Social Worker - Ohio Connections Academy

School Summary 

Ohio Connections Academy, a tuition-free K–12 public virtual school that students attend from home. Authorized under state law by the Ohio Council of Community Schools, Ohio Connections Academy (OCA) is state certified and open to students throughout Northeast, Northwest, Central, Southeast, and Southwest Ohio.

Position Summary and Responsibilities

Working from your home office or our office in Columbus or Mason, Ohio, the School Social Worker will promote the academic mission by providing services that strengthen home/school/community partnerships and alleviate barriers to learning. The School Social Worker significantly contributes to the development of a healthy, safe, and caring environment by advancing the understanding of the social and emotional development of children and the influences which family, community, and cultural differences have on student successes. The Social Worker’s primary objective will be to promote a sense of student wellness, act as a partner with outside agencies to support academics and ensure that at-risk students have the opportunity to succeed.

The School Social Worker will be responsible for the successful completion of the following tasks:

• Work with administrators and counselors to identify families in need of access to school and community resources, in order to remove barriers to attendance and academic success;


• Coordinate with counselors, teachers, and other school staff to identify students who are at risk of physical or physiological harm;


• Participate in the development of crisis prevention and management plans for the school;


• Act as the main point of contact for transient families, communicating regularly with them;


• Coordinate with the Counseling team to provide trainings regarding child abuse and neglect, homelessness, foster care and other such issues while also consulting with teachers to assist in decisions when crises occur; 


• Implement professional development activities for teachers and school staff members presenting strategies for supporting students at risk;


• Collaborate closely with leaders of the Counseling and Special Education teams; 


• Other duties as assigned.

Requirements

• Must hold an LSW and a Pupil Services Licensure for Social Workers from the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce; Master’s Degree and LISW preferred


• Experience and demonstrated interest in working with at-risk youth in an urban environment


• Experience supporting Special Education preferred


• Candidates should have knowledge and familiarity with specific Ohio resources and agencies that will assist in the healthy social, mental, and academic development of students and families


• Ability to work remotely, if necessary


• Ability to travel across Ohio to support families and work with agencies


• Willingness to travel on occasion for marketing and state testing events (may require occasional overnight travel)

• Please note 2-step authentication is required to set-up to login to all systems if given a job offer. 

Prospective Employee Benefits Page - HUMAN RESOURCES SERVICES

Application Contingency: ANY PERSON WHO KNOWLINGLY MAKES A FALSE STATEMENT IS GUILTY OF A FALSIFICATION UNDER SECTION 2921.13 OF THE OHIO REVISED CODE, WHICH IS A MISDEMEANOR OF THE FIRST DEGREE.

Ohio Connections Academy strives to create an inclusive environment that welcomes and values the diversity of the people we serve. We foster fairness, equity, and inclusion to create a workplace environment where everyone is treated with respect and dignity.