Special Ed - Social Worker

BASIC FUNCTIONS:

The primary function of the special education social worker is to assist student, parents and school personnel in

dealing with student needs through direct services in the schools, facilitating communication with community social

service agencies, obtaining necessary collaboration with social, mental health and juvenile justice service providers

and coordinate alternative and residential student placements.

PRIMARY DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

Reports to the director of special education and is responsible for:

* Serving as the primary liaison between the schools and parents of students with disabilities, to assist with

linking students, parents and school personnel to needed educational and community services.

* Providing direct services to students through group and individual counseling, social skill development

groups, student-parent conferences, and assisting with review and modification of behavioral intervention plans.

* Providing direct assistance, in assigned schools, to teachers, support staff and principals in the areas of crisis

intervention, individual student casework, and collaboration with social services, mental health and juvenile justice agencies.

* Participating in student multidisciplinary team evaluations and case conferences by assisting with parent

interviews, completion of social/developmental histories, formulation of behavioral intervention plans and

implementation of placement follow-up services, when necessary.

* Participating in the case conferencing process placing students in the School City of Hammond alternative

programs, monitoring students during placement, and assist with the student's transition back to the home school.

* Assisting with the identification of students with alternative or residential placement needs and coordinate

with the case manager the development and process of alternative service applications with the Indiana

Department of Education, including the identification of placement options and annual renewals.

* Maintaining primary follow-up contact with placement agencies serving students on an alternative or

residential basis, including ongoing monitoring, communication, periodic reporting of student progress and

follow-up with the students transition back to public school.

* Working with outside placement agencies as students re-enter the public school setting following the

student's discharge from residential, hospitalization, or alternative programs.

* Facilitating parent involvement through home visits, parenting groups, utilization of the parent mentor and

special education resource center, and maintaining parental communication in critical cases.

* Providing assistance to parents and families to provide them access to county wide wrap-around services

including social security, Medicaid, Medicaid Waiver, Autism Waiver, Bureau of Developmental Disabilities,

Vocational Rehabilitation, Family and Children, Respite Care and mental health, in addition to many other specific and personalized duties.

* Assisting with the implementation of staff development activities for parents and school personnel, relative

to qualitative instruction, including student and program intervention, curricular adaptations, modifications,

strategies for inclusive programming and assessment of program effectiveness.

* Delivering technical assistance to support school-based planning teams with the formulation of school-based

improvement plans effective for special education students served within the building and with the

implementation of site-based instructional initiatives developed by school planning teams.

* Assisting with the development of written curricular guides, manuals, curriculum reports and administrative

regulations to ensure district compliance with Board policies and state regulations.

* Contributing to the development of periodic papers, newsletters, memoranda and other vehicles for the

dissemination of professional information.

* Setting personal and professional objectives and achieving them to the extent possible.

* Performing other duties as assigned by the director of special educations.

EXPECTATIONS:

* Ability to effectively communicate with teachers, districts personnel, parents and community participants.

* Competence to effectively and efficiently carry out duties, directives and special projects and assignments.

* High level organizational skills.

* Superior oral and written communication skills.

* Commitment to site-based decision making.

* Knowledge of and ability to use interactive technologies.

* Demonstrated conflict resolution skills.

* Participates in professional conferences and meetings to maintain and expand professional knowledge an expertise.

REQUIREMENTS:

* Master of Social Work (MSW)

* Indiana certification as a School Social Worker or statement of eligibility for this license from a university

certifying official or the State Division of Teacher Education and Certification

* Successful social work background

* Experience with children and/or adults with disabilities,…