Children's Social Worker



Job Title: Children's Social Worker

Job Type: Full-Time

Location: Chicago, IL

Job Description:

GENERAL FUNCTION

Responsible for coordinating a school-based mental health initiative funded by the National Child Traumatic Stress Network. Activities include 1) provision of on-site case management and therapy for children attending Roosevelt High School, 2) facilitates group therapy, 3) serves as liaison with school social workers and teachers at Roosevelt High School and Hibbard Elementary School, 3) coordinates a Parent Council, and 4) facilitates the Albany Park MH Consortium. The social worker will also take the lead on ensuring children's mental health needs are considered when designing programs in the various departments of World Relief and perform other duties as assigned.

SPECIFIC JOB DUTIES:

Children's Therapy Groups:

Develop and lead multi-ethnic therapy groups, work with high school age refugees as mentors and assistant leaders of groups, identify and recruit children for groups

School Relations:

Develop and maintain relations with school social workers and counselors, explaining cultural issues which may appear as behavior problems, identifying children for mental health services, consulting on issues as needed

Parent and Community Interactions:

Explain mental health concepts to parents; talk with current Horizons clients about their children;, work with various refugee communities on grief and loss issues with children; support/lead conflict resolution and communication programs for children; in conjunction with Children's Education Coordinator, develop appropriate psychosocial programs as part of after-school and weekend programs

Individual Therapy:

Conduct individual therapy sessions utilizing variety of treatment modalities for children in conjunction with on-staff psychiatrist and psychologists

Outreach

Coordinate Parent Council activities as well as facilitate meetings held by the Albany Park Mental Health Consortium and the Advisory Council for a three-year Robert Wood Johnson Caring Across Communities grant. Facilitate statistical and reporting data with project partners.

Conduct other duties as assigned.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES

Experience working with children and adolescents

Knowledge of war-related trauma and PTSD issues

Cross-cultural sensitivity

MSW required

Support World Relief's corporate values and vision statement

Second language desired

PHYSICAL DEMANDS:

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

WORK ENVIRONMENT:

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

For World Relief staff, Christian faith is a prerequisite for employment, based upon United States federal guidelines provided in Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

Legal Background in the United States

World Relief is both an equal opportunity employer and a faith-based religious organization. This means that we conduct hiring without regard to race, color, ancestry, national origin, citizenship, age, sex, marital status, parental status, membership in any labor organization, political ideology, or disability of an otherwise qualified individual. The status of World Relief as an equal opportunity employer does not prevent the organization from hiring staff based on their religious beliefs, so that all staff share the same religious commitment.