Job Goal:

To provide information on services available to eligible students and families. Shares information regarding school and/or district activities and procedures.  Refers families to other agencies when appropriate. Serves as a member of the Pupil Appraisal Multi-Disciplinary Team to assist with the identification of students who have academic, behavioral, communication challenges, or other special needs which are adversely impacting educational performance and to make recommendations for supports and services needed to assist teachers and parents of the students in providing appropriate special education services.

 

Qualifications (minimum education, licensure, skills, and/or experience):

• Master’s degree in Social Work (MSW) from an accredited university with licensure in the State of Louisiana.
• A minimum of three years of post-master’s degree experience in a social work setting, providing social work services, in particular working with children, youth, and families.
• Valid certificate from the Louisiana State Department of Education as a Qualified School Social Worker.
• Expertise in administering and interpreting diagnostic techniques to be used with all types of exceptional children.
• Preferred Qualification: Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) in the State of Louisiana.

 

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

• Coordinate and conduct necessary assessments for school-aged students referred for evaluations within the last 30 days of school.
• Conduct Determination of Eligibility meetings with parents of students evaluated during the summer months.
• Conduct psycho-social evaluations for students suspected of having a developmental delay and/or a cognitive disability for school-aged students and for students aged 3-5 years.
• Assist with summer preschool clinic weekly for children ages 3-5 by conducting developmental screenings and assessments when a disability is suspected.
• Facilitate communication between the home and the school, seeking to involve families in the educational process of their children and providing feedback to the school on family situations and problems.
• Assist with training and professional development of school personnel throughout the year (e.g., in-service, summer symposium)
• Research, prepare materials for, and develop a training program to be implemented in the schools for social/emotional learning programs.
• Assist the Director of Exceptional Services and Supervisor by coordinating various internal functions of the appraisal process to ensure timely completion of high-quality evaluations.
• Assist the Director of Exceptional Services and Supervisor with various tasks (e.g., planning interagency collaborations, monitoring special education class projections, determining potential training needs, disseminating information to all appraisal employees, etc.)
• Assist with monitoring and testing of standardized assessments as required by the school district.
• Provide consultative services to the families and school-based counselor of students and, when necessary, provide counseling services to students who are experiencing problems in social and behavioral functioning at school which result from circumstances or events present in the home.
• Conduct assessments of student’s adaptive behavior skills
• Complete Behavior Assessments when necessary.
• Utilize approved testing materials and observations to determine students’ level of emotional and social development and/or functioning and make appropriate recommendations.
• Interpret assessment findings and make recommendations to parent(s) or guardian(s), school personnel, and other agencies involved. Complete a multidisciplinary evaluation report, schedule and conduct a determination of eligibility meeting with necessary personnel and parents. Disseminate the report to the parents and the school.
• Serve as liaison between the school and community agencies, through reciprocal referral arrangements, collaboration on cases, and assistance to families in obtaining and utilizing local resources.
• Assist in writing Individualized Education Plans for all initial plans wherever appropriate. Participate in IEP conferences as needed.
• Assist with placement decisions whenever appropriate.
• Serve as a liaison for assigned schools, participate in School Building Level Committee (SBLC) meetings, and work collaboratively with staff.
• Visit classrooms to monitor and support teacher implementation of specialized instructional and/or behavioral strategies, accommodations, and modifications designed to meet the needs of students with disabilities.
• Conduct assessments of cognitive, emotional, and social functioning, including self-concept, for students suspected of the exceptionality of Emotional Disturbance
• Use all available resources (staff, administrators, parents, medical records, outside evaluations, etc.) to devise and/or assist with intervention plans for referred child/student.
• Assist in developing positive behavioral intervention strategies (PBIS) for all regular education and special education students. Serve as a member of the Positive Behavior Intervention and Support Team/Response to Intervention (RTI) Behavior Support Team
• Conduct direct, systematic observations of student behaviors across multiple settings (recess, PE, lunch, academic classes, etc.) to assist with identifying areas of strength and/or weakness, identifying functions of behavior, developing interventions, making eligibility determinations, and other considerations of the multidisciplinary evaluation team.
• Conduct Functional Behavioral Assessments and develop Behavior Intervention Plans for students with disabilities and assist with this process for all students referred to the School Building Level Committee who are exhibiting behaviors that are negatively affecting academic performance.
• Document the implementation of evaluation procedures in compliance with federal, state, and local regulations and policies.
• Provide consultation regarding federal, state, and local regulations and policies (e.g., Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, etc.)
• Provide crisis intervention, counseling services, and the coordination of provided services from various support agencies.
• Keep all personally identifiable information for the student and the family confidential, as well as contents of the
• Perform other job-related duties as assigned.

 

 Physical Demands:

• Sedentary: Exerts up to 10 pounds of force occasionally and/or a negligible amount of force frequently; involves sitting most of the time.

 

 Terms of Employment: 12 month  (1.33 index)

 

Evaluation: Performance of this job will be evaluated in accordance with provisions of the Board's policy on Evaluation of Professional Personnel (Bulletin 130).