Social Worker

Hamilton County Schools•Chattanooga, TN

10d•Onsite

About The Position

This is a shared position between DuPont Elementary School and Rivermont Elementary School. The school social worker collaborates with school-level teams to address mental health and behavioral concerns, provide positive behavioral support, and support students’ academic and classroom needs. The role also builds connections between school, home, and community by providing wrap-around services to students and families to address barriers to student achievement. The social worker provides counseling, case management, referrals, crisis support, consultation, and family and community resource connections. The role includes supporting students experiencing homelessness, helping staff use trauma-informed practices, participating in student success planning and district crisis response, and maintaining appropriate documentation and licensure.

Requirements

Master’s degree in Social Work.
Current valid Tennessee School Social Worker license for pre-K–12 through the Department of Education, or willingness to obtain the required license by the start date through one of the stated eligibility routes.
Case management assessment and documentation abilities.
Effective verbal and written communication skills.
Ability to collaborate with internal and external partners and clients.
Analytical abilities.
Planning, organizational, problem-solving, decision-making, and time-management skills.
Adherence to applicable social work and teacher codes of ethics and maintenance of required licensure.

Nice To Haves

LMSW or LCSW licensure is preferred.
Eligibility to obtain a School Social Work license through completion of an educator preparation program in school social work and recommendation by an approved provider; a valid social worker license from Tennessee or another state; or a Social Work degree and a valid out-of-state professional-level educator license. Hamilton County Schools requires a master’s degree.

Responsibilities

Provide mental health counseling to individuals and student groups.
Provide case management and wrap-around services to students and families, including referrals to school-based and community-based resources and service providers.
Work with the McKinney-Vento liaison to identify eligible students and families and provide ongoing wrap-around services, which may include home visits.
Educate staff about academic barriers such as homelessness, transportation, and nutrition.
Provide trauma-informed practices and restorative-circle support and training to school- and district-level staff.
Co-lead Student Success Planning team meetings and consult and problem-solve with staff as part of MTSS/Student Planning Team processes.
Develop and assist with implementing student intervention plans, which may include crisis intervention, suicide risk assessments, and threat assessments.
Lead or participate in the district crisis response team, providing individual and school-wide crisis prevention, response, and recovery.
Advocate on issues of diversity and social opportunities that can contribute to school failure, and address education, chronic absenteeism, and discipline disparities.
Connect students and families with information and resources for post-secondary services; facilitate or co-facilitate sessions or informational meetings about post-secondary learning opportunities and alternative career-path placements.
Collaborate with school staff to remove barriers to attendance and academic success through student and family support and wrap-around services.
Support and facilitate parent groups to share concerns, provide education, and problem-solve to enhance students’ social, emotional, and academic progress.
Research and evaluate job functions and collect data to develop policies and programs that enhance family and community participation in education and student achievement.
Attend work and arrive on time.
Adhere to the Social Work Code of Ethics and the Teacher Code of Ethics as defined by Tennessee law.
Maintain appropriate licensure and provide required documentation to validate licensure in a timely manner.
Communicate the social worker’s role and available services to students, parents, and the community.
Follow established procedures to ensure assigned areas are safe.
Address problems positively and respectfully, treat students and others with respect, and maintain confidentiality.
Maintain up-to-date documentation in the school social work documentation and online database system, as well as the Student Success Planning Platform.
May operate a motor vehicle to conduct work activities.
Perform other duties as assigned.