2026-27 SOCIAL WORKER

Orange County Public Schools•ORLANDO, FL

About The Position

The Social Worker provides school social work services and referrals to students and families to meet students’ social and emotional needs and promote successful learning. The role collaborates with district and school-based student services personnel. Depending on job location, the position reports to the district-level Director or the school-level Principal. The Social Worker provides individual and group counseling, supports mental health and resiliency initiatives, participates in MTSS and related student-support meetings, and connects families with community resources. The role also conducts assigned portions of evaluations for ESE services, supports attendance and truancy interventions, responds to student safety and crisis needs, conducts home visits, documents services, and contributes to professional learning and support for interns and newly hired school social workers. The position follows district policies and procedures and performs other duties as assigned.

Requirements

Master’s degree in social work from an accredited college or university.
Certification or eligibility for certification by the Florida State Department of Education.
Must have and maintain a valid State of Florida driver’s license and/or have access to transportation.
Ability to communicate effectively using written and oral communication skills.
Ability to use effective, positive interpersonal skills.
Knowledge of state and federal laws related to school attendance, child abuse, and HIPAA.
Knowledge of community resources and community contacts.
Knowledge of and ability to interact with individual, group, and family dynamics.
Ability to analyze reports, social histories, and behavior assessments.
Commitment to a core set of beliefs about learning, teaching, and ongoing professional learning.
Knowledge of effective social work theories and practices and ability to provide effective social work practices.
Ability to make sound decisions.
Physical ability to exert very moderate effort in light work, including possible stooping, kneeling, crouching, crawling, and lifting, carrying, pushing, or pulling objects weighing 12–20 pounds.
Visual perception and discrimination; some tasks require oral communication ability and the ability to perceive and discriminate sounds.

Responsibilities

Follow a professional code of ethics and values, and respond to internal and external customers in a timely, accurate, courteous, and empathetic manner.
Use technology routinely and effectively for communication, organization, management, and other daily work.
Collaborate and meet regularly with the school’s Student Services Team to support mental health services and resiliency initiatives across all tiers.
Participate in and support the MTSS process to address student needs, including attendance, academic, behavioral, social, health, and mental health needs; participate in related MTSS, ACST, IEP, 504, and discipline meetings as appropriate.
Represent school social work services at appropriate meetings and activities, ensuring federal, state, and district requirements are met.
Conduct assigned portions of student evaluations for ESE services within social work responsibilities.
Provide instructional lessons on resiliency topics, including Child Safety Matters and lessons following specific disciplinary infractions.
Provide direct individual and group counseling, including counseling as a related service on Individual Evaluation and 504 plans when applicable.
Support Threat Management Teams in an appropriate capacity as defined by the district.
Support students who exhibit self-harm or suicidal ideation and ensure appropriate interventions are implemented.
Collaborate with school-based attendance teams to support attendance and truancy interventions at all tiers.
Connect families with community resources and information to meet student and family needs.
Conduct home visits to assess areas that may interfere with learning or appropriate educational placement.
Support district crisis response.
Provide timely documentation through district tracking and accountability systems, including digital and cumulative records.
Stay current with technology used by OCPS and attend district-supported training as needed to maintain the required skill level.
Participate in and provide professional learning for OCPS employees and community members within social work responsibilities, as needed.
Support and assist graduate interns and newly hired school social workers.
Follow district policies and procedures related to HRMD guidelines, instructional initiatives, and fixed assets.
Develop leadership in subordinates and maintain timely, accurate information, including accountability for the quality of information maintained by supervised staff.
Pursue self-development and stay current with research, trends, and best practices relevant to the area of responsibility.
Perform other duties as assigned by the principal or director.