SOCIAL WORKER*

Miami-Dade County Public Schools; Miami (FL); On-site; USD 47,843 - 58,474; Full time

Job summary

A large school district is seeking a Social Worker to support students academically, socially, and emotionally. The Social Worker will conduct assessments, provide counseling, develop interventions, and collaborate with school teams. Applicants must have a Master's degree in Social Work and relevant certification. This full-time role offers competitive salary and is an opportunity to positively impact student success in a diverse environment.

Qualifications

• Master’s degree in Social Work required.
• Current certification in School Social Work by the Florida Department of Education needed.
• Effective communication skills are essential.

Responsibilities

• Conduct assessments to understand students’ strengths and needs.
• Develop intervention strategies to improve student outcomes.
• Provide individual and group counseling to students.

Skills

Effective written and verbal communication

Knowledge of human behavior

Crisis intervention skills

Education

Master’s degree in Social Work

Current certification in School Social Work

Job description

SOCIAL WORKER*

Miami-Dade County Public Schools (M-DCPS), an A-rated district, is the nation’s third largest school system with nearly 500 schools and a diverse enrollment of more than 335,500 students from over 160 countries. Our ongoing tradition of groundbreaking achievement has earned top recognition at the national and international levels and makes M-DCPS your best choice.

BASIC OBJECTIVES

The school social worker (SSW) is a member of the student services team and is responsible for assisting all learners in developing their potential to grow academically, socially and emotionally. School social workers operate from an ecological perspective, having specialized knowledge, training and skills in viewing the whole child in their environmental context. They serve as the link between the home, school and community, facilitating productive communication. School social workers encourage and support students’ academic and social success by reducing barriers interfering with learning and promoting wellness. They act as advocates for the school, student and family. School social workers provide assessment, intervention, and prevention services. They work collaboratively with school team members to promote the mental and physical health and well being of all students.

JOB RESPONSIBILITIES/TASKS

1. Assessments: Conducts formal or informal assessments (e.g. psychosocial developmental history, adaptive behavior measurements, classroom observations) of students’ individual strengths and needs, prepares individualized assessments, takes into account the ecological perspective, and provides information directly useful in designing interventions.
2. Prevention and Intervention Services: Develops or designs models of prevention and/or intervention aimed at improving school attendance, student academic achievement, behavior and/or social/emotional development; plans prevention and intervention services related to measurable outcomes in collaboration with Student Services school staff.
3. Counseling Services: Provides individual, group and family counseling to address targeted problems interfering with students’ functioning and well being, utilizing an understanding of human behavior in the social environment and psychosocial, developmental and cultural factors.
4. Attendance Intervention: Works with student truancy cases and creates intervention plans to reduce poor attendance, participates in school truancy intervention teams, assists students and families in resolving factors impeding regular attendance.
5. Case Management: Coordinates access to community resources that address the needs of the student and supports students’ success; empowers families to use community services.
6. Consultation: Provides consultation to facilitate an understanding of factors in the home, school, and community that affect students’ educational experiences, collaborates with administrators, student services professionals, teachers and other personnel.
7. Advocacy: Advocates for compliance with student and family rights and responsibilities, provides information to students and families regarding district policies and promotes mutual respect through conferences and home visits.
8. Crisis Intervention: Assists schools in creating and maintaining a safe environment, participates in crisis response and supports functional safety.
9. Professional Development: Seeks to extend knowledge, build skills and stay abreast of current trends and best practice models through research, workshops, conferences and seminars.
10. Accountability and Confidentiality: Maintains accurate data for planning, management and evaluation; complies with confidentiality mandates and exercises professional judgment.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS

This work requires climbing, bending, reaching, sitting, standing, walking, lifting, finger dexterity, grasping, talking, hearing, visual acuity, and may involve traveling frequently by car, both indoor and outdoor conditions.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS

• Master’s degree in Social Work
• Current certification in School Social Work by the Florida Department of Education
• Effective written and verbal communication skills
• Valid Florida driver’s license

APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS

To create your candidate profile, gather the following:

• Personal information
• Current resume and work history
• Certification information (visit M-DCPS Instructional Certification)
• Official SEALED transcripts – must be submitted to M-DCPS via U.S. Mail or Email as described
• Two professional references – uploaded on a letterhead or on the District’s Reference Form

Background Screening for the Selected Candidate (External Candidate):

Information on employment standards, drug testing and fingerprinting is available on the M-DCPS Personnel Services and Fingerprinting page and the new Care Provider Background Screening Clearinghouse Education and Awareness website.

Starting Teacher Salary: $53,159.00 (includes 6% Referendum Retirement Accruing Supplement of $3,009)

New hires may be eligible for salary credit for verified years of experience. For more details, refer to the Newly Hired/Teachers Salary Schedule and Salary Inquiry Request.

We are an equal opportunity employer.

Position Type

Full-time