Adjustment Counselor

TITLE: ADJUSTMENT COUNSELOR/SOCIAL WORKER QUALIFICATIONS: 1. A Master's degree or higher from an accredited college or university in social work or counseling. 2. Maintains a valid Massachusetts license as a social worker/ adjustment counselor per regulations of the Massachusetts Department of Education. 3. A minimum of three (3) years of successful experience as a adjustment counselor/social worker in a school, inpatient facility or outpatient facility is preferred but not required. 4. Demonstrated ability to perform the tasks listed below. 5. Proven ability to relate to a variety of constituencies, including but not limited to: administrators, parents, teachers, students, other school staff and visitors. 6. Possess good communication skills both verbal and written. 7. Demonstrated aptitude or competence for assigned responsibilities. 8. A sense of humor and a proven ability to work in a polite and friendly manner with all staff members, students, and with the larger educational community. 9. Such alternatives to the above qualifications as the School Department may find appropriate and acceptable. REPORTS TO: Building Principal, Director of Student Support Services, and/or Guidance Department Head as appropriate. JOB GOAL: To help students resolve and/or seek solutions to such personal, emotional and social problems as interfere with their adjustment to school and their capacity to enjoy the fullest benefits of the education offered them. PERFORMANCE RESPONSIBILITIES (include but are not limited to): 1. Establishes an effective working relationship with administrators, guidance counselors, school psychologists, nurses, and classroom teachers in assessing the mental and emotional health of the individual student having school difficulty and in evolving appropriate plans. 2. Gathers information from parents and faculty and, when appropriate, conducts home visits that will be useful in determining how best to meet the needs of the student and his/her family relative to improving attendance and making the school experience more meaningful. 3. Maintains professionalism and conveys to parents the school's goal of providing an education and furthering the growth and development of each child. 4. Assists in developing ways of involving parents in the affairs of the school and community. 4.3 2 S:JobDescription\EAPC\Adjustment Counselor Social Worker 5. Works closely with and serves as liaison between the school and outside agencies, such as the Department of Mental Health, the Department of Child and Family Services, the Safety Agencies, etc. 6. Directly assists students with social and emotional problems, dropout prevention, and referrals to appropriate specialized personnel within the school and/or outside professional services. 7. Utilizes crisis management strategies and conducts safety assessments as needed. 8. Develops and implements lessons around social/emotional development in the classroom setting when applicable to the school. 9. Provides individual and/or group counseling to students and supports the team in the development and implementation of individual student safety plans, IEP’s, 504’s, health care plans, etc. 10. Maintains and continually updates a directory of referral services to be utilized in crisis situations affecting students. 11. Takes initiative in planning, developing, implementing and evaluating programs and services to meet the needs of students who have problems adjusting to school. 12. Strives to participate in professional development opportunities to remain current in the educational field. 13. Assists the administration in implementing all policies and rules governing student life and conduct and, for the classroom, develops reasonable rules of classroom behavior and procedure, maintaining order in the classroom in a fair and just manner. 14. Attends staff meetings and serves on staff committees as required. 15. Establishes and maintains open lines of communication with students, colleagues, and parents concerning both the broad academic and behavioral progress of students. 16. Performs such other related tasks and assumes such other related responsibilities as may from time-to-time be assigned by the Director of Student Support Services, Guidance Department Head and/or Principal(s). The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by employees assigned to this classification. They are not intended to be construed as an exhaustive list of all responsibilities and duties required of those in this classification. TERMS OF EMPLOYMENT: The regular school year plus additional days during the summer as needed and mutually agreed upon by the Guidance Coordinator and the School Social Worker/ School Adjustment Counselor.