School Social Worker at Waukegan School District 60 in Waukegan, Illinois

Job Description:

Who We Are:
Waukegan Community Unit School District No. 60 serves nearly 15,500 students in preschool through grade 12 and is located halfway between Chicago, Illinois and Milwaukee, Wisconsin on the shores of Lake Michigan.  The District has 1 early learning center, 15 elementary schools, five middle schools and a high school program divided between two 9th – 12th grade campuses.  The District encompasses portions of Waukegan, Beach Park and Park City.
 
Why We Do This Work:
The Waukegan Community Unit School District No. 60 has set an ambitious agenda for change, guided by the belief that all children, regardless of circumstances, can achieve at high levels and academic gaps can and will be eliminated with the support of teachers who deliver engaging, relevant, and academically rigorous instruction that excites students and instills a love of learning in them.
 
Essential Duties and Responsibilities:
The School Social Worker will be directly responsible to the Director of Special Education and Social Work Coordinator. School Social Workers are ethically driven master's level practitioners with the unique ability to improve student academic outcomes by improving students' social-emotional well being and school climate, supporting teachers and administration, assisting families with their child's social-emotional needs, and identifying local resources and intervening in crisis situations. School Social Workers have the skill set necessary to assist in all three tiers of RtI (MTSS), including working with children with behavioral challenges. School Social Workers have a positive effect on the students they work with leading to positive educational outcomes.
 
Responsibilities: 

1. IEP Writing: Provides social/emotional evaluations and social histories based on domains, writes present levels of performance and data –driven measurable IEP goals.
2. Acts as an IEP team member in meetings and in service delivery. Takes particular care to support the child and family in the IEP process.
3. Provides any social work service as required by the IEP.
4. Writes FBAs for students who are in the MDR process. 

 
Social Work at the Intensive level (Tier 3): 

1. Provides crisis response and threat assessment for students in critical need. Critical need is defined as suicidal ideation, potential harm to self or others and family crisis that significantly impacts student’s functioning at school.
2. Supports students below the 10th percentile.
3. Provides confidential individual social work services.
4. Takes a lead role in Wraparound plans.
5. Takes a lead role in the development of FBAs and acts as an active team member in the development and monitoring of BIPs.
6. Performs comprehensive formal and informal ecological assessments including: academic functioning, social-emotional and mental health functioning, adaptive functioning, and family and community interactions.
7. Community liaison: to ensure adequate and appropriate resources for students and families in need.
8. Is an active member of the CORE Problem Solving team and Individual Problem Solving Team.
9. May assist in processing discipline referrals if appropriate.
10. May be a case manager for 504 plans if social-emotional needs are primary.
11. May write social stories for individual students. 

 
Social Work at the Secondary level  (Tier 2): 

1. Is an active member of the Targeted Systems Team particularly suited to the role of interpreting behavior and needed supports. 
2. Uses building data systems to develop skill based social work groups to help identified and screened students maintain personal, social and academic competencies.
3. Conducts social-emotional and behavioral needs assessments and evaluates progress monitoring of student growth in identified areas that impact academic progress.
4. Serves as a liaison to families, the community and other stakeholders to ensure open communication and continuing dialogue.
5. Facilitates and coordinates the delivery of educational and mental health services with and by community agencies and service providers.
6. Assists team members to understand mental health and behavioral concerns of students identified as needing interventions and the potential impact of the chosen interventions.
7. May write social stories for targeted groups.

 
Social Work at the Universal level (Tier 1): 

1. Consults and supports the development, implementation, and evaluation of programs that address school-wide educational and behavioral needs utilizing evidence based curriculums and PBIS interventions.
2. Takes a leadership role in universal psychosocial educational prevention programs and related screenings such as SOS grades 6-12 and SSBD grades 1-6 and Erin’s Law, bully prevention and social skills building across the district.
3. Maintains up-to-date knowledge via district meetings and trainings. Maintains legally mandated, district and department records.
    

 Qualifications:  Must have and valid Illinois Professional Educators License or Emergency Short-Term Approvals for School Support Personnel 
 
Endorsement(s):  School Social Worker
  
Compensation:  Per Teacher Contract
 
Application Deadline: Candidates must submit an online application by closing date. 

Only online applications will be considered.
Apply: www.wps60.org
 
 
Waukegan Community Unit School District 60 offers employment opportunities without regard to age, gender, race, color, national origin,
religion, marital or military/veteran status, sexual orientation, pregnancy, parental status, genetics or disability.
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