LOCATION: Prodeo's Columbia Heights and St. Paul campuses

START DATE: 2021-2022 school year

PRIMARY PURPOSE

The principal tasks of the Social Worker or School Counselor are to help students and families make the best use of available opportunities and resources, and fully develop each student's individual potential.

REPORTS TO: Academy Director

QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor's degree in Social Work, School Counseling, or related field required; Master's Degree in social work, School Counseling, or related field preferred.
• License in social work or school counseling required; Licensed clinical social worker highly preferred. 
• Current applicable license/certification or the ability to immediately become licensed/certified.
• Significant experience in child welfare, education, or juvenile justice system (5 or more years) required. Experience with youth and/or family-based services preferred.
• Demonstrated knowledge and ability to work effectively and relate comfortably with parents, children, and youth with special needs and their families, while maintaining professional boundaries.
• Demonstrated skill in accurate and timely documentation for social work practice.
• Ability to work independently and as a team member.
• Knowledge of and ability to utilize community resources, including multicultural resources. 
• Ability to build individual relationships and facilitate group interaction.
• Excellent public relations skills, with the ability to communicate clearly and effectively both verbally and in writing with diverse individuals, and demonstrate cultural competency.
• Strong organizational, planning, and coordination skills.
• Ability to mediate, manage conflict and perform successful negotiations.
• Ability to work collaboratively with external service providers and other key stakeholders.
• Strong interpersonal and cognitive skills in analysis, assessment, creative and critical thinking, problem-solving, and decision-making.
• High level of computer competency in Windows environment required, and familiarity with search engines and search technology preferred.
• Valid Driver's License, auto insurance, reliable transportation, and ability to travel.

KEY RESULT AREAS

Services to Youth

• Utilize, model, and teach trauma-informed responses to behavior.
• Conduct classroom meetings and psycho-educational social skills groups and classroom presentations on identified areas of concerns, as needed.
• Provide social work case management, risk assessments, and functional behavior assessments, as needed.
• Identify and assesses academic problems through analysis of factors impinging on student adjustment, including factors in the home, school, and community.
• In conjunction with school staff, assist with crisis intervention services, as need.

Services to Families

• Visit with families whose youth are more significantly challenged in school. 
• Use parent coaching interventions to assist families in managing challenging behaviors and decreasing trauma responses.
• Serve 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.
• Provide parent/guardian educational workshops on identified issues related to child development, stress reduction, discipline and safety, and teacher/parent/student communication. 
• Establish communication and positive connections between the parent/guardian and school around identified issues.
• Locate and collaborate with community services and resources to support families in order to foster students' educational and emotional functioning.

Services to School Staff

• Ensure systemic wellbeing of Prodeo Academy and its teachers and staff by promoting a culture of wellbeing.
• Provide staff consultation regarding issues impacting student participation in the learning process.
• Provide staff development to teach and model trauma-informed behavioral supports to teachers and staff.
• Provide classroom observation, when requested, for the purpose of observing students in various environments.
• Support teachers and staff in addressing non-academic challenges to learning youth may have, due to external factors influencing their readiness for learning.
• Collaborate with school staff and other school system personnel in implementing strategies to promote student learning.
• Develop programs and interventions to assist parent/guardian participation in the school, and engagement in the educational process.

Supervision & Administrative Requirements

• Attend and participate in trainings, regular supervision with both Prodeo and Anu.
• Communicate in an effective and timely manner with Anu and Prodeo staff.
• Participate as a member of school-based teams to develop interventions for promoting students' academic success.
• Serve on both school-based and system-wide committees to address educational issues, adjustment problems, safety issues, and program development for students, as requested.
• Maintain required clinical records and submit appropriate documents for outcome reports, with adherence to program standards in school social work, in a timely manner.

Professional Consultation and Coordination

• Actively participate through giving and seeking input from supervisor(s) and colleagues in supervision, case reviews, and other clinical meetings to ensure broad consultation and best practice approaches to the most difficult cases.

• Participate as a team member with Prodeo Academy staff, youth, and their families, as well as colleagues at Anu Family Services, to ensure continuity of services to youth, which promote educational success.

COMPENSATION 

Salary for this position is competitive and commensurate with experience.

Prodeo Academy is an equal opportunity employer. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, gender, handicap, age, religion, sexual orientation, or national or ethnic origin. We are committed to hiring a diverse and multicultural staff and encourage applications from traditionally underrepresented backgrounds.