School Social Worker

Great Oaks Legacy Charter School; Newark (NJ); On-site; USD 67,000 - 82,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, vision insurance

Professional development

Loan reimbursement

Wellness reimbursements

Employee assistance programs

Job summary

Great Oaks Legacy Charter School seeks a School Social Worker for our Downtown Elementary (K-4) in Newark, NJ. You will deliver individual and group counseling, align services with IEPs, and partner with school leadership to address student needs.

The role includes case management, crisis intervention, and coordination with external providers. A strong commitment to urban education and family engagement is essential.

Qualifications

• Provide individual and group counseling addressing academic, personal, and interpersonal challenges (IEP aligned).
• Lead solution-focused approaches to emotionally support students.
• Coordinate with leadership, SPED team, teachers, and families to implement plans.

Responsibilities

• Lead school efforts to support students emotionally.
• Provide IEP-aligned counseling and crisis intervention.
• Serve as case manager for students with IEPs; ensure compliance and timelines.
• Coordinate with external providers and community resources.
• Conduct home and community visits as needed; document progress and plans.
• Plan and run workshops for staff and families on child social/emotional development.
• Manage truancy referrals for students with disabilities.
• Attend staff and department meetings and school events.

Skills

Counseling

Crisis intervention

Data-driven

Collaboration

Education

MSW degree and NJ School Social Work Certificate

LMSW or LCSW license (preferred)

Job description

REQUISITION ID: 323

ROLE OVERVIEW

Great Oaks Legacy Charter School is seeking a School Social Worker for our Downtown Elementary (K-4) School in Newark, NJ.

REPORTING RELATIONSHIP

The Social Worker will report to the Associate Director of Student Services, Managing Director of Student Services, Campus Director (Building Principal) or a combination of the three team members.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES

Key responsibilities include:

• Lead the school's efforts in ensuring that students are emotionally supported through solution-focused modalities
• Provide individual and group counseling to address academic, personal, and/or interpersonal challenges, as per the Individualized Education Plan (IEP) and/or as needed
• Work collaboratively with School Leadership Team, Special Education Team, Teachers, Staff to help develop solutions to student, group, and school-wide issues
• Prepare social histories and Functional Behavior Assessments and Behavior Intervention Plans for students as part of IEP evaluation process
• Serves as case manager for students with IEPs, meeting all timeline and compliance requirements
• Coordinate services with external providers and link families to appropriate community resources as needed
• Provide crisis intervention, referrals and case management services to student and families
• Conduct home and community visits as needed to assess student and family needs
• Complete documentation, IEP progress notes and reports as required by state, local and federal mandates and ethical responsibilities
• Ability to plan, organize, and implement meetings/workshops involving a variety of topics and personnel
• Serve as liaison on child welfare issues and share expertise with school team
• Attend regular staff meetings, department meetings, school wide events, and professional development workshops
• Provide workshops to school staff and parents on variety of areas relating to child social/emotional development
• Manage Truancy referrals for students with disabilities on your caseload
• Is highly visible and present during school/after-school hours

QUALIFICATIONS

The School Social Worker must:

• Have a "can do" mindset to positively impact the further the success of GOLCS students to and through college
• Be flexible and ready to roll up their sleeves to complete the hard work at hand
• Believe every student has the ability to succeed.
• Be relentlessly committed to the mission of preparing every student for college
• Possess strong entrepreneurial, leadership, and team-player skills
• Demonstrate ability to analyze student growth and performance data and identify appropriate solutions.
• Demonstrate ability to respond well to and implement feedback immediately

Candidates must possess:

• Belief that all students have what it takes to be successful.
• Relentless work ethic, passion, and commitment to urban education.
• MSW degree and NJ School Social Work Certificate required
• LMSW or LCSW licensing with a minimum of one year of relevant experience preferred
• Knowledge of NJ Special Education Law and Case Management Duties (Experience with EdPlan preferred)
• Passionate and mission driven. Having a "Whatever It Takes" attitude is a must
• Documented track record of personal and professional success
• Extensive knowledge of child development and interventions
• Experience in therapeutic modalities related to children and families in traditionally underserved communities, including assessment and treatment of trauma
• Experience working within a school environment or extensive work experience with children
• Must have strong organizational and communication skills, verbal and written
• Ability to work with parents, students, faculty, support staff, external government representatives, as well as school community groups
• Familiar with best practices in working with students with social-emotional needs
• Training in Functional Behavior Assessment and Behavior Intervention Plans preferred

Compensation & Benefits

Starting salary $74,623.50. Great Oaks Legacy Charter School offers a competitive and equitable compensation package that increases based on years of relevant experience along with a comprehensive benefits package.

• Robust medical, dental, and vision insurance plans w/ comprehensive network coverage.
• Up to $5,250 per year in tax exempt student loan and tuition reimbursement.
• Reimbursements for external professional development aligned to your role.
• Wellness reimbursements including gym memberships, spa services, and more.
• Online counseling services - for staff and their dependents - via top-rated therapy app.
• Pre-tax state pension plan benefit with additional options available via voluntary retirement plans.
• Pre-tax dependent care, health, and transit flexible spending plans available.
• Convenient health screening and telemedicine support via VitalCheck Wellness platform.

ABOUT GREAT OAKS LEGACY CHARTER SCHOOL

The Great Oaks Legacy Charter School is a high-performing, innovative charter public school in Newark NJ, serving students from Pre-K to 12th grade on campuses across the city of Newark. Our mission is to prepare Newark's students for success in college and beyond.

Our model is based on the following guiding principles that guide our work daily –

• Creating a community that is built upon genuine and meaningful relationships. GOLCS staff rate our commitment to students as the #1 reason they teach/work at our schools.
• Being surgical in our approach to differentiation of instruction and support for all students and team members. Our students receive daily tutoring embedded into their school schedule - facilitated by our AmeriCorps team members. Staff members receive individualized coaching and support in their roles.
• Setting and exceeding high expectations for academic growth and character development for all students, in preparation for success in college and beyond. Currently, the historical college matriculation rate for GOLCS is 79% - nearly twice the national average for economically underrepresented students.

DIVERSITY, EQUITY, INCLUSION, & ACCESSIBILITY

GOLCS is committed to building a talented team that reflects the diverse backgrounds and experiences of our students. Furthermore, we believe that racial justice and equity is critical to our mission of preparing students for success in college and beyond. We strive to be an organization that is diverse, equitable, inclusive, and elevates our student voices in preparing them for life and college.

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYMENT

Great Oaks Legacy provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.