School Social Worker (260 Day)

Classification Title: School Social Worker (260 Day)

Department: MVHS

Pay Grade: Professional Salary Scale (P2)

FLSA Status: Exempt

Supervisor: Director of Special Education & Related Services

GENERAL STATEMENT OF JOB

The individual in this position performs difficult professional work providing comprehensive school social work services and serving as the division’s McKinney-Vento Homeless Liaison for all schools and grade levels. Responsibilities include supporting students and families experiencing homelessness or other barriers to educational success; coordinating special education referral activities; providing truancy and attendance support; completing FAPT case management; administering applicable grant-funded services; and connecting families with school and community resources. Work is performed under the regular supervision of the Director of Special Education and Related Services. This position is a 12-month contract.

SPECIFIC DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Essential Functions:

• Serves as a divisionwide McKinney-Vento Homeless Liaison and ensures that eligible children and youth are identified, immediately enrolled, and provided equal access to educational programs and services.
• Guides schools and families through McKinney-Vento identification and documentation; verifies student coding in PowerSchool; maintains confidential records; and ensures that documentation requirements do not delay enrollment or services.
• Coordinates transportation, school-of-origin services, temporary lodging, and other allowable supports such as food, clothing, hygiene items, school supplies, and emergency assistance in accordance with grant and division requirements.
• Administers Title I homeless and related grant funds; determines allowable spending categories; maintains receipts, signatures, and fiscal records; attends required training; and completes federal program monitoring and corrective actions.
• Maintains annual English and Spanish McKinney-Vento outreach materials in schools and community agencies and provides technical assistance to school personnel, families, shelters, and community partners.
• Serves as case manager for school division FAPT referrals by preparing referral packets, coordinating meetings, communicating with families and agencies, monitoring services, and completing required training, paperwork, records, and certifications; attends and serves on local agency boards supporting students and families, including the Family Assessment and Planning Team (FAPT), as assigned.
• Provides truancy support under the direction of the Director of Student Support Services; attends biweekly secondary truancy conferences; identifies barriers to attendance; recommends resources and interventions; and assists with home visits, referrals, documentation, petitions, and court proceedings as assigned.
• Reviews custody and guardianship documentation and identifies the individual legally authorized to sign special education referral and consent forms, including biological parents, court-appointed guardians, or other authorized educational decision-makers; conducts educational surrogate training and assigns surrogates as needed in accordance with division procedures.
• Consults with case managers, school psychologists, and diagnosticians to schedule initial special education referral appointments and meetings with all appropriate parties within required timelines; meets with parents to explain parental rights and complete required referral forms.
• Conducts parent or guardian interviews and prepares social history reports for initial special education evaluations; prepares, collects, and updates supporting documentation for triennial reviews, including social history reports and teacher forms documenting environmental factors; maintains reports in the school file.
• Obtains releases of information and outside agency reports needed for eligibility consideration; maintains a regular log of all new referrals and routes referrals to school psychologists and diagnosticians.
• Attends child study, student support, initial eligibility, triennial review, and department meetings as a representative of the school division; prepares eligibility minutes for all initial referrals in a timely manner and completes all required VDOE forms.
• Develops and updates forms, in coordination with division leadership, to support compliance with applicable regulations and the collection of required information.
• Accepts and responds to school referrals for students in prekindergarten through grade 12 concerning attendance, housing instability, food insecurity, hygiene, suspected abuse or neglect, transportation, family crisis, and other social or environmental barriers affecting school success.
• Conducts parent conferences, student interviews, and home visits to address environmental barriers to school success; makes mandated reports and referrals to the Department of Social Services and other local agencies; connects students and families with educational, medical, behavioral health, housing, employment, and community resources; and facilitates new services as needed to assist HCPS families.
• Petitions the court system when necessary for child safety issues, in coordination with division leadership, and attends court hearings as required.
• Conducts classroom discussions regarding social issues at teachers’ request; advises principals and school counselors on appropriate responses to social issues; and provides divisionwide training on social issues as directed.
• Collaborates with school personnel, social services, court services, shelters, transportation providers, and community agencies; represents the division at meetings, trainings, conferences, and panel presentations when requested.
• Maintains accurate and timely case notes, logs, reports, correspondence, fiscal records, and other required documentation; performs clerical duties necessary to meet job requirements while protecting student and family confidentiality.
• Facilitating and participating in Safety Care Training.

Additional Duties:

• Performs other related work as required.

MINIMUM EDUCATION AND TRAINING

• Master's degree in Social Work from a regionally accredited college or university and eligibility for Virginia licensure with an endorsement as a School Social Worker.
• A minimum of two years of relevant field experience is preferred.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS AND STANDARDS REQUIRED

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

• Knowledge of school social work, child and adolescent development, family systems, cultural diversity, trauma, poverty, housing instability, special education procedures, mandated reporting, attendance requirements, McKinney-Vento protections, grant administration, and interagency case management.
• Skill in effective communication, both verbally and in writing.
• Demonstrated ability to assess needs, manage sensitive cases, coordinate services across multiple schools and agencies, administer funds, maintain confidentiality and accurate records, meet required timelines, and communicate effectively with students, families, employees, and community partners.
• Demonstrated ability to present information clearly and concisely in verbal and written form.
• Demonstrated ability to maintain effective working relationships with other District employees and the general public.
• Ability to demonstrate conceptual skills and problem-solving capabilities.

Physical Requirements:

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

This is primarily light work requiring the exertion of up to 20 pounds of force occasionally, up to 10 pounds frequently, and a negligible amount of force constantly to move objects. Work requires reaching, pushing, pulling, grasping, handling, fine manipulation, and repetitive motion. Vocal communication is required for expressing and exchanging information. Hearing is required to perceive information at normal spoken-word levels. Visual acuity is required for preparing and analyzing written or electronic data, operating office equipment, determining the accuracy and thoroughness of work, and observing surroundings and activities.

The position requires regular travel among schools, family residences, community agencies, shelters, meetings, and other locations. Duties may occasionally be performed in environments associated with home visits, community outreach, student transportation coordination, or the delivery of resources.

Work Environment:

The worker is not subject to adverse environmental conditions.

Disclaimer: This job description is intended to describe the general nature and level of work performed by employees within this classification. It is not intended to contain or be interpreted as a comprehensive inventory of every duty, responsibility, or qualification required of an employee assigned to this position. Duties and responsibilities may be modified or assigned based on the operational needs of the school division.

Henry County Public Schools is an Equal Opportunity Employer.