School Social Worker

ABOUT ASPIRE

Aspire Public Schools operates a network of high-performing, college preparatory charter schools serving TK-12 scholars in communities across California. Founded in 1998-in an effort to transform the inequitable racial, social, and gender outcomes that our communities persist through-Aspire is one of the largest and most forward-thinking open-enrollment public charter school systems in the nation.

Our purpose is to prepare our scholars for success in college, career, and life. At Aspire, we set a foundation for our scholars to gain knowledge, skills, and power to access and make choices for their families and post-secondary lives. Every day, our community of students, families, teachers and staff comes together to learn, work, and play in an environment grounded in our values of Bienestar (Well-Being), Culture of Belonging, Community Partnership, Agency & Self-Determination, and Joy.

JOB SUMMARY

The School Social Worker will play a crucial role in bridging the gap between students, families, and community resources to enhance overall well-being and academic success. They will collaborate closely with families and students, identify community-based services, and establish partnerships with community organizations to address issues related to school attendance and social-emotional learning.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

• Develop strong, trust-based relationships with students and families to understand their needs and challenges

• Identify and coordinate community-based services and resources to address the acute needs of students and families

• Provide Tier 1 and Tier 2 social-emotional learning support to students, both individually and in group settings

• Directly connect families with outside resources and agencies, ensuring they receive necessary support

• Conduct ongoing follow-up and monitoring of families' needs, ensuring that they receive continued support and assistance

• Lead home visits to assess family situations, provide support, and facilitate communication between home and school

• Serve as a key member of the school's attendance team, attending meetings and providing input and support to improve attendance rates

• Act as the school site McKinney-Vento liaison assisting homeless students and families with accessing resources and support

• Establish and maintain meaningful partnerships between the school and community organizations to enhance support services for students and families

• Attend SST meetings, IEP meetings, and 504 meetings of students on caseload

• Travel to attend meetings, conduct home visits, and engage with community agencies as necessary

Additional:

• Demonstrate knowledge of, and support, the Aspire Public Schools mission, vision, value statements including antiracism, policies and procedures, operating instructions, confidentiality standards, and the code of ethical behavior

• Perform other related duties as required and assigned

QUALIFICATIONS

Required knowledge, skills & abilities:

• Demonstrated commitment to students and learning.

• Experience with working with families, communities and students grades TK-12

• Excellent communication, presentation, and interpersonal skills, with demonstrated ability to write clearly and interact effectively with different stakeholders.

• Excellent organization, time management and follow-up skills; ability to rank and carry out a variety of urgent priorities; demonstrated ability to successfully handle multiple cases concurrently.

• Knowledge of community resources and social service agencies.

• Ability to work as a part of a team.

• Understanding of trauma-informed practices and social-emotional learning

• Demonstrate ability to adjust to and use new approaches in the performance of their duties.

• Deal with obstacles and constraints positively and with a solutions-oriented mindset.

Minimum Education Level & Licensures:

• Bachelor's degree in Social Work or related field (required)

• Master's degree in Social Work or related field (preferred)

• Associate Clinical Social Worker (ASW) license (desirable)

Highly desirable qualifications:

• Experience providing direct support to children and families

• Prior knowledge and/or experience in attendance law and education law in the State of California

• Bilingual - Spanish (preferred)

Experience required:

• 2+ years of experience in a social work, school or community-based setting

Physical requirements:

• Moving self in different positions to accomplish tasks in various environments including tight and confined spaces.

• Remaining in a stationary position, often standing or sitting for prolonged periods.

• Moving about to accomplish tasks or moving from one worksite to another.

• Assessing the accuracy, neatness and thoroughness of the work assigned.

• Communicating with others to exchange information.

• Repeating motions that may include the wrists, hands and/or fingers.

Work authorization requirements:

• Clear the Department of Justice background screening

• Authorized to work in the United States

• Provide health (TB) clearance (renewed every four years)

WORK ENVIRONMENT

The work environment characteristics are representative of those in a normal office, classroom/school setting which one might encounter while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Aspire Public Schools has implemented a Remote Work policy. This position may also require periodic travel to school sites in order to interact with school leaders.

• Work indoors in a standard office environment, computer lab, and/or classroom environment

• Work is performed in indoor and outdoor environments

• Exposure to dust, oils, and cleaning chemicals

• Some exposure to childhood and other diseases in a school environment

• May be required to work outside of typical work days and office hours to meet operational deadlines

Compensation:

Aspire Public Schools is dedicated to our teammate's well-being! In addition to a competitive base salary that is benchmarked against local districts and charter schools, we offer employees exceptional benefits, including paid time off, 100% core health benefits coverage on select plans, life insurance/long-term disability, participation in a CA state retirement plan, tuition reimbursement plan, and adoption assistance program.

Our salary schedule based on years of experience for this position type is reflected here: $66,560-$89,803

Aspire Public Schools is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, gender, religion, age, sexual orientation, national or ethnic origin, disability, marital status, veteran status, or any other occupationally irrelevant criteria. Aspire promotes affirmative action for minorities, women, disabled persons, and veterans.

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