Special Education Social Worker- SY 2526

TITLE: SOCIAL WORKER Special Education

LOCATION:Central Office and Training Center

The Kansas City Kansas Public Schools (KCKPS) is a nationally recognized urban school district that serves approximately 22000 students and 60 different languages are spoken in the homes of our students. KCKPS is home to Sumner Academy the #6 highest rated High School in the Nation and #1 High School in Kansas according to the US News rankings.

With Head Start/preschools 28 elementary schools 7 middle schools and 5 college and career academies/high schools we are the fifth largest district in the state of Kansas and our student population is approximately 56 Hispanic 24 African American 9 White and 6 Asian. To serve our students the district employs approximately 4000 employees including more than 1800 teachers.

JOB GOAL:
The School Social Worker promotes and enhances the overall academic mission by providing direct services to students that strengthen home/school/community partnerships and alleviate barriers to learning for students with disabilities who demonstrate the most significant social emotional and behavioral needs. Social Work services are developmental corrective and supportive services required to assist a child who has been identified as a child with an exceptionality to benefit from special education services. The School Social Worker significantly contributes to the development of a healthy safe and caring environment by advancing the understanding of the emotional and social development of children and the influences of family community and cultural differences on student success and by implementing effective intervention strategies.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:

Assessment of Student Family and School Needs:

Effectively and appropriately assess and address the needs characteristics and interactions of students families LEA personnel and community.

• Conducts assessments and evaluations in accordance with parent or guardian and student rights.
• Uses student family and school assessment results to identify needs that impact student learning.
• Uses assessment and evaluation results to develop appropriate interventions for students families schools and communities.
• Develops longterm and shortterm intervention plans consistent with curriculum; student needs strengths diversity and life experiences; and social and emotional factors.
• Uses a variety of appropriate formal and informal tools and techniques including observations and interviews to evaluate the progress and performance of students and families.

Direct Services/ Service Delivery:

Uses knowledge and understanding of the reciprocal influences of home school and community to intervene for student success via such practices as assessment crisis intervention home visits conflict resolution individual and group counseling consultation program development dropout prevention and coordination of school and community services.

• Provides direct services to students and their families within the context of multicultural understanding and competence that enhance families support of students learning experiences.
• Provides direct services to students in ways that build upon individual strengths and offers students maximum opportunities to participate in the planning and direction of their own learning experience.
• Develops and provides training and educational programs that address the goals and mission of the educational institution.

Consultation and Collaboration:

Consults and collaborates with stakeholders on behalf of students and their families.

• Consults with stakeholders to facilitate an understanding of factors in the home local education agency and community that affect students educational experiences.
• Consults on such issues as attendance confidentiality ethnicity and diversity mental health behavior management discipline crisis intervention and child abuse and neglect.
• Initiates and supports activities to overcome institutional barriers and gaps in services as leaders and members of interdisciplinary teams with the unique contribution of bringing the home school and community perspective to the interdisciplinary process.
• Works with individuals groups and organizations that have diverse interests to develop programs or systems of care that support and enhance the health social and emotional wellbeing and safety of students.
• Promotes collaboration among community health and mental health service providers and facilitates student access to these services.
• Uses extensive knowledge of community resources enabling the school social worker to play a critical role in facilitating the provision of community services in the local education agency.
• Helps to build effective schoolcommunity teams and orients community providers to school climate culture and structure

Advocacy:

Advocates for appropriate services for students and their families.

• Advocates and facilitates change that effectively responds to the needs of students families and school systems using appropriate statutes case law policies and procedures.
• Promotes services to students and their families within the context of multicultural understanding and competence that enhance families support of students learning experiences.
• Assists students and their families to gain access to formal and informal community resources.
• Utilizes research and technologies to assist students families schools and communities.

Accountability:

Advocates facilitates and contributes to School Social Work accountability for outcomes aligned with local state and federal policies and guidelines.

• Conforms to the National Association of Social Work (NASW) Code of Ethics and Standards for School Social Work practice.
• Maintains accurate case records and documentation to include but not limited to progress reporting Medicaid billing and daily schedules.
• Maintains current knowledge of and abides by federal and state laws and regulations with emphasis on persons with disabilities child welfare mental health confidentiality and student and parent rights.
• Organizes time resources energy and workload in order to meet responsibilities.
• Evaluates own practice and disseminates the findings to consumers LEAs the community and the profession in order to maximize the effectiveness of services & resources provided to students to indicate that by evaluating ones practice more effective services and resources will be provided.
• Participates in appropriate professional development activities to improve knowledge and skills.

Program Planning Implementation and Evaluation:

Effectively plans implements and evaluates programs that promote student and family success.

• Applies knowledge of environmental factors in planning programs.
• Conducts individual and/or systemwide surveys to assess the school and/or community needs.
• Plans school and/or systemwide programs to promote a safe healthy caring school climate that fosters academic success.
• Assists the school and community in planning programs that alleviate situations which may interfere with the learning process of students.
• Assists in the evaluation of effective departmental schoolbased system community and statewide programs.

Other Skills and Abilities:

• Performs other related duties as assigned for the purpose of ensuring the efficient and effective functioning of the work unit.

QUALIFICATIONS:

• Meets the employment qualifications set forth by the Kansas City Kansas Board of Education and the Kansas State Department of Education.
• Maintain a professional attitude with families and staff.
• Hold current and valid School Social Work license (Masters level) with the Kansas Behavioral Science and Review Board
• Possess and utilize excellent interpersonal skills and professional judgment
• Demonstrate collaborative and consultative skills

COMMUNICATION/ORGANIZATION:Maintains communication with staff other school personnel and parents/guardians to enhance cooperative action which will meet the educational needs of students. Utilizes technology effectively in the performance of duties. Maintains confidentiality regarding student records. Performs other related work as required.

REASONING ABILITY:Ability to solve practical problems and deal with a variety of concrete variables in situations where only limited standardization exists. Ability to interpret a variety of instructions furnished in written oral diagram or schedule form.

LANGUAGE SKILLS:Ability to read and analyze and interpret general professional journals
technical procedures or governmental regulations. Ability to write reports general curriculum and learning theories correspondence and protocols. Ability to effectively present information and respond to questions from groups of administrators staff parents students and the general public.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS:The physical demands described here are representative of those that
must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. While performing the duties of this job the employee is regularly required to sit walk stand and talk or hear. Ability to work in a variety of home and community settings including the ability to ascend/descent stairs. Ability to work comfortably in a variety of positions including seated on the floor. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 50 pounds. The employee must occasionally carry or push items of 20 pounds such as pushing on a bike or wheelchair or moving/rearranging furniture. While performing the duties of the job the employee visits students homes. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision distance vision and depth perception.

WORK ENVIRONMENT:The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. The noise level in the work environment is usually loud and is a standard acceptable level for this environment. It is directly responsible for students safety work output and wellbeing. Potential exposure to biological hazards and other conditions. May face hazards on the road traveling to and from home visits.

OTHER SKILLS and ABILITIES:Ability to apply knowledge of current research and theory to Early Intervention Program;; ability to plan and implement activities/strategies/interventions based on the needs of the students. Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with students peers parents and community;; ability to speak clear and concisely in written or oral communication.

TERMS OF EMPLOYMENT: 186 Days

SALARY: Salary Schedule
FLSA STATUS: EXEMPT

REPORT TO: Program Coordinator WCITS Director of Special Education

EVALUATION: Performance will be evaluated in accordance with Board of Education policy

For more information regarding Title IX please contact:

District Compliance Coordinator

2010 N. 59^thStreet

Kansas City KS 66104

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