Position Goal:
The School Social Worker is an active participant in the diagnostic team and serves as a vital link between family, school and community in accordance with the policies defined by the Michigan Administrative Rules for Special Education.
Performance Responsibilities:
1. Responsibilities within School Systems:
- Identify and coordinate accommodations and modifications of school environment for student's access to general education curriculum and instruction.
- Provide support to facilitate successful transitions in the areas that affect students' learning opportunities.
- Provide crisis prevention, planning, and intervention services, including assessments of the impact of trauma on development, learning and school performance.
- Develop functional behavior assessments and behavior intervention plans to facilitate successful learning and socialization opportunities. Provide services and disseminate information to encourage school-wide positive behavior supports.
2. Roles of School Social Worker within Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS):
- Implement school social work services within a multi-tiered intervention model for programs and services.
- Provide instruction, modeling, to students, parents, and school staff in the implementation of effective behavior intervention strategies and techniques, including coaching in the development of Functional Behavior Assessments.
- Provide ongoing guidance and training services to parents and school staff on topics pertinent to the development, mental health and learning needs of students.
- Conduct needs assessments and advocate for policies, programs, and services to meet educational and mental health needs of all students, and to support safe school climates conducive to learning.
- Identify issues that may interfere with student development, learning and school success.
- Identify and work to prevent bias, prejudice, discrimination and oppression that interfere with individual rights in the educational process.
3. Special Education Evaluation of Students:
- Provide comprehensive written reports of assessments and evaluations of students that specifically address the reasons for referral. Utilize multiple methods of collecting data, and provide appropriate measurable goals for intervention and anticipated outcomes from service.
- Provide and interpret assessments and evaluations to determine eligibility for special education, and identify needs for programs and services.
- Utilize home and community settings, as appropriate, to collect assessment information, collaborate with parents, and provide interventions.
- Collaborate with parents, multidisciplinary evaluation team members, school administrators, and other community agencies to develop an accurate understanding of a student's disability, the impact of the disability on student's educational performance, and provide information regarding whether behaviors and school performance are attributable to manifestations of the disability.
- Ensure the prevention, assessment, evaluation and intervention services are sensitive to the diverse needs of the student's multi-cultural differences.
- Perform systematic direct observation of students.
4. Direct Student Services:
- Provide direct service to students with disabilities consistent with the IEP.
- Provide individual and group counseling to students and their families in need of assistance utilizing and ecological framework addressing variations in development and learning, as well as reciprocal influences of home, school and community.
- Provide consultation, collaboration, and advisement services to students, their family members and school staff regarding students' social, emotional, and behavioral status impacting learning, development, mental health, and school success. Encourage developmentally appropriate student self-determination and self-advocacy.
- Provide liaison, coordination, and case management services with schools, families, community agencies, and other resources to influence positive school outcomes for students.
5. Other/Miscellaneous:
- Maintain proper records and reports regarding evaluations and contact with student and others.
- Keep student attendance/Medicaid records.
- Compete other duties as assigned by the SJCISD Administration.
