Job Title:  Social Service Truancy Specialist                                              Wage/Hour: Exempt 

Status: TBD

Reports to:  Lead Social Worker                                                              Pay Grade: 1

Dept. /School:  Community Outreach Center (COC)                                  Days:  187

Funding: Juvenile Justice & Truancy Prevention Grant                                Term: Job Ends June 2025

Primary Purpose: The goal of the Social Service Truancy Specialist is to provide assistance for at risk students and their families which will remove barriers to school readiness and attendance.

Qualifications:

• Education/Certification:
• Bachelor’s degree in Social Work, Psychology, Criminal Justice or related social service field
• Social worker certification preferred
• Proficiency in English and Spanish preferred 

• Special Knowledge Skills:
• Knowledge of how to access community agencies and organizations.
• Knowledge of the federal McKinney Vento Homeless Assistance Act.
• Ability to analyze complex student performance data. 

• Experience
• Experience of how to access community agencies and organizations

Major Responsibilities and Duties:

• Serve as a team member and cooperate with school psychologists, guidance counselors, nurses, principals, and classroom teachers in assessing the mental and emotional health of the individual at risk student having school difficulty.
• Assist in compiling information from home visits that will be used in developing an intervention plan for the student and his/her parents with the goal of improving attendance and making the school a positive learning experience.
• Present a positive image of the school to parents and convey to them the school's genuine concern with the education, growth, and development of each child.
• Assist in developing activities designed to involve parents in the school and community.
• Serve as a channel of communication for relaying the concerns, thoughts, and attitudes of parents and the general public to the school.
• Report to the Lead Social Worker all school-age children who are unable to participate in the regular school program because of mental, physical, or emotional handicaps to ensure that appropriate educational interventions are provided.
• Maintain a professional awareness of regulations regarding child welfare and attendance by having a working knowledge of state laws, board policies, and administrative regulations.
• Perform community service outreach work as a culturally sensitive student-support person.
• Assist the school staff in rendering comprehensive public health services to student and parents.
• Assist in identifying students who need health or social services.
• Assist students and parents in interpreting and completing necessary paperwork and application forms for local, state, and federal services.
• Assist students with transportation needs encourage students to assume responsibility for their own choices and become more self-reliant and self-directing.
• Ensure student attendance at scheduled visits with physicians and/or clinics.
• Become knowledgeable of community services and eligibility requirements for services.
• Maintain confidentiality of all students and their particular situations and circumstances.
• Assist professional staff with limited clerical duties such as the completion of forms, making appointments, and sending follow-up notices, transporting students in ECISD vehicles.
• Serve as a member to the Community Outreach Center team; and perform any other duties and tasks assigned.

• Initiate truancy interventions on students that have met an excessive truancy threshold.
• Assess barriers to attendance and provide families with tools and resources to address these barriers.
• Connect students with services provided through the district and outside the district.
• Serve as student advocates for students reintegrating from the Youth Center and Alternative Center.  

Supervisory Responsibilities:

Working Conditions:

Mental Demands/Physical Demands/Environmental Factors:

Maintain emotional control under stress. Occasional prolonged or irregular hours.

The foregoing statements describe the general purpose and responsibilities assigned to this job and are not an exhaustive list of all responsibilities and duties that may be assigned or skills that may be required.  I have read, understand and attest to the above description and funding relating to my daily activities.

Signature                                                                         Date__________________