with parents/guardians, teachers, school principal/principal’s designee, and the community, the school social worker implements strategies that promote students’ positive school adjustment and the learning of life skills. The school social worker significantly contributes to the development of a healthy, safe and caring environment by advancing the emotional and social development of the students. School social workers are members of the Department of Special Services, yet they provide services to all members of the school setting. Each social worker is assigned to the school(s) based upon identified needs of the student population.

Performance Responsibilities

• Identifies and assesses academic problems through analysis of factors impinging on student adjustment including factors in the home, school, and community.
• Serves as a liaison between families and the school to positively promote collaborative processes in educational planning for students by encouraging parent/guardian participation in the school setting.
• Completes psychosocial assessments to assist in the determination of special education services and data collection for RtI plans.
• Determines and implements appropriate therapeutic strategies to effect changes in behavioral –social interactions of students and their families.
• Provides individual and group therapeutic counseling to students and their families.
• Provides parent/guardian educational workshops on identified issues related to child and adolescent development, discipline and safety, and teacher/parent/student communication.
• Collaborates with school staff and other school system personnel in implementing strategies to promote student learning.
• Participate as members of the IEP, SST, RtI problem solving and other school based teams to develop interventions for promoting students’ academic and behavioral success.
• Identifies and reports to the Department of Children and Family Services suspected cases of abuse and neglect as well as reporting cases of sexual abuse to the Children’s Center of DuPage County
• Directs and implements crisis prevention/intervention services and serves on the Crisis Response Team.
• Provides social work case management for students and families.
• Consults with staff on behavioral-emotional-environmental issues affecting student participation in the learning process.
• Conducts staff development on issues related to social-emotional-environmental factors that impact learning.
• Develops programs to address parent/guardian participation in the school and student engagement in the educational process.
• Conducts classroom meetings, psycho-educational social skills groups, and classroom presentations on identified areas of concern for the students.
• Maintains required clinical records and submits appropriate documents for statistical reports with adherence to program standards in school social work.
• Conducts home visits related to establishing communication and positive connections between the parent/guardian and school setting around identified issues.
• Completes risk assessments on referred students.
• Completes functional behavior assessments on identified students.
• Completes classroom observations.
• Serves as liaison with community agencies and assists in fostering communication between schools, parents/guardians, and community leaders.
• Locates and mobilizes community resources to support the educational program.
• Serves on both school-based and system-wide committees to address educational issues, adjustment problems, safety issues, and program development for students.
• Attends meetings and professional development activities as required.