School Social Worker/Home School Visitor
Required Education & Experience: A person employed in the position of School Social Worker/Home School Visitor must possess a Master’s of Social Work Degree and a valid Home and School Visitor Certificate from an accredited social work program. The person must have a current license as a social worker (LSW) or licensed clinical social worker (LCSW) issued by the Pennsylvania Department of State and maintain that license to be employed under this staffing assignment as School Social Worker. If the person does not possess a current license as a social worker, he/she must secure the license within six months of employment. A minimum of 3 to 5 years social work experience recommended.
Qualifications: MSW, LSW, HSV Certification and a current PA Driver’s License
Purpose: To provide social work services in an educational setting to enable students to be successful in school and in life. The social worker serves as a liaison between the home, school, and community. This position provides direct and indirect services to students, families, and school personnel in an effort to support students experiencing social, emotional, and behavioral issues.
Job Duties:
A person employed in a position as a School Social Worker is expected to perform the following duties and functions:
- Provide direct services to students including individual and group counseling to address specific social, emotional or behavioral needs
- Provide crisis intervention to students in need and utilize community mental health resources when warranted
- Conduct formal and informal assessments of student functioning, developmental history, family and community structure, interpersonal relationships, adaptive behavior and cultural factors that may influence learning
- Develop appropriate interventions to improve student learning and behaviors based upon student needs, strengths, social and cognitive functioning, cultural experiences, family dynamics, and available resources within the school and community
- Assist in the planning and implementation of educational, behavioral, or social modifications within the school to help improve student learning, attendance, or behavior, and academics provided by the school
- Establish and maintain regular contact with parents/guardians and assist families in gaining access to community resources when needed
- Provide parent/guardians counseling and training to help acquire the necessary skills to support the implementation of their child’s specialized educational program
- Provide parent/guardians educational programs when needed based upon issues/concerns within the district or community
- Assist parents/guardians to understand the school rules, regulations, and programs within the school district
- Conduct home visits when necessary to obtain information and facilitate an understanding of a student’s background, family dynamics, and cultural issues that may impact student learning and attendance
- Participate in the school Student Assistance Team meetings and provide strategies and/or resources to improve student attendance, behavior, and academic performance
- Attend IEP meetings when requested by the IEP Team
- Consult and collaborate with educational staff, parents and community resources in areas that impact student learning (e.g. mental health, trauma, grief and loss, behavior management, cultural awareness and diversity, homelessness, crisis management, child abuse and neglect)
- Establish collaborative relationships with community service providers to help students and families have greater access to these programs
- Serve as a liaison between the school and other social/governmental agencies
- Assist and advocate for homeless children and families to access services and programs within the school district and community to help ensure continued attendance and participation in school activities
- Coordinate and implement bullying prevention efforts within the school district
- Assist with suicide prevention trainings for staff and students per state regulations
- Establish and maintain close working relationships with school personnel
- Maintain accurate records as required by law, policy, and administrative regulations
- May serve as attendance officer and investigate reasons why students are not attending school
- May represent the school district at magistrate hearings and enforce the compulsory attendance provisions set forth by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
- Perform other tasks and duties as assigned by the Superintendent or Assistant Superintendent
Physical Demands: The physical demands described below 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 the individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
Ability to sit for an extended period of time
Ability to lift, carry, push, or pull 35 pounds
Ability to kneel, crouch, bend and reach to retrieve and handle materials and supplies
Ability to speak clearly and distinctly when communicating
Adequate vision to perform responsibilities and duties
Ability to operate a motor vehicle
The information contained in this job description is for compliance with American with Disabilities Act (ADA) and is not an exhaustive list of the duties performed for this position. Additional duties may be assigned in the future.