Social Worker

Job Description

The Organization

The launch of ROADS (Reinventing Options for Adolescents who Deserve Success) Charter Schools presents a tremendous opportunity to prove that every student can succeed if given the chance. Three years ago, ROADS was simply an idea about new ways to provide an excellent education for students who had fallen out of the mainstream educational system. That idea has now grown into a reality with two new charter high schools, ROADS I in East New York, Brooklyn, and ROADS II in the South Bronx

Our mission is to ensure that all students – especially those who are most at risk of failure — graduate from high school thoroughly prepared to excel academically, professionally, and personally. Combining best practices from youth development, education reform, and work-based interventions, the ROADS model is designed to change the life trajectories of the students. The application process gives a preference to those students most at risk: those involved in the juvenile justice system; homeless; former drop outs; in foster care or child protective services; or at least one year behind their graduation cohort.

ROADS seeks the very best professionals in the education field.  If you’re one of them, you’ll have no shortage of opportunities and, no matter where you go, you’ll make a difference in students’ lives.  However, you will not find a group of students who need you – your energy, your intellect, your resilience, your persistence, your expectations, and your relentless support – more than our students need you.

Our social workers will:

• Be aligned with our mission of ensuring that over-age under-credited students graduate from high school thoroughly prepared to excel academically, professionally, and personally
• Create a culture that is highly structured and is both extremely supportive and holds students to high behavioral, academic, and character standards
• Treat students’ mistakes as learning experiences and collaborate with school leadership and socio-emotional support staff to ensure that even discipline is supportive of students
• Routinely do what others think is “extra”, including engaging with students outside of normal school hours when needed
• Frequently play a key role in restorative justice practices, including having frank conversations with students where the root causes of conflict are discussed openly and addressed
• Collaborate with a team of dedicated educators to put the needs of our students first in all situations
• Be a part of a community that seeks to hold students accountable for the small stuff and the big stuff
• Exude a positive attitude that supports a staff culture which values innovation, collaboration, and respect
• Embrace regular, ongoing feedback and support from the leadership team

RESPONSIBILITIES

The Student Support Social Worker is part of a collaborative school effort that promotes the development of student strengths, a positive school environment, and effective supports for students, families, schools and the community.  The Student Support Social Worker focuses on the implementation of clinical initiatives and interventions designed to facilitate the healthy academic, emotional and social development of ROADS students.

This position is part of the social and emotional support team and reports to the Director of Student Support (DSS.)

1. Identifies and intervenes with high-need students
   1. Assesses and differentiates between students with mental health, emotional and behavioral needs and assists in service interventions
   2. Provides clinical individual and/or group counseling
   3. Provides comprehensive case management and advocacy
   4. In collaboration with DSS and Team Leaders, conducts parent and inter-agency outreach
   5. Actively participates in student intervention team and other related meetings
   6. Supports school administration in conducting risk assessment, crisis intervention and mediation
   7. Monitors and evaluates effectiveness of student intervention and action plans

2. Provides clinical supervision
   1. Supervises a cadre of social work interns who provide individual and group counseling
   2. Maintains relationships with Graduate Schools of Social Work under the direction of the DSS

3. Fosters positive partnerships between the school, families and child serving organizations
   1. Identifies new opportunities to partner with youth service agencies, such as mental health providers, foster care, social services, juvenile justice, and drug prevention and treatment programs
   2. Under the direction of the DSS, establishes relationships between the school, families and community agencies

4. Collaborates with administrators, teachers and support staff to:

1. Implement and monitor individual student interventions and action plans
2. Develop school-wide behavioral management tools
3. Support attendance improvement initiatives
4. Advocate for child safety and wellbeing

5. Performs statistical, narrative and record-keeping duties, including data entry and maintaining case logs

6. At the direction of school administration, ensures compliance with mandated reporting, confidentiality, social work code of ethics and other school-wide policies and regulations

PERFORMANCE EVALUATION

The Student Support Social Worker, and the interns, will be expected to provide evidence of their work including reporting:

• The number of clients served, the types of services rendered, frequency of contact, and inter-agency referrals
• Development and stewardship of community-based organizations, non-governmental agencies, and governmental agencies
• Comprehensive case logs, case disposition records and supporting compliance records

QUALIFICATIONS

• Unapologetically believe that disconnected youth can become college- and career-ready with the right support
• Strong work ethic and willingness to assume a variety of roles
• Strong candidates will be able to demonstrate experience:
  • Working in an urban setting
  • Working with high school students
  • Working with similar students who experience learning and social challenges

• Strong organizational, communication, and negotiation skills
• Licensed Master Social Worker
• Master’s degree in Social Work from accredited program
• NYS School Social Worker certificate required
• NYS Bilingual Spanish Extension preferred

LOCATIONS

Brooklyn, NY
Bronx, NY

COMPENSATION

ROADS offers a competitive compensation package that is commensurate with experience.