Job Description

The Organization

Maya empowers opportunity and justice-involved youth to transform the trajectory of their lives. We do this by engaging each of our scholars in a restorative, relevant school experience that prioritizes personalized academic support, well-being, and preparation for the post-Maya pathway of their choice. With an education in our network of schools, our scholars will do more than succeed — they will thrive!

If you are interested in learning more about See Forever, please visit our website at www.seeforever.org

The Touchstone

At the Maya Angelou Schools, the key to our success is rooted in building trusting, respectful, and nurturing relationships with each other. We strive to create safe spaces for all to be able to reach their limitless potential. We are at our best when we work together to ensure the unique needs of our community are met. We empower each other to grow successfully so we can see forever! This is how we live the Maya Way, even when no one is watching.

The School Social Workerwill serve as a member of the Clinical Services Department, which is dedicated to working collaboratively with all school personnel (teachers, administrators, and support staff) to remove the barriers that prevent students from accessing instruction. We believe that every student benefits from having dedicated professionals whose major responsibility is a student’s emotional growth and well-being. In order to reach this vision, the Maya Angelou Learning Center recognizes that incorporating mental health services as an integral part of the school program is critical to the success of our students.

Historically, the Maya Angelou Schools have served students who present with a host of risk factors, and more than 80% of our students report that they have experienced significant trauma (i.e., being the victim of sexual trauma, having at least one parent who is incarcerated, having experienced the death of a close relative). Additionally, many of our students come to us having been unsuccessful in traditional public high schools, have a history of truancy, and are disconnected from the school setting. To that end, the School Social Worker will play an integral role in providing direct individual, group, and familial clinical intervention to YALC students.

Responsibilities

Specific responsibilities will include but not be limited to:

• Provide weekly behavioral support services (i.e., individual and group counseling) to all Exceptional Learners and general education students (as needed)
• Collaborate with the Deputy Chief of Student Support Services to select and deliver targeted group counseling interventions
• Assist the Deputy Chief of Student Support Services in assessing clinical service gaps and establishing connections with external resources to address these gaps effectively
• Ensure that all pre/post assessments (e.g., Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale and the Resiliency Scales for Children & Adolescents) are administered timely
• Provide crisis intervention and triage referrals to community support agencies as needed (i.e., substance abuse support and grief and loss counseling)
• Develop and instruct the YALC’s Wellness Course, which will consist of extensive life, social and soft skills coupled with youth development
• Collaborate with core service agencies and other community-based organizations to provide robust clinical and case management support to all students
• Perform weekly outreach for students to ensure they remain engaged and connected with programs and supports offered by the YALC
• Facilitate professional development and training opportunities for the greater school community about the impact of untreated trauma and positive outcomes of implementing Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) and trauma-informed practices within the school program
• Collaborate with the discipline team and school administrators to provide support to students struggling to cope with the negative behavioral impact of external factors
• Collaborate with the Deputy Chief of Student Support Services to recruit, select, train, and supervise graduate mental health interns from local colleges and universities
• Maintain a comprehensive file on all students, which includes a copy of their counseling intake, consents, academic records, etc.
• Adhere to the protocol for maintaining confidential clinical files and referral process to follow up on secured data
• When necessary, communicate with parents and/or guardians to engage them in improving the student’s attendance, behavioral, and academic performance
• Performing other duties as assigned by the Principal or Deputy Chief of Student Support Services

Knowledge and Skills

• Demonstrates uncompromising ethics and personal integrity by adhering to the highest standards of ethical behavior
• Excellent documentation, organizational, and communication skills (both oral and written)
• Excellent clinical and case management skills
• Prior direct service experience working with opportunity and justice-involved youth
• History of effectively assessing the psycho-educational needs of students and families
• Strong problem-solving and crisis intervention skills

Qualifications

• Master’s degree in a related field is required (social work, mental health/community counseling, or clinical/school/counseling psychology)
• License (LISW) required
• OSSE certification is strongly preferred. Candidates must secure this within a year of hire
• Experience with the basic concepts of positive youth development, clinical assessment, and strengths-based prevention/intervention theory and practice
• Experience working in community-based mental health, family health/mental health, and or public school settings
• Experience supervising graduate mental health interns (counseling, social work, or psychology) preferred
• Must have strong skills in documenting efforts and interventions
• Must have a commitment to working from a strength-based and/or youth development perspective
• Experience with providing teacher consultation and support

Salary and Benefits

Maya Angelou Schools and See Forever Foundation salaries are comparable to those of other public charter schools in the District of Columbia area. Part-Time employees who work at least 30 hours per week are eligible for medical benefit coverage. We offer a robust benefits plan, including health care coverage, HSA/FSA, and dependent care accounts, voluntary dental and vision benefits, a 401 (k) retirement savings plan with employer contribution offered after 1 year of service, along with the opportunity to positively impact students with a broad range of experiences and backgrounds.

See Forever is an equal-opportunity employer. We believe a diverse staff is a better, more effective staff.