School Social Worker/School Clinician/Family Services Coordinator

THE MILL SCHOOL

WE'RE GROWING! COME AND JOIN THE FUN!!!

Who We Are.What We Do.

Our approach to education is simple. We are committed to providing open, caring and proactive educational and vocational opportunities to young people who often struggle with the day-to-day necessities of life. Every student who attends our program is treated with dignity and respect. We listen to them and behave in ways that let them know that they've been heard and we collaborate with them to make plans to achieve outcomes that are important to them. We have very real and very frank conversations that can sometimes be difficult, but we believe that these conversations are necessary for the identification of meaningful outcomes and the development of academic and personal success. We care.

The population we serve has been historically unsuccessful in public school settings. Our students are often identified as behavior problems, at risk for failure, emotionally disturbed, or worse. They arrive at our door cynical, combative, with minimal interest in school and little hope for a positive future. Their educational experiences have been negative, difficult, and rife with broken relationships and conflict, and the services that they have received are typically provided in a reactive and controlling manner. Our methods are different, and based on years of research that we've published in the professional literature and that we've successfully applied in schools around the world. We teach students how to manage themselves, to work on projects and activities that they find useful and interesting, and to integrate these projects into the daily school routines. We are proactive.

Our students have long histories of making poor decisions and we respond with understanding and support. We help them to learn how to make plans and follow their plans, and to honestly evaluate the results of their plans once they're completed (or not). We realize that each student is an individual with unique needs so we encourage them to be themselves and explore multiple options to create an educational program that will work best. We are collaborative.

Our place is a safe haven for our students. A place that they can use our kitchen make or get a hot meal and as get much as they can eat (and bring home for their families if they need to). Access to a caring ear to listen whenever it's needed. The comfort of knowing that no matter how they are feeling or behaving, they are accepted for who they are. We don't restrain kids, we don't call the police when things get difficult. We work it out together. We understand that everyone has bad days and that no one is at his or her best when having a bad day, so we adjust and adapt and teach the students to do so as well. We help our students to learn how to judge "big deals and little deals" in a reasonable way, to recognize when they are "ready" or "not ready" to take on a task or interaction with another person, and we support them to learn how to respond to life in a positive and pro-social way. We are positive.

We're a small program - twenty-five students supported by thirteen clinical and educational staff - so that we are able to focus on each student's interests and ideas in a very personal way. We are a safe haven to try things out, to fail without feeling like a failure, to learn how to be resilient and successful in ways they never experienced in school before. We believe in our students.

We prepare students for life after school by helping them to develop the ability to regulate themselves. We help students learn to be successful in school and in life. As a result, we provide a flexibly integrated school day that includes formal classroom activities, individual projects that are undertaken in the school setting and in the community, vocational activities, and weekly community activities designed to create opportunities to establish positive connections with others. We are relentlessly optimistic.

It's hard work. We have a lot of fun.

JOB TITLE: School Social Worker/School Clinician

SCHOOL SOCIAL WORKER/SCHOOL CLINICIAN

JOB REQUIREMENTS:

• A WELL DEVELOPED SENSE OF HUMOR.

• Interest in working with a diverse student population with difficult behaviors

• Masters of Social Work or related field. Masters level training in psychology, mental health counseling, and school counseling may be considered.

• Preferred Licensure in Social Work, Licensure in Mental Health Counseling, or related field (including licensed Masters in Psychology)

• Experience in the implementation of positive behavior supports and proactive engagement with difficult students

• Work positively in collaborative teams and develop collaborative relationships with community service providers and with community schools

• Teach and co-teach with peers in a diversity of classroom and community settings

• Develop positive relationships with community services in the effort to develop meaningful practicum and internship opportunities for students

• Provide direct counseling to students to address social and emotional needs

• Facilitate group counseling when needed

• Participate in all scheduled staff meetings

• Coordinate with community mental health providers and other related services to assure continuity of care

• Provide direct and indirect supports to family members

• Participate in transition planning for students

• Coordinate pregnancy prevention programs

• Coordinate drop-out prevention programs

• Report suspected child abuse/neglect

• Intervene when students demonstrate behavioral challenges

• Valid Driver's license and reliable transportation for on the job travel

ESSENTIAL SKILLS:

• Demonstrated ability to work flexibly and effectively with a diverse student population, with community school partners, and with the families of students

• Assist staff and parents in the development, implementation, and revision of student behavior intervention plans

• Facilitate team processes including problem-solving, pre-referral intervention, and IEP development for special needs students

• Use approved methodology to provide for the health and safety of students

• Collect appropriate student performance data for determining the extent to which student IEP goals and objectives are achieved

• Excellent interpersonal skills to consult effectively with teachers, local school staff, social service agencies, and parents

• Very good command of oral and written English language and ability to present effectively to large groups

• The ability to assert one's opinion in a constructive manner

• Participate in the development of valid IEP's and to follow IDEA and 504 procedures

• Maintain the integrity of confidential information relating to students, families, and staff

• Seek out opportunities for professional development to enhance content knowledge and pedagogical skill

• Promote parental involvement in the school and support parents as they develop responsibility for regular school attendance. Assist families in understanding Mill School policies and procedures. Be a strong advocate for families.

• Conduct home visits and family needs assessments

• Promote safe, caring, and drug-free schools

• Facilitate parent groups as needed

• Develop and implement a substance abuse awareness program

• Participate in case conferences with other school specialists

• Participate in the identification and resolution of school-wide/community needs

• Participate in referrals and case management of students/families involved in the court system

• Serve on school-based committee meetings

• Serve on community interagency teams and other task force teams as needed

• Promote a safe, caring, and drug-free school environment

• Adhere to the values and ethics of the social work profession and use the NASW Standards for School Social Work Services and Code of Ethics as guides in decision-making model professional behaviors that contribute to addressing the needs of students, families, and the school community. When necessary and appropriate, actively seek the supervision of a school social work supervisor or another School Social Work professional

• Keep abreast of current community resources and determine how these resources may be beneficial to the student, her/his family, and the family's involvement in the academic process

• Understand, and practice in accordance with, federal, state, and local laws, statutes, and/or policies that relate to students and families; such as, child protection/child abuse, special education, attendance, education rights, and privacy

• Consult with school personnel to encourage compliance with laws, statutes, and policies

• maintain professional materials for professional growth and development; including periodicals, books, and software

• Practice professional renewal through a variety of means; such as attending regional and national conferences, participating in professional organizations, and remaining abreast of current research and literature

• Expand and exchange knowledge through consultation with coordinators, specialists, psychologists, counselors, and other colleagues

• Manage time-based on school social worker-to-student ratios; advocate for worker-to-student ratios

• Maintain accurate and appropriate case records and documentation

• Maintain a statistical, demographic breakdown of the current caseload

• Willingness to work crazy hours with little thanks (except for us, the folks in school, we'll thank you a lot).

• A WELL DEVELOPED SENSE OF HUMOR!

If you think you might be interested in this position or if you have any questions, please contact us at your convenience. You can call or email at the following:

Tim Feeney, Ph.D.
802-423-0111
tfeeney@millschoolvt.org