This is a Short-Term Job Posting for the 2023-2024 School Year

District Office-Student Services

190-Day Contract

Job Title:        School Social Worker - General Education

Minimum Qualifications

• Valid New Mexico Clinical Social Worker license (LCSW previously known as LISW);
• or Master Social Worker license (LMSW) with a master’s degree from an accredited school;
• LMSW must obtain LCSW provisional license prior to start of fourth contract year of employment. 
• LMSW holding Provisional LCSW License must obtain full LCSW license prior to final day of fourth contract year.
• The District may consider a modification to this timeline to accommodate special circumstances.
• PED approval required for Programs outside of New Mexico.
• Current New Mexico Department of Education license appropriate to the assignment or ability to obtain proper licensure within 90 days of hire.
• Experience required for specific job assignment, as determined by Director of Special Services.

Performance Responsibilities

• Performs casework service with individual students and their families, to develop skills in the areas of personal, social, or emotional maladjustments which directly impact their educational success and social progress.
• Performs casework service with parents to ensure their understanding of decisions, procedures and meetings which affect their children, to elicit their constructive participation in resolving their child’s difficulties, and to enhance their knowledge and use of appropriate community and school based resources.
• Consults with school personnel on current mental health practices and concepts; works collaboratively with personnel to develop and maintain effective interactions and interventions.
• Assists in planning for student transitions to ensure continuity of services and refers students to, and serves as liaison with, such outside agencies as may be appropriate.
• Makes home visits for the purpose of gathering helpful information on a student’s background, or to verify safety.
• Serves as liaison between home, school and community in all aspects of intervention and also when considerable follow-up and support are needed.
• Provides students and their families with individual, group or family interventions to assist with pro-social skill development.
• Prepares and interprets social histories and screens.  Documents all services provided to student and family. Maintains a confidential working file on all students.
• Complies with state-approved New Mexico Administrative Code of Ethical Responsibility of the Education Profession and the RRPS Employee Standards of Conduct and upholds and enforces rules, administrative directives and regulations, school board policies, and local, state and federal regulations.
• Employee may be assigned other duties based on the needs of the district during the term of employment.

Essential Job Responsibilities

• Complies with the approved code of Ethics of the National Association of Social Workers and upholds and enforces school district policies and procedures.

Serves as a member of a team consisting of administrators, school personnel, students, and families, and engages in the following activities:

• Aids in the identification of students’ needs in the school setting;
• Conducts, prepares and interprets social histories for students
• Supports students with program transitions and ensures continuity of services; and
• Serves as an advocate for students and their families.
• Works cooperatively with employees to develop and maintain effective interactions and interventions.

• Provides social work services for individual students to help alleviate social, emotional, and behavioral problems that impede school progress, to include the following activities:

• Provides brief, strengths based, CBT & solution-focused individual and group counseling;
• Provides crisis-intervention services;
• Provides information on social, emotional, and behavioral issues within the school setting;
• Maintains a professional relationship with students; and
• Respects students’ individual concerns and provides support and encouragement by emphasizing personal strengths.

• Provides services for parents and other family members in the following ways:

• Enlists support of parents and families to promote student success;
• Serves as advocate for parents and other family members;
• Promotes home/school partnerships by providing support to parents and family members through school conferences and home visits;
• Responds in a professional and timely manner to parent/guardian inquiries;
• Communicates openly with and interprets school policies to families;
• Participates in organizing and conducting parent training, team meetings, and conferences;
• Identifies and makes referrals to school district and community based service programs which are appropriate to the needs of students and their families.

• Consults and collaborates with school administrators and school-based professionals through following activities:

• Interprets students’ social/emotional needs to school personnel;
• Participates in developing Functional Behavioral Assessments, Behavior Intervention Plans and behavioral management strategies for use within the school environment;
• Serves as a resource for school staff on current mental health practices, emotional, social, and behavioral issues;
• Participates in the formulation and development of school-wide procedures and strategies for intervention with social, emotional, and behavioral issues;
• Provides training to staff in areas of communication, stress management, classroom management, Functional Behavioral Assessments, Behavior Intervention plans and in the development and provision of in-service programs for schools;
• Participates with school staff in developing resources within the school setting which offer students emotional and moral support;
• Contributes to staff meetings, workshops, and other school activities.

• Works in partnership with community agencies to coordinate services for students and families through following activities:

• Maintains a current knowledge of community resources;
• Establishes and maintains positive working relationships with community service providers;
• Utilizes appropriate referral procedures for community services and participates in planning for services to be provided for students and families;
• Contributes to the development of programs within the community that will benefit students;
• Utilizes the services of various disciplines within the community to assess and provide for the needs of students and families; and

• Assists in establishing procedures for periodic review and evaluation of school social work services.
• Maintains professional skills through consultation, in-service activities, and must earn 15 CEU’s annually approved by the New Mexico Board of Social Work Examiners and the New Mexico State Board of Education.
• Maintains an awareness and respect for the cultural diversity of students and families and assists school personnel in understanding these variations when planning for students and families.

• Keeps confidential individual records for the purpose of making appropriate referrals and for maintaining continuity of school work services according to public laws.

Work Hours

Work hours will be in accordance with hours determined by the school district and the

individual schools with the parameters of the Collective Bargaining Agreement.