Social Worker

Wayne County Schools Employment Network; Dearborn (MI); On-site; USD 52,000 - 72,000; Full time

Job summary

The Wayne County Schools Employment Network seeks a School Social Worker for The Dearborn Academy, a high-needs school in Dearborn, MI. You will provide direct student support, assess social-emotional needs, and collaborate on IEP/MTSS processes to support learning and behavior.

Responsibilities include intervention, assessment, crisis response, and teamwork with staff and families. Requires MSW and LMSW/LLMSW licensure and background checks.

Qualifications

• Master of Social Work from an accredited Council on Social Work graduate school of social work program approved by the State board of education.
• Social Worker must have Full Approval or Temporary Approval and be working toward full approval.
• Clinical license – LLMSW or LMSW; approval issued through the office of special education.

Responsibilities

• Counsel students individually or in groups to support social, emotional, and behavioral needs.
• Intervene in class by providing social skills support and in-class interventions.
• Plan and prepare individual, group and classroom interventions as needed.
• Complete P.L.A.A.F.P. goals for MET/IEP meetings and provide input on child needs.
• Carry out Functional Behavior Assessments and support Behavior Intervention Plans.
• Coordinate RtI, attend Tier III meetings and arrange meetings for K-3.
• Carry out crisis intervention and maintain Crisis Plan updates.
• Maintain caseload lists, document progress, and liaise with families and outside agencies.

Education

Master of Social Work from an accredited Council on Social Work graduate school of social work program approved by the State board of education.

Satisfactory criminal background check and unprofessional conduct check as required by School Safety Legislation.

Must also have a clinical license – either an LLMSW or LMSW (and working toward full approval).

Job description

• Position Type:
  Student Support Services/ Social Worker
• Date Posted:
  5/8/2026
• Location:
  The Dearborn Academy
  (High-Needs School)

Position Specific Responsibilities:

• Intervention Tasks:
• Counsel both special and general education students individually or at the group level.
• Intervene at the classroom level by spending time with students in the class or (when needed) provide classroom social skills intervention.
• Plan and prepare individual, group and (when needed) classroom interventions.
• Assessment Tasks:
• Assess and make recommendations for students suspected of Emotional Impairment (R. 340.1706) and Autistic Spec\Tom Disorder (R 340.1715) using the appropriate Special Education Guidelines. Tasks include:
  • Systematic observation.
  • Interviews with parent, child and teacher(s). CA-60 and disciplinary file review.
  • Use of rating scales – such as the Achenbach, E.B.P.S., C.A.R.S., A.S.D.S., and adaptive behavior scales such as the A.B.A.S.
  • Social Worker report and recommendation.
• The school Social Worker may also be asked to complete developmental histories and carryout intervention tasks for children suspected of being A.D.H.D., cognitively impaired or developmentally delayed.
• IEP/Manifestation Determination Related Tasks:
• Complete P.L.A.A.F.P. and goals and, if needed, a behavior plan, for all MET/initial and annual IEP meetings.
• Provide input on the child and make recommendations as appropriate.
• Functional Behavior Assessment and Behavior Intervention Plans:
• Carry out Functional Behavior Assessment for both RtI Tier III and special education students.
• Create and assist in the implementation of Behavior Intervention Plans.
• Maintain a list of students on Behavior Intervention Plans.
• Set-up Behavior Intervention Plan reviews every four to eight weeks for all K-8 students with intensive behavior issues who have a Behavior Intervention Plan
• RTI Process:
• Attend all relevant Tier III meetings.
• Set up Tier III meetings, as needed, for students in grades K-3.
• Coordinate RtI meetings with the School Psychologist and write K-3 meetings on the calendar.
• Crisis Intervention Tasks:
• Edit and update Crisis Plan, Fan Outs and all summary tables.
• Provide direction to team after a crisis occurs.
• Keep updated on Crisis Plan information and intervention.
• Carry out mini-crisis and crisis intervention with students as needed.
• Mini-crises include dealing with conflict between students, bullying, crying, refusing to work and so forth.
• Crises include aggressive incidents with students, suicide, bomb threats, threats of harm to others and so forth.
• Complete all relevant Crisis Intervention Forms and provide a copy to all Crisis Team Members involved with that particular crisis.
• Other Tasks:
• Caseload management in the form of making phone calls or writing letters to outside agencies and medical centers to obtain information or services for both RtI K-3 and special education students.
• Make contacts with appropriate outside agencies.
• Take care of holiday package information at the start of the school year.
• Create and update a caseload list (list of students seen). Document dates on the caseload list of when students were seen during each month of the school year.
• Keep confidential notes on special education and general education students,
• Create and revise a caseload schedule (which includes cooperating with the School Psychologist and accommodating changes in the Academy schedule).
• Complete Quarterly Progress Reports on special and general education students.
• Attend field trips as requested.
• Maintain knowledge of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act, Michigan Special Education Law and School Social Worker legislation and regulations.
• Obtain necessary social work hours of continuing education; maintain a record of hours to submit upon request.

Initial and Re-evaluation Tasks:

• Assess and make recommendations for students suspected of Emotional Impairment (R. 340.1706) and Autistic Spec\Tom Disorder (R 340.1715) using the appropriate Special Education Guidelines. Tasks include:
  • Systematic observation.
  • Interviews with parent, child and teacher(s). CA-60 and disciplinary file review.
  • Use of rating scales – such as the Achenbach, E.B.P.S., C.A.R.S., A.S.D.S., and adaptive behavior scales such as the A.B.A.S.
  • Social Worker report and recommendation.
• The school Social Worker may also be asked to complete developmental histories and carryout intervention tasks for children suspected of being A.D.H.D., cognitively impaired or developmentally delayed.

Qualifications:

• Master of Social Work from an accredited Council on Social Work graduate school of social work program approved by the State board of education.
• The Social Worker must have received Full Approval as a School Social Worker or Temporary Approval (and be working towards meeting the qualifications for full approval).
• Must also have a clinical license – either a Limited License Master Social Worker ("LLMSW") and be working towards becoming a licensed social worker; or be a fully Licensed Master Social Worker ("LMSW").
• Approval issued through the office of special education.
• Satisfactory criminal background check and unprofessional conduct check as required by School Safety Legislation.

Competencies –

• Individual, family, group and family dynamics, as well as mental health concepts and behavior which result from mental, physical, sensory, emotional, speech or other conditions.
• Educational organization delivery systems and the Academy as a social institution.
• Developmental stages in children and how stages impact the learning process.
• The legislative process and the impact of law on education.
• Identifying and developing resources with major local human service organizations.
• Systematic observation and diagnostic assessment (of emotions and behavior) of an individual pupil or groups of pupils.
• Formulating plans of action to address learning and behavior issues.
• Identifying the social and emotional needs of pupils and designing appropriate interventions to enhance the learning environment in the Academy.
• Communicating to appropriate persons regarding social work knowledge and skills, sociodevelopmental findings, goals and objectives, intervention strategies as well as outcomes and recommendations.
• Providing appropriate direct or indirect treatment services to individuals, groups, families and the community.