Social Worker - New Mexico Connections Academy

Company Summary

New Mexico Connections Academy (NMCA) is a tuition-free, virtual public school serving students in grades 4–12 throughout the state. The school is authorized by the New Mexico Public Education Commission, and governed by an independent Governing Council.  The school is operated by New Mexico Connections Academy, a government entity, to provide its educational program and other services.  NMCA is accredited by the North Central Association Commission on Accreditation and School Improvement, an accrediting division of AdvancED.

New Mexico 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.

Position Summary

Working from your home office and across the state in New Mexico, the Social Worker will promote the academic mission by providing services that strengthen home/school/community partnerships and alleviate barriers to learning. The Social Worker significantly contributes to the development of a healthy, safe, and caring environment by advancing the understanding of the emotional and social development of children and the influences of family, community, and cultural differences on student successes and by implementing effective intervention strategies. Dropout prevention and support for improving the graduation rate will be the Social Worker’s primary objective.

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

• Connect students and families with available community resources to fully develop each person’s individual potential;
• Implement programs for students and families related to interpersonal adjustment issues;
• Work with school teams to identify and help families access school and community resources, in order to remove barriers to attendance and academic success;
• Participate in the development of crisis prevention and management plans for the school
• Coordinate with teachers to help identify students who are “at risk” or “in crisis”;
• Act as the main point of contact for these students and families, communicating regularly with them;
• Report and refer critical incidents that jeopardize student well-being as obligated by law, administrative regulations, or ethical standards;
• Stay abreast of all state regulations relating to incident reporting and documentation;  
• Support professional development activities for teachers and school staff members;
• Collaborate closely with Guidance and Special Populations Departments; and
• Other duties as assigned.

Requirements

• Masters Degree in Social Work or Applied Behavioral Science/Analysis
• Experience and demonstrated interest in working with at-risk youth
• Experience with special education preferred
• Candidates should have knowledge and familiarity with specific Indiana resources and agencies that will assist in the healthy social, mental, and academic development of students and families
• Ability to travel across Indiana to support families and work with agencies
• Strong technology skills (especially with Microsoft Office products and Google Suite)
• Excellent communication skills, both oral and written
• Customer focused approach
• High degree of flexibility
• Demonstrated ability to work well in fast-paced environment
• Ability to work some occasional evening hours, as needed to support some families
• Ability to work remotely