Homeless Liaison

Hazelwood School District•Saint Louis, MO

1d•Onsite

About The Position

The Hazelwood School District is a diverse school district in suburban St. Louis, Missouri, and is the second-largest district in St. Louis County. Faculty and staff educate students in the district’s 19 elementary schools, six middle schools, three high schools, early childhood education programs, gifted programs, and Opportunity Center (alternative learning). In a culture of high expectations and excellence, our students will become lifelong learners equipped with 21st Century skills for success as global citizens. Performs various duties associated with identifying and enrolling homeless children and youths in accordance with the McKinney-Vento Homeless Act.

Requirements

Valid Missouri DESE teaching certificate at any grade level or a bachelor’s degree in social work.
On-the-job experience in providing social services or counseling assistance to children and their families.
Possess intellectual, technical and human relations skills needed to work cooperatively with colleagues, parents and community groups to accomplish district goals.
Demonstrate organization in conducting assessments and demonstrate case management skills.
Provide families with information related to the needs of their child and act as a resource to parents/guardians by providing family support activities and communicating available services.

Responsibilities

Maintain proficient knowledge of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Act as well as other resources available to local educational agencies.
Implement and streamline processes that would assist school personnel in better identifying homeless children and youths through outreach and coordination activities.
Collaborate with school staff/administrators to develop programs for homeless families and homeless children and youths that provide access to educational services for which such families, children, and youths are eligible, including services through Head Start programs (including Early Head Start programs).
Coordinate events to include homeless families and homeless children and youths that provide resources and/or referrals to health care services, dental services, mental health and substance abuse services, housing services, and other appropriate services.
Create and develop McKinney-Vento Homeless Act Trainings for school personnel to ensure that they are providing services under this subtitle and receive professional development and other support.
Conduct McKinney-Vento Homeless Act eligibility assessments for students who may potentially enroll in the Families in Transition Program and ultimately ensure homeless children and youths are enrolled in and have a full and equal opportunity to succeed academically.
Facilitate and/or attend enrollment disputes to ensure they are mediated in accordance with McKinney-Vento Homeless Act guidelines
Inform parents or guardians of homeless children and youths of the educational and related opportunities available to their children to ensure they are provided with meaningful opportunities to participate in the education of their children.
Promote public notice of the educational rights of homeless children and youths to be disseminated in locations frequented by parents or guardians of such children and youths, and unaccompanied youths, including schools, shelters, public libraries, and soup kitchens, in a manner and form understandable to parents and guardians of homeless children and youths and unaccompanied youths.
Ensure the parent or guardian of a homeless child or youth, and any unaccompanied youths, are fully informed of all transportation services, including transportation to the school of origin.
Inform school personnel, service providers, advocates working with homeless families, parents and guardians of homeless children and youths, and homeless children and youths of the duties of the local educational liaisons.
Publish an annually updated list of liaisons on the State educational agency’s website.
Coordinate and collaborate with State Coordinators and community and school personnel responsible for the provision of education and related services to homeless children and youths. Such coordination shall include collecting and providing the State Coordinator with the reliable, valid, and comprehensive data needed to meet the requirements of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Act.
Serve as educational liaison for unaccompanied youths to ensure the following: a. Unaccompanied youths are enrolled in school. b. Unaccompanied youths have opportunities to meet the same challenging state academic standards as the state establishes for other children and youths. c. Unaccompanied youths are informed of their status as independent students under section 480 of the Higher Education Act of 1965. d. Unaccompanied youths may obtain assistance from the local educational agency liaison to receive verification of such status for purposes of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid.
Other duties as assigned by the supervisor.