JOB TITLE:                     School Social Worker

 DEPARTMENT:                Education

SUPERVISED BY:              Director of Clinical Operations

JOB SUMMARY:

 Provide individual, group, and family clinical interventions and case management to students and their families based on the students’ Individualized Education Plans and other identified clinical concerns to improve the social and psychological functioning of students and their families, and maximize the academic functioning of children. Provide clinical assessment, diagnostic formulation, and feedback to the school team, families, and other providers as well as coordinate treatment with outside providers. Serve as part of the clinical school team, collaborating and providing clinical consultation and training to teachers, teaching assistants, and other school providers.  Assist in the development and implementation of behavioral plans and individualized education plans for assigned students.  Provide crisis interventions in the school milieu including risk assessments and assisting with de-escalation and safety planning.   Participate in development of school clinical programming and PBIS (Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports) programming.  Position requires excellent skills in clinical evaluation/ assessment and implementation of individual and school-based treatment interventions, ability to collaborate as part of an interdisciplinary treatment team, and excellent written and verbal communication skills.  Experience and/or training in providing clinical services in a school setting is preferred.

 DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

 Provide Clinical Services to CCGC School students and their families

• Assist in coordinating and conducting tours, pre-placement, and intake interviews with students and their families.
• Complete diagnostic evaluations and treatment plans for assigned students
• Collect supplementary information needed to assess and treat client, such as school reports, evaluations, relevant medical records, reports from previous providers, etc.
• Provide clinical interventions including individual and group therapy as well as psycho-education to assigned students based on student’s Individualized Education Plan as well as other identified clinical concerns, such as trauma, changes at home/ school, etc.
• Provide family therapy and/or frequent contact with assigned students’ families by phone to provide behavioral updates, psycho-education, referrals for community supports, and parent skills training as well as work to improve parent-child interactions, communication, and family well-being.
• Provide case management to students and their families including making referrals and coordinating with outside treatment providers and referring families to community support services as needed
• Attend provider meetings (e.g. DCF meetings) in person or by phone
• Complete written documentation of clinical services including completing diagnostic evaluations, progress notes, Medicaid billing  notes as requested by the district, and PPT Progress Summaries

 Participate as a part of student’s multi-disciplinary team

• Provide regular and ongoing clinical consultation and collaboration with teachers, teaching assistants, and other school personnel/providers to determine problem behaviors, triggers of misbehavior, and plan and implement behavioral interventions to address these concerns.
• Assist in the development of students’ Individualized Education Plans as part of the educational team
• Consult and collaborate with other school staff to review and evaluate client’s progress toward  educational and treatment goals and engage in transition planning
• Understand results of testing evaluations and collaborate with school team, families, and other providers in implementing recommendations of educational, neurological, psychological, speech, OT, and other testing results
• Attend student’s PPT meetings to provide consultation and collaboration with child’s home school district, family, and other providers as part of the CCGC School team.
• Provide training to school staff to improve their understanding of related clinical topics so that they can better understand and more effectively respond to the students and their behaviors

Provide Clinical Risk Assessments and Participate in Crisis Intervention in the School Setting

• Respond promptly and conduct clinical risk assessments when students present as a danger to themselves or others.  Determine when students need further evaluation (i.e., Emergency Room evaluation) to determine level of safety.
• Inform students’ caregivers of concerning behaviors and results/ impressions gathered during risk assessments and make safety plans with the family as necessary
• Participate in safety planning with school staff to manage students with high risk behaviors as necessary.
• Participate as part of the school team in de-escalation and management of crisis situations in the school milieu

Program Development

• Collaborate and participate as part of the clinical team in the development of school clinical interventions (e.g., group curriculum, evidence-based therapies)
• Participate in in-house and outside trainings to learn new clinical interventions and techniques and incorporate these interventions into the school setting as appropriate
• Collaborate with school staff in the development of Positive Behavior Intervention and Support Programs to improve the climate of the academic setting/ improve student well-being
• Provide ideas and feedback to school administrative staff regarding programs and services in the school
• Participate in special initiative committees as possible and appropriate to plan and implement programs and services in the school.
• Participate and attend school events (e.g., school Christmas party, talent shows, etc.) to provide students with support and create a cohesive school team.

General Requirements

• Obtains and maintains CPI certification.
• All other duties assigned by supervisor.

 QUALIFICATIONS:

•  Master’s Degree in Social Work required.
•  Certification/Licensure: MFT, LMSW working toward LCSW, or LCSW
• Knowledge of child development, childhood mental health, and special education services, classifications, and procedures.
• Minimum experience between 2-5 years wherein knowledge and skills have been honed in psychology, providing direct clinical services to children and families, social work/ case management; child and family mental health interventions; child behaviors and group facilitation.
• Good verbal and written communication skills
• Experience providing clinical services in a school-based and/or milieu-based setting preferred
• Position requires moderate physical activity such as sitting, walking, some physical activities when interacting in play with students, bending, lifting, computer usage, and very limited travel/driving.
• Position requires ability to work independently, organize tasks, problem solve, make decisions, and handle multiple priorities.
• Desire to work with an ethnically diverse child, family and adolescent population.
• Bilingual in English/Spanish highly preferred.
• Ability to work collaboratively as a team member with fellow co-workers and agency staff of various disciplines.
• Cultural sensitivity and understanding of special youth and family issues.
• Maintain networking relationship with community service providers.
• Have a valid Connecticut Driver’s License, auto insurance and willing to travel for service provider meetings and/or outside trainings.
• CT Dept. of Education Certification School S.W. Endorsement Code #071 preferred

 CREDENTIALING:

 This person is credentialed to provide diagnostic and treatment services to children 0-18 and their families under the supervision of a Licensed Clinician