[2026-2027] Middle School Social Worker

Role Overview:

KIPP Philadelphia Public Schools seeks a highly dedicated social worker to join the team. KPPS Social Workers provide the following core services: prevention, intervention, assessment, and collaboration. Social Workers work directly with students to provide effective, evidence-based, high-quality direct services, as well as mezzo and macro opportunities related to the well-being of our students, families and community. Our Social Worker will also work directly with teachers to cultivate their knowledge of students’ social and emotional development. More information on the types of activities common and expected by KPPS Social Workers is found below.  

Prevention

• Provide group or 1:1 school-based counseling services to students with and without IEPs as part of a defined caseload.

• Participate in intervention meetings (ex: SAP, MTSS, grade level meetings) to thought partner with teachers and other staff around social and emotional interventions at the school-wide and student specific level.

• Build relationships and collaborate with external community and social services professionals to develop appropriate agency services for students and families.

• Facilitate workshops and other learning opportunities for families.

• Participate on school staff teams to develop policies and practices to proactively build school culture including opportunities for team building and collaboration among students.

• Help drive a school-wide atmosphere that best suits the needs of our students, teachers, and families.

• Facilitate professional development for teachers to help them understand child development and how it affects student performance academically and social/emotionally.

Intervention

• Drive social and emotional intervention plans for our most high need students including, but not limited to, those with 504s, IEPs or requiring mental health crisis response.

• Run individual and group counseling sessions with research based therapeutic interventions in line with the scope of practice for school-based support.

• Assist students, teachers, and families to develop solutions to family and community factors that influence students’ capacity or ability to learn.

• Serve as the building lead for crisis intervention, managing crisis protocols from referral through to transition back to school.

•  Coordinate logistics for outside services when on-site; support inter-agency collaboration when students are returning to school. Lead collaboration and referral processes with our IBHS assigned partners in line with PA requirements.

• Lead the school’s Student Assistance Program process in line with PA requirements.

• Manage support of students who qualify for McKinney-Vento services in collaboration with school and regional office Operations Team members.

• Provide outside referrals to families when student or family needs exceed the scope of practice for school-based counseling services.

• Coordinate community resource activities with partnership organizations to expand the network of supports accessible to KPPS students and families.

• Respond to mental health crisis as part of the school’s crisis response team.

Documentation and Assessment

• Complete high-quality progress notes for all students receiving social work services weekly and maintain up-to-date records for all services rendered.

• Complete and document mental health crisis assessments for students as needed

• Complete mental health or counseling intervention documentation related to student referrals for outside programs or services.

• Utilize interviews with students, family members, and KIPP staff members to assess each student on their caseload’s school-based counseling needs as appropriate; help all constituents integrate information to best meet the student’s needs.

• Provide recommendations to MTSS, IEP, 504 and other processes related to behavioral interventions including, but not limited to type, frequency and modality of school-based counseling options.

• Conduct observations to gather data to determine best options for interventions for students on caseload as appropriate.

Collaboration

• Attend all O3s, Professional Development and other required collaboration opportunities.

• Create professional learning goals each year and implement feedback as part of working towards these goals.

• Offer support to and receive constructive feedback from colleagues to create a professional working atmosphere that is conducive to growth and improvement.

• Attend IEP and inter-departmental meetings for students receiving Social Work services.

• Supervise and mentor social work interns and/or additional MSW level employees pursuing their clinical licensure in PA.

School Responsibilities

• Attend designated school functions outside of school hours (Back to School Night, Report Card Conferences, Community Events, etc.) 

• Contribute to the planning and execution of all school-wide events

• Develop strong relationships with the families of students through home visits, participation in school events and phone calls home

• Perform necessary support duties including (but not limited to) bus, lunch, and dismissal duties

• Chaperone field lessons/field trips

• Additional responsibilities may arise during the school year. They will be communicated to all employees with as much notice and flexibility as possible.