Social Worker - Division of Student Services

Spartanburg7•Spartanburg, SC

9h•Onsite

About The Position

The Social Worker - Division of Student Services is responsible for providing access to all available community support services for caregivers and their children. This role involves casework with individual students and parents to address personal, social, or emotional maladjustments that affect educational and social progress. The social worker will collaborate with school personnel and outside agencies, assist with the McKinney-Vento Program, and serve as a liaison between home and school. The position requires understanding how social, emotional, psychological, and environmental factors influence academic performance and promoting student health and wellness through advocacy, communication, education, and facilitation of services. The social worker will uphold ethical principles and collaborate with community partners to achieve positive outcomes for students and families, working towards the district's goal of ensuring every student has the necessary services and support for success.

Requirements

Licensed Master Social Worker or equivalent certification preferred
Demonstrated aptitude for the work to be performed
Requires medium work that involves walking, standing, stooping, crouching, crawling, climbing, stretching or lifting all the time and also involves exerting between 20 and 50 pounds of force on a recurring basis, or considerable skill, adeptness and speed in the use of fingers, hands or limbs in tasks involving very close tolerances or limits of accuracy.
Requires the ability to compare and/or judge the readily observable, functional, structural, or compositional characteristics (whether like or divergent from obvious standards) of data, people, or things.
Requires the ability of speaking and/or signaling people to convey or exchange information. Includes giving assignments and instructions and receiving information and instructions from supervisor.
Requires the ability to read work orders, technical instruction, diagrams, and blueprints.
Requires the ability to prepare routine records with the proper format.
Has the ability to speak before others with poise, voice control and confidence.
Requires the ability to apply principles of rational systems to solve practical problems and deal with a variety of concrete variables in situations where only limited standardization exists; to interpret a variety of instructions furnished in oral, written, diagrammatic or schedule form.
Requires the ability to learn and understand relatively complex principles and techniques; to make independent judgments in absence of supervision; to acquire knowledge of topics related to primary occupation.
Must have the ability to comprehend and interpret received information.
Requires the ability to record and deliver information, to follow and give verbal and written instructions; to teach employees.
Must be able to communicate effectively and efficiently with co-workers and the general public.
Requires the ability to add and subtract totals, to multiply and divide, to determine percentages and decimals and to determine time.
Must be able to use practical applications of fractions, percentages, ratio and proportion.
Requires the ability to inspect items for proper length, width, and shape.
Requires the ability to coordinate hands and eyes in using shop equipment; to operate motor vehicles.
Requires the ability to handle a variety of items, control knobs, switches, hand and power tools, measuring devices, etc.
Must have significant levels of eye/hand/foot coordination.
Requires the ability to differentiate colors and shades of color.
Requires the ability to deal with people beyond giving and receiving instructions.
Must be adaptable to performing under stress when confronted with emergency situations or tight deadlines.
Worker may be subject to danger or risk to a moderate degree.
Requires the ability to talk and hear: (talking: expressing or exchanging ideas by means of spoken words; hearing: perceiving nature of sounds by ear).
Has thorough knowledge of the methods, procedures and policies of the School District as they pertain to the performance of duties of the Social Worker - Division of Student Services.
Is knowledgeable in the laws, ordinances, standards and regulations pertaining to the specific duties and responsibilities of the position.
Can follow complex oral and written instructions with minimal supervision.
Has the ability to plan, organize and prioritize daily assignments and work activities.
Has thorough knowledge of the methods, practices and procedures of social work as it pertains to assisting families and students.
Has the ability to help co-workers and employees of other departments as required.
Can prepare work records and reports with accuracy and in a timely manner.
Has considerable knowledge of the terminology used within the department.
Has knowledge of proper English usage; has the mathematical ability to handle required calculations.
Knows how to maintain effective relationships with personnel of other departments, professionals and members of the public through contact and cooperation.
Knows how to react calmly and quickly in emergency situations.
Has the ability to learn and utilize new skills and information to improve job performance and efficiency.
Maintains high standards of accuracy in exercising duties and responsibilities.
Exercises immediate remedial action to correct any quality deficiencies that occur in areas of responsibility.
Maintains high quality communication and interaction with internal and external entities with whom the position interacts.
Performs described Essential Functions and related assignments efficiently and effectively to produce quantity of work which consistently meets established standards and expectations.
Assumes responsibility for completing assigned work.
Completes assigned work within deadlines in accordance with directives, policy, standards and prescribed procedures.
Maintains accountability for assigned responsibilities in the technical, human and conceptual areas.
Attends and remains at work regularly and adheres to policies and procedures regarding absenteeism and tardiness.
Provides adequate notice to higher management with respect to vacation time and leave requests.
Maintains an enthusiastic, self-reliant and self-starting approach to meet job responsibilities and accountabilities.
Strives to anticipate work to be accomplished and initiates proper and acceptable action for the completion of work with a minimum of supervision and instruction.
Exercises analytical judgment in areas of responsibility.
Identifies issues or situations as they occur and specifies decision objectives.
Identifies or assists in identifying alternative solutions to issues or situations.
Implements decisions in accordance with prescribed and effective policies and procedures and with a minimum of errors.
Seeks expert or experienced advice where appropriate and researches issues, situations and alternatives before exercising judgment.
Accepts supervisory instruction and direction and strives to meet the goals and objectives of same.
Questions such instruction and direction when clarification of results or consequences are justified, i.e., poor communications, variance with established policies or procedures, etc.
Offers suggestions and recommendations to encourage and improve cooperation intra- and inter-departmentally.
Shares knowledge with managers, supervisors and co-workers for mutual benefit.
Contributes to maintaining high morale among all employees.
Develops and maintains cooperative and courteous relationships inter- and intra-departmentally, and with external entities with whom the position interacts.
Tactfully and effectively handles requests, suggestions and complaints to establish and maintain good will.
Emphasizes the importance of maintaining a positive image.
Plans and organizes daily work routine.
Establishes priorities for the completion of work in accordance with sound time-management methodology.
Avoids duplication of effort.
Estimates expected time of completion of work elements and establishes a personal schedule accordingly.
Attends required meetings, planning sessions and discussions on time.
Implements work activity in accordance with priorities and estimated schedules.
Adheres to all established safety and housekeeping standards.
Ensures such standards are not violated.

