Social Worker I – Parent Partnerships

Social Worker I – Parent Partnerships
(May include extended hours 2 days each week to meet needs of families)


Reports to: Specialist IV – Parent Partnerships
Pay Grade: 202
Duty Days: 239
Salary Range: $63,321 - $89,257
FLSA Status: Exempt


This is a grant-funded position and is contingent on availability of funds.
 
Position Purpose
Performs casework service to help young children and their families resolve developmental, personal, emotional, and social problems to ensure that families build relationships that create a foundation for positive maternal and child health and school readiness outcomes.  Accelerates engaging parents in the critical efforts around school readiness and focuses on helping the families assimilate into the feeder elementary. Develops and facilitates parent classes and events for enrolled and unenrolled program families.
 
ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS

• Conducts individual and group sessions to encourage family support and enhance social-emotional development of parents and children including developing the ability to fully participate in their child’s education.
• Performs casework service with parents to increase the parents’ understanding, their constructive participation in understanding their child’s development, and their knowledge and use of available and appropriate resources.
• Provides crisis support and counseling to children and parents.
• Coordinates and integrates family and community resources and refers children and parents to community resources where appropriate
• Collaborates with the Parent Partnerships staff to identify siblings for services.
• Identifies and supports development and learning differences including making home visits and conducting screenings and other related assessments; arranges for medical, psychiatric, and other tests and examinations that may disclose causes of difficulties and indicate remedial measures.
• Participates and assists parents in the interpretation of assessment data, goal setting for school readiness, and parental growths.
• Works with community resources to help families explore programs and services.
• Contributes to the planning and implementation of parent engagement activities for both enrolled and unenrolled program families. Develops and conducts parenting training and support groups.
• Consults with parents regarding their children’s school readiness, behavior, and needs.
• Develops and maintains effective individual and group relationships with parents, community participants, and grant stakeholders.
• Develops and coordinates a continuing evaluation of program services and makes changes based on the findings.
• Compiles, maintains, and files all reports, records, and other required documents in a timely manner.
• Plans engaging activities and events for family recruitment and program awareness.
• Coordinates with designated programming staff to plan, schedule, and facilitate bookmobile educational activities for FWISD families to promote the Texas Home Visiting Program.
• Collaborates with Parents Partnership staff to develop and maintain a family resource guide for project staff and families.

• Performs preventive maintenance on tools and equipment and ensures equipment is in safe operating condition.
• Follows established safety procedures and techniques to perform job duties including lifting and climbing; operates tools and equipment according to established safety procedures.
• Corrects unsafe conditions in work area and promptly reports any conditions that are not immediately correctable to supervisor.

• All Fort Worth ISD employees must maintain a commitment to the District’s mission, vision, and strategic goals.
• Exhibits high professionalism, standards of conduct and work ethic.
• Demonstrates high quality customer service; builds rapport/relationship with the consumer.
• Demonstrates cultural competence in interactions with others; is respectful of co-workers; communicates and performs as a team player; promotes teamwork; responds and acts appropriately in confrontational situations.

• Performs all job-related duties as assigned and in accordance with Board rules, policies and regulations.  All employees are expected to comply with lawful directives in rare situations driven by need where a team effort is required.

• Knowledge of parent education related to early childhood, current trends in child development; knowledge of skills required to transition successfully into prekindergarten and/or kindergarten
• Knowledge of community and District resources for children and families.
• Knowledge of applicable federal and state laws regarding education, as well as District policies and procedures.
• Skill in communicating effectively, both orally and in writing, as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
• Skill in public relations, and interpersonal relations.
• Skill in coordinating, planning, organizing, facilitating and completing projects.
• Skill at the intermediate level, working with Microsoft Office 365, especially Outlook, Excel, and Word.
• Skill working with a diverse, urban population, preferably focused on families.
• Ability to exercise discretion regarding matters of a sensitive or confidential nature.
• Ability to add, subtract, multiply, divide, and perform arithmetic operations as needed to assist children and families.
• Ability to work with a diverse group of individuals in a multi-cultural educational environment.
• Ability to maintain confidentiality of information regarding students, employees and others
• Ability to establish a supportive and compassionate relationship with children and families with special needs.
• Ability to use software to access databases, status work assignments, work with email, and do word processing.
• Ability to organize and coordinate work, including maintaining attention to details and quality, and prioritize work while meeting multiple deadlines.
• Ability to engage in self-evaluation with regard to performance and professional growth.
• Ability to establish and maintain cooperative working relationships with others contacted in the course of work.

• Travels to school district buildings and professional meetings as required; conducts home visits that may be in isolated and/or high crime areas.

• Tools/Equipment Used:  Standard office equipment, including computer and peripherals; standard instructional equipment.
• Posture:  Prolonged standing; frequent stooping, squatting, kneeling, bending, pushing/pulling, and twisting.
• Motion:  Frequent repetitive hand motions, including keyboarding and use of mouse; occasional reaching; frequent walking.
• Lifting:  Regular light lifting and carrying (less than 25 pounds); may lift and move text books and classroom equipment
• Environment:  Works in an office setting, and works outside (exposure to sun, heat, cold, and inclement weather); frequent exposure to noise; frequent travel between buildings or in the preparation/completion of meetings.
• Attendance:  Regular and punctual attendance is required for this position; frequent irregular and/or prolonged hours;
• Mental Demands:  Maintains emotional control under stress; works with frequent interruptions.

• Education: 
  • Bachelor’s degree from accredited college or university in social work, psychology, sociology or related field required.
• Certificate/License: 
  • Valid Texas license as a baccalaureate social worker (LBSW) granted by the Texas State Board of Social Worker Examiners.
• Experience: 
  • 2 years’ related-work experience required;
  • Experience working with “at-risk” youth preferred.
• Language:  Bilingual (advanced bilingual/biliterate skills in both Spanish and English) preferred.