School Social Worker

About PLN

Founded on Skid Row in 1980, Para Los Niños(PLN) partners with more than 10,000 children, youth, and families each year through integrated education, wellness supports and advocacy, addressing individual and systemic barriers to create pathways to success. In addition to operating early education centers, charter elementary and middle schools, youth workforce development sites and family services, PLN is the only children’s mental health provider in the Skid Row neighborhood.

PLN's community transformation work brings together community members, community-based organizations, city and county agencies, elected officials, and businesses to tackle issues that impact PLN families. Ninety-three percent of families served by PLN live in areas with the highest levels of food insecurity and homelessness in L.A. County.

The School Social Worker provides a range of social‑emotional, behavioral, mental health, and family support services to students, families, and school staff. The School Social Worker supports the overall educational mission of the school by helping remove barriers to student engagement, learning, attendance, and well‑being through collaboration with students, families, staff, and community partners.

The School Social Worker contributes to school‑wide prevention and wellness initiatives, while also providing targeted and intensive interventions for students requiring additional support. This role may support services across multiple tiers of intervention and participate in interdisciplinary efforts that promote a positive, safe, and inclusive school environment.

• Collaborates with school‑based support staff, administrators, teachers, counselors, interns, and community partners to coordinate services and support student success.
• Supports the development and implementation of school‑wide prevention and intervention strategies that promote positive school culture, social‑emotional wellness, student safety, and mental health awareness.
• Provides individual and group interventions, counseling, case management, crisis response, conflict resolution, and restorative practices for students requiring additional support.
• Conducts risk assessments, safety planning, crisis intervention, and required follow‑up documentation in accordance with school policies and legal mandates.
• Partners with families to address social, emotional, behavioral, attendance, and academic concerns through consultation, resource linkage, conferencing, home visits, and ongoing communication.
• Consults and collaborates with instructional staff to support student engagement, classroom functioning, and behavioral interventions.
• Participates in multidisciplinary meetings, including student support, intervention planning, case conferences, and Individualized Education Program (IEP) meetings as appropriate.
• Provides Educationally Related Mental Health or counseling services as assigned and maintains accurate documentation and compliance requirements.
• Assists with the coordination and facilitation of parent education workshops, support groups, and family engagement activities based on identified school or community needs.
• Builds and maintains collaborative partnerships with community agencies and external providers to increase access to supportive services and resources for students and families.
• Supports attendance improvement efforts through intervention planning, family outreach, progress monitoring, and coordination of supportive services.
• Assists in the onboarding, supervision, training, and support of interns, trainees, or other assigned personnel as needed.
• Maintains timely and accurate case records, service documentation, reports, and data tracking in compliance with organizational, legal, and funding requirements.
• Maintains current knowledge of applicable federal, state, and local laws, regulations, ethical standards, and best practices related to child welfare, mental health, special education, confidentiality, mandated reporting, and student rights.
• Supports school staff in understanding mandated reporting responsibilities and assists with child abuse reporting procedures when appropriate.
• Participates…