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Social Worker (LICSW) Position Description

Position Overview

Salary: $51,539-$83,199

The Social Worker is part of the Office of Special Education (OSE) team and is based at local schools through the Office of Youth Engagement (OYE). These offices are responsible for providing services to students with special needs and the general education student population. As such, the Social Worker is involved in the following six (6) key areas: (1) preventive work with students, staff, and families that promotes positive school climate and social/emotional well-being; (2) program development to meet the unique needs of the school; (3) program planning that contributes to the development of school-wide policies; (4) advocacy that supports students and families; (5) direct services to students and families; and (6) and special education.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

  • Preventive work with students, staff, and families
  • Providing consultation to school staff and parents to facilitate student educational, social, and emotional growth.
  • Obtaining information concerning the effects of environment, including family, cultural, and economic disadvantages that may be adversely affecting student progress.
  • Conducting home visits that encourage home/school communication.
  • Working collaboratively with the Student Support Team (SST) to develop plans of assistance for students at risk of academic and/or behavioral difficulty.
  • Coordinating school and community services.
  • Serving as the home-school-community liaison responsible for effective resource utilization and positive relations with stakeholders.

Program Development

  • Conducting needs assessments.
  • Planning for support services both within and outside the school.
  • Facilitating special support groups, i.e. students with incarcerated parents, grief and loss, divorce, teen parents, conflict resolution, etc. as needed.
  • Managing family resource centers, where parents/guardians can access needed information and participate in opportunities to learn how to support their student(s).

Program Planning

  • Working with administrators to implement effective policies that address school safety, school attendance, substance abuse, teen pregnancy, child abuse, and neglect.

Advocacy

  • Serving as a mediator within the school.
  • Communicating with other agencies involved with students.
  • Attending court hearings as a DC Public Schools representative.
  • Making appropriate referrals for community resources.

Direct Services

  • Providing individual counseling.
  • Providing group counseling.
  • Providing psycho-education.
  • Providing crisis intervention.
  • Providing parent training.

Special Education

  • Serving as a member of the multi-disciplinary team (MDT).
  • Conducting social work evaluations and other related assessments for initial evaluations and re-evaluations.
  • Providing related services as prescribed by Individualized Education Plans (IEPs), including social skills, life skills, and transitional skills that can be transferred from school to community.
  • Participating in MDT, IEP, manifestation determination, and other related meetings.
  • Working collaboratively within the classroom setting to implement student IEPs.
  • Collecting data for the purpose of monitoring social/emotional progress and evaluating effectiveness of services.
  • Providing technical assistance on strategies that improve outcomes for special education students.
  • Coordinating the design and implementation of behavior intervention plans and functional behavior assessments.
  • Keeping thorough records of each student receiving services.
  • Completing student progress reports.

Qualifications

  • Master’s degree in Social Work (MSW).
  • District of Columbia Government, Department of Health Professional License, which must be renewed every two (2) years by obtaining the required continuing education units:
    • Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker (LICSW)
  • District of Columbia Certification as a School Social Worker, which must be maintained throughout employment with DC Public Schools.
  • At least three (3) years of work experience as a Social Worker in an urban school/setting with a track record of high student achievement.
  • Ability to conduct clinical interviews and write comprehensive social history evaluations.
  • Ability to administer, interpret, and analyze related assessment instruments.