Position: Mentoring and Social Services - Social Worker (SW) I/II/III
Report to: Assistant Director of Mentoring and Social Services
Primary Location: NAC located within an SAUSD High School or Downtown Santa Ana location

Hours: 10:30 AM – 7:00 PM (M-F)

• Some late nights or weekend work will be required throughout the year (Typically, during College Application season in November and December; annual NAC events such as Thanksgiving and NAC Graduation.)
• Travel required - About 4 to 5 times per year, the staff member travels to visit alumni in colleges within and outside of California. Some of the travel will occur during weekends.
• Potential hour shifts - During summer and winter breaks the organization will potentially shift their hours to an earlier time frame and have some work from home days to accommodate the needs of the organization.

Status: Exempt Position

REQUIREMENTS:

• Master of Social Work (MSW)
• ASW Number: Must have an active registration with the Board of Behavioral Sciences
• Bilingual (Fluent in Spanish and English)
• CPR Certified (provided by the organization)
• TB Clearance (provided by the organization)
• Must pass DOJ fingerprinting clearance(provided by the organization)

Preferred:

• Experience working with students, parents, adolescent youth, and young adults
• Experience working with multidisciplinary teams
• Case management experience
• Experience facilitating groups
• Experience working in different levels of social work; micro and mezzo

About us: The Nicholas Academic Centers (NAC) is a non-profit college-access program whose mission is to provide support to underserved high school students, to improve their academic performance, achieve their full scholarly and social potential, and promote their admission to colleges and universities, as well as their college retention and graduation. To fulfill its mission, the NAC implements a myriad of strategies through its four dynamic departments - Academic Services, Mentoring & Social Services, College Access, and College Success departments. The Academic Services department provides academic guidance, tutoring, learning activities, and pre-college placement services throughout students’ high school years. The Mentoring and Social Services (MSS) Department provides mentorship and social-emotional services, case management, as well as parent support services to help strengthen student and alumni mental health, emotional wellbeing, and life skills. The College Access Department provides support with college preparation, college applications, and financial aid, to ensure students have access to colleges and universities across the country. The College Success Department mentors and supports NAC alumni through their collegiate journey through tele-mentoring, visiting students at their colleges, and support with college-to-career transition services/programming to assist alumni with the ability to successfully graduate college. The MSS Social Worker (SW) works collaboratively with the other Social Workers and departments within the NAC’s 3 locations to ensure students and alumni receive holistic support that addresses their academic, personal, and mental health needs.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND EXPERIENCE

• Ability to maintain confidentiality and ethical conduct.
• Demonstrates flexibility and adaptability to various responsibilities, as needed, to support operational, programmatic, and organizational objectives.
• Must be able to travel between designated centers and off-site settings, as needed.
• Maintain current knowledge of trends, policies, and issues relevant to youth development, counseling and crisis intervention, social services, and academic journey.
• Ability to communicate social work’s goals and intended outcomes to all stakeholders.
• Experience working with diverse student communities using approaches that are inclusive, equitable, and trauma-informed.
• Strong interpersonal skills and a commitment to maintaining collaborative, supportive relationships.
• Strong organizational and time management skills to establish priorities and meet deadlines.
• Comfortable navigating a variety of digital tools and platforms to fulfill job responsibilities.

DESCRIPTION AND RESPONSIBILITIES [SERVICES AND PROGRAMS]:

Direct Services (Micro Social Work)

Mentoring:

• Offers individualized mentoring support to students and alumni in-person, and via telehealth (as deemed appropriate) through 1:1 meetings.
• Provides mentoring and social services (crisis intervention, referral follow-up, intake sessions, case management, providing resources, etc.) to students and parents participating in the center’s programs and activities. Provide support to parents, guardians, and families, as deemed appropriate.
• Maintains updated record of any and all student, alumni, parent/guardian meetings.
• Maintains appropriate, up-to-date documentation of all interactions in accordance with organization, ethical, and legal standards.

Clinical:

• Maintains a minimum caseload of 2-4 individual therapy clients.
• Maintains appropriate, up-to-date documentation of all therapy sessions and client interactions in accordance with organization, ethical, and legal standards.
• Conducts comprehensive assessments and measures to assess/evaluate client needs and inform treatment planning.
• Collaborates with clients to develop individualized treatment plans based on assessment outcomes and identified needs, and track progress as clinically appropriate.
• Connects clients to appropriate outpatient providers, as deemed clinically appropriate.
• Follows appropriate clinical termination processes in accordance with legal and ethical standards of care.
• Facilitates open/closed groups and peer support sessions that contribute to mental health and overall wellbeing.

Programming (Mezzo Social Work)

Parent Platica (Monthly Parent Meetings)

• Works collaboratively with fellow social workers to develop, create, and implement a curriculum that increases parent knowledge, engagement and involvement in their student’s higher education journey, and beyond.
• Serves as the primary facilitator and main point of contact for all Parent Platica related tasks at their respective center.
• Uses initiative and creativity to suggest new topics for Parent Platica related to current events, trends, and organizational needs.
• Researches and identifies potential partnerships with external agencies to collaborate on opportunities for Parent Platica.
• Maintains updated records of any and all programming data.

Tea Time (Weekly Student Workshops)

• Works collaboratively with fellow social workers to develop, create, and implement a curriculum on wellness, self-esteem, healthy relationships, independent living skills, etc., among high school students.
• Serves as the primary facilitator and main point of contact for all Tea Time related tasks at their respective center.
• Uses initiative and creativity to suggest new topics for Tea Time related to current events, trends, and organizational needs.
• Researches and identifies potential partnerships with external agencies to collaborate on opportunities for Tea Time.
• Maintains updated records of any and all programming documentation and data.

Student Advocacy

• Provides targeted support and guidance to first-generation students as they navigate academic, social, and emotional challenges unique to their college journey.
• Provides advocacy and support for NAC students and alumni through collaborative efforts with community agencies and NAC staff during case management, admissions meetings, individual meetings, and other student-centered settings.
• Promotes and protects student and alumni rights to ensure they receive appropriate accommodations and supportive services.
• Empowers students by fostering self-advocacy skills and helping them engage in decision-making processes related to their education.

Interdepartmental Collaborations and Other Programming

• Collaborates with the College Success Department to provide services to NAC alumni.
• Collaborates with the College Access Department to provide mentoring support during the annual NAC College Application Marathons.
• Assists with implementing interdepartmental programming (i.e., Recruitment, New Student Welcome Celebration, Summer Camps, Community Building, College Application Marathons, NAC Chapman Parent Event etc.)
• Collaborates with fellow social workers and other departments to develop, create, and implement curriculum on various topics and serves as primary facilitator during interdepartmental collaborations.
• Ability to maintain professional relationships with multiple stakeholders, including, but not limited to students, parents, peers, and high school and community personnel.

ADMINISTRATIVE DUTIES

• Ensure the secure and accurate maintenance of records required for mandated reporting laws and regulations.
• Maintains updated records in compliance with Board of Behavioral Sciences (BBS) requirements, to ensure active and current licensure status.
• Works collaboratively with MSS Directors, as well as with the clinical consultants, for weekly supervision and clinical consultation.
• Prepare, present, and collaborate on reports, briefs, or MSS data, as needed.