School Social Worker

Fulton Schools•Atlanta, GA

About The Position

School social workers act as liaisons between the school, home, and community to support students’ attendance, social-emotional, and academic needs. They assess students and families to identify barriers to accessing and engaging in the educational environment, provide support services, and connect families with resources to improve educational outcomes. The position serves assigned school(s) and works with school and District teams, community agencies, state agencies, and families.

Requirements

Master’s degree in Social Work.
Must hold or be eligible for certification as a School Social Worker.
Knowledge of child behavioral norms and development across stages of growth and chronological age.
Knowledge of laws affecting children, including child labor, guardianship, custody, and compulsory school attendance.
Willingness to take legal action when necessary to help a student and their family.
Ability to develop and maintain effective relationships with community agencies.
Ability to manage multiple tasks, projects, and responsibilities.
Ability to apply critical thinking to resolve various issues.
Ability to collaborate effectively with District personnel and the public and work with diverse groups of people.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills.

Nice To Haves

At least two years of experience in the school social work field is preferred.

Responsibilities

Liaise among schools, families, and communities to meet student and family needs.
Conduct student and family needs assessments and address barriers to accessing the educational environment.
Identify resources and supports to improve students’ social-emotional and academic outcomes.
Collaborate with community agencies to provide resources to students and families.
Conduct home visits to facilitate home-school connections.
Use student data to assess, implement, and evaluate social work interventions.
Use evidence-informed practices to provide attendance and social-emotional intervention support within the MTSS framework.
Support integration of social-emotional and attendance programming in accordance with District policy.
Collaborate with school and District teams, including MTSS, PBIS, Crisis Teams, and CARE Teams, to support students.
Serve on department committees developing school social work practices, initiatives, and procedures.
Liaise between schools and state agencies.
Advise and support administrators and staff on state-mandated child abuse and neglect reporting protocols.
Conduct mandated reporter training on child abuse and neglect for District staff.
Advise and support schools on compulsory attendance law and District attendance policy; prepare and file educational neglect and truancy petitions and attend court hearings.
Assist schools in reviewing guardianship documentation.
Support District residency verification and enrollment processes.
Maintain student records in accordance with District and state guidelines.
Manage and monitor monthly data reports of school social work services provided at assigned school(s).
Follow the NASW Standard for School Social Work Services and applicable federal, state, and local laws and ethical practice guidelines.
Ensure students identified as homeless receive educational support under the McKinney-Vento Homeless Act, collaborating with stakeholders to support their educational needs.
Liaise with the Department of Family and Children Services to support the educational needs of students in foster care.
Comply with the educator and social worker codes of ethics required by the Fulton County School System.
Participate in District-level and school-based professional learning activities for continued professional growth.
Perform other duties as assigned by the appropriate administrator.