School Social Worker​/Clinical Counselor at Maya Angelou Academy SY

The Organization

Maya empowers opportunity and justice‑involved youth to transform the trajectory of their lives. We do this by engaging each of our scholars in a restorative, relevant school experience that prioritizes personalized academic support, well‑being, and preparation for the post‑Maya pathway of their choice. With an education in our network of schools, our scholars will do more than succeed — they will thrive!

If you are interested in learning more about See Forever, please visit our website forever.org.

Site Description

New Beginnings Youth Development Center (NB) is the District of Columbia’s long‑term detention center for male and female youth located in Laurel, MD. It is responsible for the care and custody of youth placed in secure detention by court order.

The Social Worker/Clinical Counselor provides trauma‑informed mental health, behavioral, and social‑emotional support services to students enrolled in a school located within a juvenile detention center. This position serves students ages 13–21, many of whom have experienced trauma, interrupted education, behavioral health challenges, involvement with multiple systems, and disabilities, including students with Individualized Education Programs (IEPs). The Social Worker/Clinical Counselor plays a critical role in delivering individual counseling, behavioral intervention supports, crisis response, and school‑wide social‑emotional learning (SEL) programming within a secure setting.

Key responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

Provide behavioral support services for students receiving special education services. Collaborate with special education case managers, school psychologists, teachers, and administrators to support implementation of IEP behavioral goals and accommodations. Support restorative and therapeutic approaches to student discipline and behavior intervention.

Provide individual counseling services to students experiencing emotional, behavioral, social, and mental health challenges. Conduct intake screenings, risk assessments, and ongoing student needs assessments. Develop individualized counseling goals aligned to student social‑emotional and behavioral needs. Support students with emotional regulation, coping skills, conflict resolution, grief/loss, anger management, trauma recovery, and interpersonal skills. Maintain confidential counseling records and documentation in accordance with applicable laws, regulations, and school policies.

Collaborate with facility mental health staff, school staff, and outside providers to coordinate services and supports.

Design, coordinate, and implement school‑wide SEL programming and initiatives aligned with the developmental and behavioral needs of detained youth. Facilitate SEL groups, psycho educational workshops, and therapeutic skill‑building sessions. Support the integration of SEL practices into classrooms and school culture.

Participate in IEP meetings, manifestation determination meetings, SST meetings, transition planning meetings, and re‑entry planning processes.

Maintain timely and accurate records, case notes, service logs, progress reports, and required documentation. Ensure services comply with IDEA, FERPA, and all district and federal regulations. Participate in required professional development and staff training. Support data collection and reporting related to counseling services, behavioral interventions, and SEL initiatives.

Tasks that may not directly align with your job description but are vital and serve to maintain a safe and effective teaching and learning environment for scholars and staff.

• Master’s degree in social work or mental health/community/school counseling.
  DC License is mandatory. If LGSW or LGPC, must have two years of working experience and be LICSW or LPC‑eligible.
• OSSE certification is mandatory (within 1 year).
• Experience working in juvenile detention/secure facilities is preferred, but not mandatory.
• Experience…