Family Social Worker

DREAM•New York, NY

3d•$79,000 - $101,000•Onsite

About The Position

DREAM, formerly Harlem RBI, serves over 2,500 youth annually in East Harlem and the South Bronx through its network of seven PreK-12 charter schools and sports-based youth development programs. The organization aims to create lifelong learners equipped for success through rigorous academics, social-emotional learning, family engagement, and health and wellness. DREAM has an aggressive five-year plan to expand its reach to 3,500 students across seven schools. The Family Social Worker, reporting to the Dean of SEL and Community (DSC), will manage a caseload of families with students enrolled at the campus. This role involves providing direct case management and targeted interventions in collaboration with school staff to address social, emotional, and environmental factors impacting student success.

Requirements

Master’s Degree in Social Work, Mental Health Counseling, Marriage and Family Counseling, or a similar field, required.
New York State Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW), Licensed Master Social Worker (LMSW), or Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC), strongly preferred.
3+ years of experience in case management, counseling, or social services, preferably in a school-based setting.
Demonstrated understanding of school systems, structures, and stakeholder dynamics.
Experience collaborating effectively with teachers, administrators, and multidisciplinary teams.
Experience managing caseloads and driving progress across multiple cases.
Strong ability to use data to inform decision making and prioritize interventions.
Experience using case management, referral, and data systems.
Extensive experience utilizing evidence-based therapeutic approaches with students and their families in diverse, underserved communities.
Experience providing crisis intervention (e.g., assessing for suicidality) with a trauma-informed and restorative justice approach.
Working knowledge of state regulations related to child abuse, neglect, and other urgent care issues.
Excellent oral and written communication skills.
Ability to work independently in a fast-paced environment.
A strong belief in the mission and values of DREAM, including the desire to make a difference in the lives of our students, families, and community.

Nice To Haves

Bilingualism in Spanish, highly preferred.

Responsibilities

Manage a defined caseload of high-priority families, including attendance cases, McKinney-Vento eligible families, and those experiencing disengagement or fractured school relationships.
Provide direct case management and counseling services to students and families, including ongoing check-ins, family meetings, and home visits.
Develop and implement individualized intervention plans in collaboration with teachers, school leadership, and student support teams to support successful student attendance and engagement in school.
Hold ownership for the progress of assigned cases, ensuring timely follow-up, clear action steps, and measurable outcomes.
Partner closely with teachers, school leadership, and student support teams to identify student and family needs.
Participate in grade team meetings, student support meetings, and attendance review cycles to identify needs, contribute to student support planning, and coordinate family interventions.
Support teachers and school staff in understanding family context and connecting insights to student support strategies.
Analyze attendance, behavioral, and academic data to proactively identify families in need of support and prioritize interventions.
Integrate multiple data sources to inform decision making and case prioritization.
Track progress against intervention goals and adjust strategies when progress is not observed.
Monitor implementation of intervention plans and ensure fidelity across stakeholders.
Maintain accurate and timely documentation of all case work, meetings, and interventions in appropriate systems.
Collaborate with families to ensure a positive partnership by providing consistent communication aligned to student progress.
As part of case plans, connect families to relevant external resources including housing, mental health services, public benefits, and legal services.
Build and maintain relationships with community-based organizations to support family needs.
Initiate and maintain communication with outside agencies (e.g., SCR/ACS systems, foster care system) tied to student needs as needed.
Demonstrate strong time management and follow-through across multiple active cases.
Engage in regular supervision with school leadership to reflect on case progress, problem-solve challenges, and strengthen intervention strategies.
Uphold a high bar for professionalism, confidentiality, and ethical practice.
Additional duties related to the running of the school as assigned.

Benefits

Flexible Medical Health Plans, subsidizing the majority of costs for the employee, their spouse/domestic partner and children.
The ability to select between a variety of medical plans according to what best suits the employee’s needs.
Dental and vision plans.
Disability benefits.
Life insurance.
Up to 12 weeks fully paid of Parental Leave.
Flexible spending account options.
Pre-tax commuter benefits (parking and transit).
Fitness and entertainment discounts.
A variety of support through our employee assistance program (EAP).
403(b) retirement plan with employer match starting at 4% after one year, with increases tied to DREAM tenure.
Referral, performance, and tenure milestone bonuses.
Discounted school meals through our in-house Scratch Food Program.
Tuition reimbursement support.
Access to a professional development fund.
School-based 12-month employees have approximately 48 days off throughout the school year including holidays, school breaks, personal days, and wellness days.