School Adjustment Counselor: Woodland Academy 2023-2024

POSITION: School Adjustment Counselor - Woodland Academy REPORTS TO: Building Principal ACCOUNTABILITY OBJECTIVE: This position is accountable for the delivery of social casework services to students; to identify a student’s needs and to make use of internal and community resources to help bring about positive changes so as to function to his/her fullest potential in the school and community through actions consistent with the policies of the Worcester Public schools and relevant state laws and regulations. PRINCIPAL RESPONSIBILITIES: (to be included along with other responsibilities) 1. Responsible for pre-referral conferences with school personnel in a team context for the appropriate intervention for a student. 2. Responsible for individual and/or group short-term counseling with, or otherwise assisting referred students. 3. Responsible for cooperating and consulting as a team member with teachers, principals and other school personnel for purposes of diagnosing, evaluating and recommending interventions for the adjustment of students. 4. Responsible for providing crisis intervention and conflict resolution services when requested by school personnel. 5. Responsible for making home visits to parents of referred students and counseling with parents at school and in the home to help them understand the social, emotional and academic needs of the student. 6. Responsible for serving as a referral agent and case manager for the student and parent(s) in developing a network of social services with community agencies. 7. Responsible for serving as a resource team member and/or supervisor of attendance for the court when indicated in cases of children in need of service. 8. Responsible for providing outreach and follow-up for students referred because of attendance problems. 9. Responsible for compiling, summarizing, maintaining, and submitting data or other records of pupils referred for appraisal to appropriate school personnel. 10.Responsible for safeguarding the student’s right to privacy against disclosure of information in the student’s case history, or if disclosures of confidences during counseling within the framework of applicable laws and systemwide policies. 11.Responsible for being knowledgeable and conforming to state and systemwide regulations and guidelines on student records. 12.Responsible for assuring equal educational opportunity to all individuals regardless of race, color, gender, age, marital status, religion, natural origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, homelessness, or disability. 13.Perform other job-related duties as assigned. REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS: 1. MA DESE Licensure as a School Adjustment Counselor, including the completion of a 900-hour field-based experience. 2. Masters degree 3. Evidence of mastery of social case work techniques. 4. Ability to understand the dynamics of families from various cultural backgrounds. 5. Two years’ experience working with school-age children and their families. 6. Familiarity in working with consultants, resource personnel, community groups, etc. 7. Ability to produce concise reports concerning relevant developmental, social, and medical information. 8. Group work experience. 9. Ability to deal with typical issues, such as eating disorders, pregnancy, alcohol and other drug abuse, sexual identity, family conflict, and physical, sexual and psychological abuse. PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS: 1. Ability to speak Albanian, Arabic, Nepali, Portuguese, Spanish, Vietnamese or an African Language. 2. Training and experience in conflict resolution techniques. 3. Experience working in schools and/or social service agencies with clients from culturally and socio-economically diverse backgrounds. 4. Experience in providing consultation services, including workshops to professionals relative to child development, behavior modification, adolescent issues, etc. 5. Demonstrated experience supporting students with special needs 6. Demonstrated experience with second language acquisition 7. SEI Endorsement WORK YEAR: 184 work days. SALARY: Appropriate step on the Teachers salary schedule. TO APPLY: Any person interested in these positions must submit a resume, cover letter, copy of DESE licensure and answer all questions on-line at www.worcesterschools.org. This information must be submitted on-line. This deadline date does not preclude further advertisement or recruitment