Nice To Haves

Such alternatives to the above qualifications as may be appropriate and acceptable.

Responsibilities

Performs casework service with individual students to connect personal, social, or emotional maladjustments related to their educational and social progress.
Performs casework service with parents as an integral part of the task of helping students, increasing parental awareness and understanding regarding constructive participation in resolving the issues of the child, and their knowledge and use of appropriate resources available.
Consults and collaborates with other school personnel in gathering and exchanging information on cases and in establishing and planning for respective roles in the modification of the student’s behavior.
Supervises the referral of students to and serves as liaison with outside agencies such as the Department of Health and Human Services, Department of Social Services, Department of Mental Health, the Forrester Behavior Center, Juvenile Court, group homes, shelters and other like entities as appropriate.
Assists with the district’s McKinney-Vento Program.
Serves as a liaison between the Parent Involvement Facilitators and the district.
Makes home visits in order to gather relevant information regarding the background of the student.
Serves as liaison between home and school when considerable follow-up is necessary, as in welfare cases, foster home placements, and meeting the needs of disadvantaged students.
Keeps sufficient records of cases for use by school staff members and outside agencies when appropriate.
Arranges, coordinates, monitors, evaluates, and advocates for a variety of services to meet the complex needs of students and families.
Collaborates with caregivers to aid their understanding of their role as active participants in the student’s educational performance.
Supports and promotes the improvement of student’s health and wellness through advocacy, communication, education, identification of service resources, and facilitation of services.
Demonstrates ethical principles including honesty, integrity, fair treatment, and respect for others.
Upholds the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) Code of Ethics, revised 2021.
Facilitates coordination, communication, and collaboration with local community partners to achieve goals and maximize positive outcomes for students and families.
Works toward the Districts’ collective goal to ensure every student in District 7 has the services and support needed to be successful in school.
Works to improve each student’s overall well-being, including physical, mental, emotional health, and academic achievement through the execution of effective social work practices with students and their families.
Performs other duties as assigned by the Executive Director of Student Services and building-level Principal.