Alt Program- Founding Social Worker

Urban Assembly Charter School for Computer Science•New York City, NY

1d•$70,000 - $100,000

About The Position

Comp Sci High Alternative (CSH_ALT) is a new charter alternative high school program in the South Bronx, enrolling its founding cohort of 35 students and launching in August 2026. We are designed for students who are over-age, under-credited, or returning after disrupted schooling and need a different path to success and graduation. CSH_ALT exists because Comp Sci Highs mission is to give every South Bronx student a path to economic freedom, and traditional high school models do not work for all students in the South Bronx. When students struggle in school, get involved with the juvenile justice system, or lack stable housing, we see this as a system failure, not a student failure. That is why we are launching a new alternative program as a small school within a school. CSH_ALT is small by design, relationship-driven, and focused on helping students earn a real diploma while developing emotion regulation, executive functioning, and life skills required for employment, post-secondary training, and long-term economic stability by the age of 25. For many of our students, academic recovery cannot happen without mental health counseling. That is why social work is not peripheral to this school model; it is central to it. As a founding team member, you are expected to be prepared for this realityready to do the work, manage challenges, and contribute to building something real, authentic, and meaningful. As a founding Social Worker, this role requires someone able to navigate real challenges-trauma, instability, distrust of adults-while helping to design systems that make this school both restorative and structured. We blend in-person instruction, technology-supported coursework, and career-connected learning to create a structured yet flexible environment where students are known, supported, and held to high expectations. As a founding team member, you will help shape the culture, systems, and instructional model of a brand-new school built on dignity, relevance, and second chances. We are not just building better academic students, but better people, and restorative SEL is the heartbeat. This is not a check the box counseling job. This is daily, hands-on, sometimes messy work. As a founding Social Worker, you are not joining a finished counseling program; you are helping to build it. You will set up how counseling works in our alternative model, define crisis response, and make sure mental health is part of advisory, instruction, attendance, and internships. You will not be working with students who simply need help managing test anxiety. Many of the students we serve are: Over-age and under-credited, including students with 1015 credits at age 18 or multiple failed regents exams Returning from long-term absences or repeated school disruptions Navigating immigration status challenges and language barrier Parenting, financially supporting family members, or working jobs while enrolled Court-involved, on probation, or navigating active ACS cases Gang-affiliated or navigating peer and community gang influence Living in or transitioning from shelters, foster care, or housing instability, including eviction Diagnosed with IEPs or 504s and managing significant academic and emotional needs Struggling with anxiety, depression, trauma, grief, anger, or untreated mental health concerns Grieving community violence or navigating unstable family dynamics Suspended multiple times from prior schools Emotionally dysregulated, struggling with authority, consistency, and boundaries Distrustful of school because school has not worked for them Some have not had consistent therapy. Some do not have stable adults at home. Many are smart. Many are capable. Many are tired. This school is built to rebuild and relaunch their sense of self-worth. At its core, this role requires emotional steadiness, compassion, and clear judgment. You must be able to work with students who have experienced instability, loss, involvement in systems, and disappointment from adults without becoming reactive or overwhelmed. Some students will present as guarded, defensive, or withdrawn. You are expected to respond consistently, with structure, and professionally. You must be able to hold compassion and accountability at the same time. You can acknowledge a students circumstances without lowering expectations. You do not excuse harmful behavior, nor do you respond with shame. You maintain boundaries, reinforce responsibility, and approach conflict calmly and directly. You are comfortable working within environments where progress is not linear. You can manage tension without escalating it, rebuild relationships after conflict, and remain consistent even when students test limits. You know that trust is built through steady follow-through, not intensity. This role is not for someone who needs predictable days, avoids difficult conversations, or struggles with organization and follow-through. It is for someone who is prepared to be steady, structured, and sincerely dedicated to young people who require both care and standards.

Requirements

Experience providing counseling/therapy for adolescents, preferably in a school setting
Experience working in an urban school, with a track record of excellent student SEL growth
Experience with a variety of psycho-educational and behavioral assessment tools
Experience in management of mental health crises
LMSW and NYS School Social Work Certification required
Experience differentiating for students of many abilities
A demonstrated commitment to working with teens
Willingness to learn more tech and Computer Science skills

Nice To Haves

LCSW preferred
Transfer school experience preferred.

Responsibilities

Ongoing Counseling : Conduct high-quality group and individual sessions with mandated and at-risk students. Adhere to mandated frequency, duration, and maximum group size on IEPs
At-risk students are seen 1x/week, biweekly, or as needed, depending on needs
Respond quickly to referrals tied to attendance decline, behavioral escalation, court stress, housing instability, or family conflict
Crisis Intervention: Conduct risk assessments for students presenting risk of self-harm, suicidal ideation or actions, homicidal ideation, and abuse/neglect
Monitor safety risks based on results of assessments. Examples: Connecting with emergency contacts, Referring to mental health or emergency services, Making ACS reports, if necessary
Documentation: Document all sessions and crisis interventions with session notes in SimplePractice
Log encounter attendance for all mandated students in SESIS
Write IEP reports and goals for mandated students; attend IEP meetings
Develop treatment plans and treatment progress reports reflecting functional growth (attendance, behavior management, internship readiness)
Care Coordination and Advocacy: Maintain regular contact with parents/caregivers of students on caseload
Refer and advocate for services, including therapy referrals, housing resources, grief support, food access, and probation coordination
With consent, connect with external providers to align care and interventions. Coordinate with ACS workers to ensure families are receiving needed services
Support students in dealing with court requirements, housing instability, and external stressors that impact school functioning
School-wide Collaboration and Programming: Attend weekly team meetings and provide insight on mood trends, attendance patterns, and behavioral needs
Conduct classroom observations and push-in support sessions
Assist in developing and improving the advisory and SEL curriculum
Conduct student workshops on necessary topics (e.g., stress management, boundaries)
Facilitate parent workshops on adolescent development and mental health
Lead staff PDs on teen development and mental health
Contribute to building a structured, therapeutic, and accountable school culture