School Social Worker - Elementary

• Grades PreK-4
• PEL with School Social Worker or School Counselor Endorsement Required
• Salary and Benefits based on PGTA Contract
• Effective 2023-2024 School Year

School District Position Description

Position Title: Social Worker

Department: Student Services

Reports To: Director of Student Services, Building Principal

Contract: 180 Days

Compensation: Determined by PNA between the PGTA and the BOE

Date: July, 2011

SUMMARY:  To assist students with their ability to solve any social, emotional or academic problems that may interfere with their overall progress in school. 

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES. Other duties may be assigned.

• Assists in the identification and diagnosis of student social or emotional problems.
• Generates written reports regarding assessment and attends eligibility meetings for all students assessed.
• Participates in completion of Functional Behavioral Analyses and Behavior Intervention Plans as determined by Domain Reviews. 
• Consults with both regular and special education teachers regarding student social and emotional concerns.
• Consults with parents and completes the Social History component of the case study.
• Attends all building eligibility, IEP and referral meetings as appropriate.
• Conducts individual, group or facilitative therapy for children whose diagnosed problems would benefit from therapeutic intervention.
• Acts as a liaison between the home and school by assisting in interpreting the educational programs to the parents.

• Serves as a liaison in the utilization of community resources in assisting an individual child or family in the coordination of services between public agencies and the school.
• Maintains case records on all referred students.
• Provides crisis intervention in emergency situations which may necessitate changes in the environment, protection for an abused child, etc.
• Attends staff, professional and inter-agency meetings.
• Assists in in-service training of the staff in the appropriate areas.

• Attends professional workshops and/or conferences to maintain current licensure or  school certification
• Keeps abreast of new developments in the field.

• Demonstrates collaborative problem solving.
• Communicates in an effective, constructive, and positive manner with staff, students, and parents. 
• Interacts positively and effectively with school personnel, including administrators, teaching staff, and clerical personnel in order to be an effective team member.
• Is able to be flexible and work across educational environments.

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES:

Supervises Social Work Interns when interns are placed within the district

QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS: To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

EDUCATION and/or EXPERIENCE:

• Masters Degree or Higher in Social Work
• Valid and current Illinois Teaching Certificate, Social Worker, Type 73

LANGUAGE SKILLS: 

Ability to read and comprehend simple instructions, short correspondence, and memos. Ability to write simple correspondence.  Ability to effectively present information in one-on-one and small group situations to the building principal, assistant principal, colleagues, and other employees of the organization.

MATHEMATICAL SKILLS: 

Ability to add, subtract, multiply, and divide in all units of measure, using whole numbers, common fractions, and decimals. Ability to compute rate, ratio, and percent, and to draw and interpret bar graphs.

REASONING ABILITY: 

Ability to apply common sense understanding to carry out detailed but uninvolved written or oral instructions. Ability to deal with problems involving a few concrete variables in standardized situations.

OTHER SKILLS and ABILITIES:

Ability to work with students who have been identified as having minor to moderately to severely handicapping disabilities.  Ability to develop effective working relationships with students, staff, and the school community. Ability to communicate clearly and concisely, both orally and in writing.  Ability to perform duties with awareness of all district requirements and Board of Education policies.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS: The physical demands described here 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 individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to reach with hands and arms.  The employee frequently is required to stand, walk, sit, and talk or hear. The employee is occasionally required to use hands or fingers, to handle, or feel objects, tools, or controls; climb or balance; and stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl. The employee must regularly lift and/or move up to 50 pounds and or push/pull up to 100 pounds.  Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, and peripheral vision. The employee needs to be able to tell where a sound is coming from and hear in a noisy environment.

WORK ENVIRONMENT: The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee occasionally works near moving mechanical parts in some vocational settings. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.  The employee is frequently exposed to infection at a greater risk than the average person. The employee may be directly responsible for the safety, wellbeing, and work output of students.

EVALUATION:  Performance of this position will be evaluated annually in accordance with provisions of the Board’s policy  and state requirements on Evaluation of certified personnel.

The information contained in this job description is for compliance with the American with Disabilities Act (A.D.A.) and is not an exhaustive list of the duties performed for this position.  Additional duties are performed by the individuals currently holding this position and additional may be assigned.