What are the responsibilities and job description for the Adjustment Counselor position at Plymouth Public Schools?
TITLE: ADJUSTMENT COUNSELOR/SOCIAL WORKERQUALIFICATIONS: 1. A Master's degree or higher from an accredited college or university in social work orcounseling.2. Maintains a valid Massachusetts license as a social worker/ adjustment counselor perregulations of the Massachusetts Department of Education.3. A minimum of three (3) years of successful experience as a adjustment counselor/socialworker 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 allstaff members, students, and with the larger educational community.9. Such alternatives to the above qualifications as the School Department may findappropriate and acceptable.REPORTS TO: Building Principal, Director of Student Support Services, and/or Guidance Department Headas appropriate.JOB GOAL: To help students resolve and/or seek solutions to such personal, emotional and socialproblems as interfere with their adjustment to school and their capacity to enjoy the fullestbenefits 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 andemotional health of the individual student having school difficulty and in evolvingappropriate plans.2. Gathers information from parents and faculty and, when appropriate, conducts homevisits that will be useful in determining how best to meet the needs of the student andhis/her family relative to improving attendance and making the school experience moremeaningful.3.
Maintains professionalism and conveys to parents the school's goal of providing aneducation and furthering the growth and development of each child.4. Assists in developing ways of involving parents in the affairs of the school andcommunity.4.32S: JobDescription\EAPC\Adjustment Counselor Social Worker5. Works closely with and serves as liaison between the school and outside agencies, suchas the Department of Mental Health, the Department of Child and Family Services, theSafety Agencies, etc.6. Directly assists students with social and emotional problems, dropout prevention, andreferrals to appropriate specialized personnel within the school and/or outsideprofessional services.7.
Utilizes crisis management strategies and conducts safety assessments as needed.8. Develops and implements lessons around social/emotional development in theclassroom setting when applicable to the school.9. Provides individual and/or group counseling to students and supports the team in thedevelopment and implementation of individual student safety plans, IEPs, 504s, healthcare plans, etc.10. Maintains and continually updates a directory of referral services to be utilized in crisissituations affecting students.11.
Takes initiative in planning, developing, implementing and evaluating programs andservices to meet the needs of students who have problems adjusting to school.12. Strives to participate in professional development opportunities to remain current in theeducational field.13. Assists the administration in implementing all policies and rules governing student lifeand conduct and, for the classroom, develops reasonable rules of classroom behaviorand 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, andparents concerning both the broad academic and behavioral progress of students.16. Performs such other related tasks and assumes such other related responsibilities asmay 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 beingperformed by employees assigned to this classification. They are not intended to be construedas 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 summeras needed and mutually agreed upon by the GuidanceCoordinator and the School Social Worker/School Adjustment Counselor.
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 allstaff members, students, and with the larger educational community.9. Such alternatives to the above qualifications as the School Department may findappropriate and acceptable.REPORTS TO: Building Principal, Director of Student Support Services, and/or Guidance Department Headas appropriate.JOB GOAL: To help students resolve and/or seek solutions to such personal, emotional and socialproblems as interfere with their adjustment to school and their capacity to enjoy the fullestbenefits 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 andemotional health of the individual student having school difficulty and in evolvingappropriate plans.2. Gathers information from parents and faculty and, when appropriate, conducts homevisits that will be useful in determining how best to meet the needs of the student andhis/her family relative to improving attendance and making the school experience moremeaningful.3.
Maintains professionalism and conveys to parents the school's goal of providing aneducation and furthering the growth and development of each child.4. Assists in developing ways of involving parents in the affairs of the school andcommunity.4.32S: JobDescription\EAPC\Adjustment Counselor Social Worker5. Works closely with and serves as liaison between the school and outside agencies, suchas the Department of Mental Health, the Department of Child and Family Services, theSafety Agencies, etc.6. Directly assists students with social and emotional problems, dropout prevention, andreferrals to appropriate specialized personnel within the school and/or outsideprofessional services.7.
Utilizes crisis management strategies and conducts safety assessments as needed.8. Develops and implements lessons around social/emotional development in theclassroom setting when applicable to the school.9. Provides individual and/or group counseling to students and supports the team in thedevelopment and implementation of individual student safety plans, IEPs, 504s, healthcare plans, etc.10. Maintains and continually updates a directory of referral services to be utilized in crisissituations affecting students.11.
Takes initiative in planning, developing, implementing and evaluating programs andservices to meet the needs of students who have problems adjusting to school.12. Strives to participate in professional development opportunities to remain current in theeducational field.13. Assists the administration in implementing all policies and rules governing student lifeand conduct and, for the classroom, develops reasonable rules of classroom behaviorand 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, andparents concerning both the broad academic and behavioral progress of students.16. Performs such other related tasks and assumes such other related responsibilities asmay 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 beingperformed by employees assigned to this classification. They are not intended to be construedas 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 summeras needed and mutually agreed upon by the GuidanceCoordinator and the School Social Worker/School Adjustment Counselor.
