ELECT Family Education School Social Worker

ELECT Family Life Education School Social Worker

Position Goal:
Provide to pregnant and parenting teens information about medical care, infant development, parenting, life skills, and career opportunities. Enhance self-esteem and decision making skills of pregnant and parenting adolescents. Assist in assessing needs of program participants and make appropriate referrals.

Essential Functions:

• Meet with students enrolled in the ELECT program for a minimum of four hours/month.
• Respect confidentiality as prescribed by program standards.
• Counsel pregnant and parenting students, providing insight into behavior and emotions as well as family dynamics.
• Establish and maintain an effective working relationship with the pregnant and parenting throughout their enrollment in high school.
• Arrange intake services to all pregnant and parenting students seeking the services of the program.
• Begin and maintain case-management by assessing the pregnant and parenting students' needs and evaluating growth.
• Monitor pregnant and parenting students' attendance and academic progress towards graduation.
• Act as liaison between the pregnant or parenting student and staff members, school personnel, and child care personnel.
• Coordinate scheduling for pregnant and parenting students as needed.
• Provide individual and peer group counseling as needed.
• Work with the Family Consumer Science Teen Parenting Instructor to coordinate program and management.
• Listen non-judgmentally to pregnant and parenting students' concerns, making appropriate referrals to medical, social, legal and educational sources.
• Aid students in accessing services available through community agencies.
• Maintain up-to-date contact records for each pregnant or parenting student.
• Conduct group sessions with students and families to provide assistance to families experiencing estrangement, crisis or altered family dynamics related to the student's pregnancy or parenting status.
• Provide on-going case management services for students and their dependents including all confidential record keeping and documents.
• Facilitate intake procedures in order to access child care for children of teen parents.
• Initiate and do follow-up contacts with parenting families.
• Arrange for home visits for pregnant or parenting students as needed.
• Serve as a member of local community agency committees as deemed necessary by Reading School District administrators.
• Compile ELECT Family Life Education program data as required by the Reading School District, Berks County Intermediate Unit, and Pennsylvania Department of Education for participation in audits and completion of reports, including an end of the year report.
• Attend workshops and meetings as required by the Berks County Intermediate Unit.
• Attend conferences that will enhance the ELECT Family Life Education Specialist's knowledge about services and programs for pregnant and parenting students.
• Performs other duties as assigned by the Superintendent or his/her designee.

Qualification Requirements:

Education and/or

Experience:

Master's Degree with licensure in Social Work required. PDE certification or willingness to obtain certification. MSW with License Knowledge of schools and community based social service agencies. Knowledge of existing educational programs available within the school and community with regard to specific program requirements. Experience working with high school adolescents; experience as case worker preferred.

Certificates, Licenses, Registrations:
Pennsylvania Instructional Teaching Certificate or School Social Worker Certification

Language

Skills:

Ability to speak clearly and distinctly. Ability to write routine reports and correspondence. Ability to speak effectively with other employees, students and parents.

Mathematical

Skills:

Ability to apply basic arithmetic calculations.

Reasoning Ability:
Ability to define problems, collect data, establish facts and draw valid conclusions.

Other

Skills and Abilities:

Ability to coordinate activities with related and specialist staff. Ability to develop and maintain required records and reports. Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with peers, parents and the community. Good knowledge of procedures, practices, materials, and equipment required to provide appropriate learning experiences for students to whom assigned. Ability to work as a member of a team. Must be courteous and able to deal effectively with people.

Must be cooperative, congenial and service-oriented. Ability to maintain personal…