JOB DESCRIPTION

Overview
Hamilton County Schools, located in Chattanooga, TN, is working to ensure that all students thrive and experience a future without limits. We are committed to excellence for every student and are seeking outstanding leaders, teachers, support staff, and district employees who desire to make a difference in the lives of students. With nearly 75 schools, we are confident that you can find your place in Hamilton County.
Learn more about working for Hamilton County Schools at careers.hcde.org and get to know us and our strategic plan, Opportunity 2030.
The purpose of this job is to work collaboratively with school-level teams to address mental health concerns, behavioral concerns, positive behavioral support, academic and classroom support. The school social worker also works to build bridges between school, home, and the community by providing wrap-around services to students and families to address barriers to student achievement.
Hixson Elementary is a K-5 Community School (partnership with Northside Neighborhood House) located in Hixson, TN, just north of Chattanooga. We are committed to making Hamilton County one of the fastest improving schools in the state of Tennessee. We have earned Level Five school status four years and REWARD status three years. We are also a two year recipient of the Governor’s Civics Seal Award. Our teachers are collaborative, dedicated, energetic, and hold high expectations for our students.
We are proud to serve as the school for the deaf for elementary students in Hamilton County, which also includes a PreK Deaf Ed class. We have three full time ESOL teachers who meet the needs of our English Language Learners, a full-time bilingual Parent Coordinator, and a School Counselor. We have a diverse student body which allows our young people the opportunity to build relationships with others.
We desire teachers who are able to be an effective member of a team, are willing to share ideas and be creative, and are willing to go above and beyond to serve our children! When adding teachers to our team we also look for someone who is reliable, positive, receptive, and willing to be a lifelong learner.
We are thankful for our community partners who offer opportunities to enrich the whole child. Our students participate in Basketball, Operation Get Active (Soccer), The Good News Club, Strings, and after school tutoring.
Go WILDCATS!

Knowledge/Education/Experience:

• Masters degree in Social Work and current valid Tennessee license in School Social Worker pre-K-12 through the Department of Education. LMSW or LCSW preferred.
• Candidates may be eligible for a School Social Work license if they have one of the following:
• Complete an educator preparation program in school social work, and be recommended by the approved educator preparation provider OR
• Hold a valid social worker license issued by the Tennessee Board of Social Workers or the licensing board of a state other than Tennessee OR
• Hold a degree in Social Work and hold a valid out-of-state professional-level educator license (Please note that HCS requires a master’s degree)
• If a candidate does not have the school social work license at the time of application, they must be willing to obtain a license through meeting one of the requirements listed above by the start date

Skills/Qualifications:

• Case management assessment and documentation abilities; effective verbal and written communication; ability to collaborate with internal and external partners and clients; analytical abilities.
• Demonstrates excellent verbal and written communication skills to deal effectively with students, educators, parents, and community members.
• Demonstrates excellent planning, organizational, problem-solving, decision-making, and time management skills

• Provide mental health counseling services to individuals and student groups.
• Provide case management and wrap around services to students and families. This includes referrals to maximize access to school based and community based resources and service providers.
• Work with Mc-Kinney Vento liaison to identify students and families who qualify for Mc-Kinney Vento services and provide ongoing wrap around services. This may include conducting home visits.
• Educate staff on academic barriers such as homelessness, transportation, nutrition, etc.
• Provide trauma informed practices and restorative circles support and training to school and district level staff.
• Co-lead Student Success Planning team meetings. During these meetings school social worker will consult and problem solve with staff as part of the Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS/Student Planning Team)
• Develop and assist in the implementation of plans for interventions with students that may include Crisis Intervention, Suicide Risk and Threat Assessments.
• Lead or participate in the district crisis response team. providing crisis management (individual and school wide crisis prevention, response, and recovery)
• Advocate on behalf of issues of diversity, social opportunities that lead to school failure, education, chronic absenteeism, and discipline disparities.
• Link individual students and their families with resources and information on post-secondary services and resources for a student. Facilitate or Co-facilitate group sessions or informational meetings for students and/or families for post secondary learning opportunities or identification of options for alternative placement in career path.
• Work in collaboration with school staff to remove barriers to school attendance and academic success by providing student and family support as well as wrap around services.
• Support and facilitate parent groups to share issues, educate, and problem solve to enhance student social, emotional, and academic progress.
• Conducts research and evaluation of job functions and collects data for developing new policies and programs to enhance family and community participation in education and student achievement.
• Attends work and arrives to work on time.
• Adheres to the Social Work Code of Ethics and the Teacher Code of Ethics as defined by Tennessee Law.
• Maintains appropriate licensure and acknowledges that continued employment with the Hamilton County Department of Education is contingent upon providing required documentation to validate licensure in a timely manner.
• Communicates the role of the social worker and available services to students, parents, and community.
• Follows established procedures to ensure assigned areas are safe.
• Addresses problems in a positive, respectful manner.
• Treats students and others with respect.
• Maintains confidentiality.
• Maintain up to date documentation through the school social work documentation and online database system, as well as the Student Success Planning Platform.
• May operate a motor vehicle to conduct various work activities.
• Performs other duties as assigned.
  Qualifications

Knowledge/Education/Experience:

• Masters degree in Social Work and current valid Tennessee license in School Social Worker pre-K-12 through the Department of Education. LMSW or LCSW preferred.
• Candidates may be eligible for a School Social Work license if they have one of the following:
• Complete an educator preparation program in school social work, and be recommended by the approved educator preparation provider OR
• Hold a valid social worker license issued by the Tennessee Board of Social Workers or the licensing board of a state other than Tennessee OR
• Hold a degree in Social Work and hold a valid out-of-state professional-level educator license (Please note that HCS requires a master’s degree)
• If a candidate does not have the school social work license at the time of application, they must be willing to obtain a license through meeting one of the requirements listed above by the start date.

School Social Worker License Information

Skills/Qualifications:

• Case management assessment and documentation abilities; effective verbal and written communication; ability to collaborate with internal and external partners and clients; analytical abilities.
• Demonstrates excellent verbal and written communication skills to deal effectively with students, educators, parents, and community members.
• Demonstrates excellent planning, organizational, problem-solving, decision-making, and time management skills.

Compensation:
Salary is based on a combination of relevant education and experience.
This position may be eligible for an increase in total compensation. The Differentiated Compensation Plan applies to designated schools and hard-to-staff positions.