School Social Worker (2026-2027 School Year)

Required

• Master's degree from an approved program in social work.
• Placement in a particular setting or model determined by experience with a specific student population.
• Must hold or be eligible for license issued by the Virginia Department of Education with endorsement as a school social worker.
• Knowledge of and commitment to the highest standards of ethical and effective practice.
• Knowledge of social work theory, practice, and procedures.
• Ability to apply professional skills to provide a wide range of counseling, diagnostic, and crisis intervention services to the needs and requirements of a public school system.
• Ability to perform and guide data collection and analysis to ensure effective services and to measure outcomes.
• Ability to gain the confidence and cooperation of students, teachers, and families.
• Ability to establish and maintain positive relationships with other professionals within the school and the community.
• Proficiency in the use of technology and data compilation, analysis, and reporting.
• Analytic ability and adaptability to changing needs.
• Ability to communicate effectively, both orally and in writing.
• Ability to write comprehensive reports and interpret findings to families.

Preferred

• Clinical experience.

• Provides a full range of social work services to schools and comprehensive services sites in accordance with federal, state, and local regulations.
• Supports and serves in a variety of settings and models which include general education, co-facilities, center programs, preschool, and school-based emotional disabilities programs.
• Determines schoolwide needs for specific social work services through consultation with the principal and school staff and establishes priorities for service delivery within assigned schools.
• Performs specialized social work in an educational setting to enable students to achieve optimal learning in academic, social, and emotional areas.
• Systematically collects, analyzes, synthesizes, and interprets information needed to devise appropriate services for schools, programs, students, and families.
• Provides direct clinical assessment, assistance, and counseling to students, families, and school staff in dealing with crises.
• Provides prevention, intervention, and postvention services as a member of a crisis team.
• Provides mental health services, including conducting suicide risk and mental health assessments.
• Completes a diagnostic assessment of the student's functioning, including classroom observation, and provides individual and group counseling and/or referral to public or private agencies.
• Collaborates with school personnel, central departments and offices, families, public agencies, and private practitioners, as required.
• Ability to work as part of a team to ensure a program meets its goals.
• Provides in-service training to teachers and administrative staff on suicide, depression, child abuse, substance abuse, and other related mental health issues to aid teachers in the identification and referral of students with special needs.
• Provides direct and indirect evidence-based intervention to include counseling, consultation, and designing and implementing behavioral change programs and tiered intervention.
• Provides professional development and family education and support through workshops and groups on such topics as effective caregiving, mental wellness, and developmental issues.
• Serves as mental health resource and consultant to families, school counselors, teachers, and school-based administrators.
• May represent the Division in public meetings and/or present information to the senior management team.
• Provides case management services and facilitates multi-agency meetings in collaboration with the Children's Services Act (CSA).
• May oversee the work of vendors or contractors within schools.
• Completes sociocultural assessments for special education evaluations.
• Serves on responsive instruction teams, child study teams, and local screening eligibility, administrative review, and other student-centered committees.
• Completes monthly reports and other data reports as required.
• Performs related duties as required or assigned.