Job Description
School social workers at The Leona Group evaluate students' emotional and behavioral needs, developing intervention plans that help children access educational benefits fully while serving as liaisons to support families and communities.
The Leona Group manages educational programs in schools, emphasizing collaboration with parents, guardians, and agencies to address student care and services.
Professionals conduct evaluations for special education eligibility, participate in IEP meetings, write behavior intervention plans, and provide training on conflict prevention, while mentoring newer social workers and responding to crises. They maintain confidential records, consulting with teachers and visiting homes. One constraint is navigating stressful situations during school crises while coordinating multiple stakeholders.
Compensation and benefits are not specified in the source; roles involve local travel to schools. Schedules vary with on-call duties. Requirements include a master's in social work, licensure with school endorsement, and two or more years of experience in schools. Professional development opportunities include mentoring and continuing education on behavior strategies.
Responsibilities
- Conduct social work evaluations with students suspected of having emotional/behavioral problems which may qualify them for special education services
- Participate in Multi-Disciplinary team meetings to review the results of evaluation(s) and make recommendations relative to eligibility
- Participate in Individual Educational Planning team (IEP) meetings to identify the amount of social work support a student may require; develop annual goals/short-term instructional objectives related to the social/emotional needs of an eligible student
- Provide social work services as described in IEPs related to specific goals and objectives; provide written evaluations on student progress
- Conduct functional behavior assessments and write behavior intervention plans in cooperation with IEP team members
- Provide training for staff and assists staff in carrying out behavior intervention plans
- Maintain appropriate confidential records for each student served
- Develop and plan activities with general education and collaborative teachers to facilitate inclusion of special education students with behavior problems in the general education classroom
- Mentors other social workers eligible for temporary approval as school social worker(s) during their first year(s) of employment
- Provide pre-referral consultation to teachers and school leaders regarding students with behavior/adjustment issues and join the child study team when students with behavior problems are referred for interventions
- Provide consultation to parents/guardians regarding family and community adjustment and utilization of community resources
- Provide training and assistance to teachers related to classroom management skills to more effectively address student behavior issues
- Serve as a liaison between the school and community service agencies
- Make home visits for family consultation and evaluation
- Assist school teams in developing and carrying out crisis response plans
- Assist staff and parents in adjusting to crises/trauma
- Serve on Leona-wide crisis, trauma and loss response team(s) to address major incidents
- Assist the school team in developing and implementing school-wide behavior intervention strategies
- Provide training on Conflict Prevention and Intervention or other strategies to assist school staff in effectively addressing problem areas
- Provide social skills training to students as part of school-wide behavior intervention strategies
- Other duties as assigned
Requirements
- Masters in social work and licensure/certification with a School Social Worker endorsement or eligibility for temporary or full approval as a school social worker
- Two or more years' successful school social work experience
- Skill in individual and group assessment and treatment techniques as acquired through experience
- Ability to formulate eligibility recommendations for students with emotional/social problems
- Ability to communicate effectively both orally and in written communications
- Knowledge of positive behavior intervention strategies and successful experience in writing and implementing behavior intervention plans
- Knowledge of social skills needed to change behavior and ability to integrate training into classroom activities
- Knowledge of community resources and experience with a variety of agencies
- Ability to handle stressful situations and carry out responsibilities during times of crisis
- Ability to work effectively as a team member in developing and providing services to students