What Deerfield Public Schools District 109 is All About...

The Role of the Middle School Social Worker/Guidance Counselor in Deerfield 109

DEERFIELD 109 - MISSION
Where challenging experiences foster confidence, collaborative relationships build community, and creative environments ignite curiosity.

DEERFIELD 109 - VISION
We will develop each student to be emotionally resilient, socially skilled, and academically prepared by forging connections within, across, and beyond our classrooms, and by embracing each student's uniqueness.

GENERAL INFORMATION
TITLE:  Middle School - Social Worker/Guidance Counselor - LONG-TERM SUBSTITUTE
DEPARTMENT:  Student Services
LICENSURE:  Professional Educator License (PEL), Substitute License (SUB)
ENDORSEMENT:  Social Work (PK-21), School Counselor (PK-21) or Equivalent
CLASSIFICATION:  At Will - Substitute
FLSA STATUS:  Non-exempt
REPORTS TO:  Building administration
SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES:  N/A
PRIOR EXPERIENCE:  Successful completion of student teaching and/or internship
EVALUATION:  N/A
DATES: 11/20/2026 to 3/19/2027
AVAILABILITY:  One (1.0) Position(s)/Full-Time
PLACEMENT:  Shepard Middle School
WORK CALENDAR:  Teacher
RATE OF PAY: $300 per day

JOB GOAL(S)

Under general supervision, the employee will:

Help facilitate solutions for students to succeed academically, socially, and emotionally. School Social Workers collaborate with educators, administrators, and families to create safe, healthy, and supportive learning environment for all students and strengthen connections between home and school.

MAJOR DUTIES & PERFORMANCE RESPONSIBILITIES

The criterion indicated below are intended to describe various types of work that may be performed. The exclusion of specific responsibilities does not prohibit them if the work is similar, related, or a logical task of the position.

Direct Advocacy and Service to Students

Supports students to enhance their personal and social growth while offering opportunities to participate in the planning and direction of their own learning experiences, and increase their responsibility for behavior and attitudes.
Provides opportunities and resources for students to increase academic success, increase their responsibility for behavior and attitudes, improve interpersonal relationships, learn problem-solving and decision-making skills, and resolve conflicts and crisis situations.
Provides individual, group counseling or in-class support for students who are experiencing personal, social, emotional or behavioral problems in school that have an educational impact, with an emphasis upon early intervention.
Delivers large group instruction to address identified social, emotional, and/or behavioral needs.

Collaborative Consultation with School Personnel

Consults and collaborates with school personnel regarding student problems and coordinates plans and actions to meet them. Early identification of problems is emphasized.
Consults with and assists instructional staff with program modifications and strategies to encourage and support student personal and social growth and responsible behavior.
Provides appropriate staff development to schools.

Direct Service to Parents and Community

Establishes and maintains open, positive lines of communication to assist the family in cooperatively improving the student’s transition between home and school and assisting the family in utilizing appropriate community and school resources.
Maintains an on-going and communicative relationship with families for the purpose of sharing information regarding the student’s educational program.
Serves as the school liaison to all community agencies by consulting and collaborating regularly with school personnel, social agencies, and other community resources to establish and provide coordinated social services to students and families.
Promotes family support of students’ learning experience within the context of multicultural understanding and competencies.

Program Planning, Implementation, and Evaluation

Participates in team meetings and IEP conferences including pre-referral interventions, placements, IEP’s and annual reviews.
Participates in the case study evaluation process by obtaining and/or reviewing information relative to social history, adaptive behavior and cultural background.
Prepares, with other team members, teachers, and parents, an Individualized Education Program (IEP) for each identified student, monitor the plan’s implementation, and participate in the annual review.
Completes a diagnostic social history on students referred to the team for evaluation, assessing the status of the student’s social and academic adjustment in terms of school performance, family and personal history, socio-economic and cultural influences, and community factors.
Creates student centered goals and uses a variety of tools to collect data on the progress of the goals to be reported to the educational team.
Uses a variety of appropriate formal and informal tools and techniques including observations and interviews to evaluate the educational functioning of the student.
Develops short-term and long-term intervention plans consistent with curriculum; students’ needs, strengths, diversity and life experiences; and social and emotional factors.
Plans school and/or system-wide programs to promote a safe, healthy, caring school climate that fosters academic success.

Accountability

Conforms to the National Association of Social Work (NASW) Code of Ethics and Standards for School Social Work practice.
Maintains current knowledge of federal and state laws and regulations and abides by said laws and regulations with emphasis on persons with disabilities, child welfare, mental health, confidentiality, and student and parent rights.
Notifies appropriate personnel and/or services of any evidence of substance abuse, child abuse, child neglect, severe medical or social conditions, potential suicide, or individuals appearing to be under the influence of alcohol, controlled substances, etc.
Participates in faculty, school, parent, and community meetings and programs, sharing observations, issues and resources available and serves on applicable staff committees.
Completes in a timely fashion all records and reports as required by law and regulation or requested by supervisors.
Facilitates the accurate maintenance of school records for use by school staff members, outside agencies and parents as required by law and DPS109.
Attends and participates in educational conferences and workshops pertinent to school social work.
Consults on such issues as attendance, diversity, mental health, behavior management, delinquency, crisis intervention, homelessness, child abuse, neglect, and the importance of confidentiality.

Crisis Intervention

Participate in the mobilization of various resources relevant to the specific crisis situation
Provide direct intervention and/or support to staff, students, and parents/community
Conduct risk/safety assessments as needed
Crises may include but are not limited to
- Self-harm
- Suicide attempt or ideation
- Threat to others
- Death (student, family, or staff)
- National crises

MENTAL DEMANDS

Knowledge

The employee must have foundational knowledge and understanding of child growth and development, learning assessment and diagnosis, social work research related to learning, State and Federal special education laws and regulations and best practices in school social work.

Ability

The employee shall engage in collaborative dialogue with peers; maintain records and prepare reports; communicate effectively both orally and in writing; read, interpret, apply, and explain policies and procedures; meet the requirements of schedules and time lines; take professional initiative; plan and organize work independently; read a variety of materials; engage in ongoing professional development; implement a student centered approach to problem-solving and conflict-resolution; ability to work cooperatively and effectively with other certified and non-certified personnel, parents, and community members.

Education/Preparation

The employee shall possess the equivalent of a Master’s Degree; completion of a school social worker preparation program through an accredited university or college; successful completion of State proficiency exams; and possess/maintain appropriate licensure through the State of Illinois.

Reasoning

The employee must have the ability to solve practical problems in situations where only limited standardization exists. Ability to interpret instructions provided through written and oral form.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to stand, walk, talk or hear, and taste or smell. The employee frequently is required to use hands to handle or feel instructional materials and school social worker resources. The employee is occasionally required to sit; climb or balance; and stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 30 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus.

WORK ENVIRONMENT

The employee shall possess personal computing skills with the following types of software including web browsers, word processing, spreadsheet, and databases and student database systems. The employee shall use board approved school social worker resources, technology, and assistive technology. While performing the duties of this job, the employee works in a school setting with children, occasionally works in outdoor weather conditions, and is subject to noises associated with an educational environment.

The mental demands, physical demands, and work environment characteristics are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job.
Reasonable accommodations may be made to allow an employee with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Middle School - Social Worker/Guidance Counselor - 2026/2027 - LONG TERM SUBSTITUTE