Social Worker (Bilingual) - Middle School

Join the team at The Equity Project (TEP) Charter School, featured in the New York Times, The Wall Street Journal and on 60 Minutes for its revolutionary teacher salaries and its outstanding results. TEP aims to achieve educational equity for students from historically underserved communities by utilizing world-class teachers and social workers, while re-imagining the social work profession as a place in which individuals prioritize their own growth as experts and community leaders.

Watch the video below to learn more about TEP's new Middle School facility, designed with community and equity at the forefront. 

About the Role

Social Workers at The Equity Project (TEP) Charter School serve as the primary leaders of mental health services for TEP students and families, design and implement (proactive and preventative) Social Work programs that promote social and emotional health, and respond to day-to-day student issues and unanticipated crises. Each Social Worker at The Equity Project (TEP) Charter School focuses their efforts on the students, families, and teachers of one specific cohort.

In this role, you will serve as the Social Worker for one TEP cohort, then will move up with this cohort of students throughout their time at TEP until they graduate 8th grade! This is an amazing opportunity for an experienced and creative social work clinician who thrives in an autonomous environment, is passionate about social justice and child/family work, and is seeking to form long-lasting relationships with students and families as they navigate the road from 5th grade through adolescence.

Middle School Social Workers will work in a state-of-the-art learning environment carefully designed, built, and crafted to spark joy and instill a love of learning for TEP students. Our school building in the Washington Heights/Inwood community, provides a perfect learning environment for developing students by providing a Social Work suite with both private and collaborative offices/spaces, innovative classroom settings, a full gymnasium, a high-tech performing arts space, and an indoor/outdoor café where meals are prepared fresh on a daily basis for students and staff.

"I believe this is where I have the greatest impact within the Social Work profession. I can do the work that is going to last! I can connect with people, very young, and see the fruits of the work last for years and years." - TEP Social Worker

Responsibilities

Clinical Counseling Services

• Provide regular counseling to students and families in need of social and emotional support; this includes both mandated counseling to students with IEPs (Individualized Education Plans) as well as individual and group counseling to other students in need
• Lead mediations as necessary, using relational-based models within your social work practice, in alignment with TEP's commitment to Restorative Justice Practices
• Respond to day-to-day crises and collaborate with the school community to create a safe and supportive environment for all students
• Design and implement creative clinical interventions for students with repeated instances of similar challenges

Mental Health Programming

• Develop and lead programs for students and families to promote emotional, mental, and psycho-social health
• Build strong relationships with families to facilitate a collaborative approach to student support, and coordinate the delivery of mental health and family services at community organizations for students and families requiring outside social services

About You (Qualifications)

• Language Proficiency: Complete fluency in Spanish required
• Deeply aligned to TEP’s mission of providing a world-class mental health services and social work interventions to historically under-resourced student communities (90% of TEP students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, 22% of TEP students receive Special Education services, and 25% of TEP students are Multi-Lingual Learners).
• Social Work experience: Minimum of five (5) years of clinical social work experience working with children and families, with a preference for individuals who have worked within a school setting. 
• The ability to design and implement in-school prevention programming according to current best practices within the field of social work.  Working knowledge of the instructional and social needs of students with disabilities.
• Ability to simultaneously manage a regular counseling schedule and triage crisis, while prioritizing multiple competing urgent tasks
• Education requirements: We highly value candidates with a Master’s Social Work degree However, we also welcome individuals with degrees in related fields such as School Counseling or School Psychology to apply
• Certification requirements: TEP does not require Social Workers to have any specific level of certification/licensing (ie LCSW) outside of the above educational and experience requirements

Why TEP (Benefits)

At TEP, growth isn't just for our students—continued growth is also a central priority for our Social Workers. That's why we're redefining the Social Worker experience, offering a rewarding career that includes an annual salary that matches TEP’s high expectations.

• Compensation: Clinical Social Workers earn an annual salary of $95,000
• Redefined Work-Year: 3 extended rest breaks and 3 professional development institutes focused on learning and collaboration with the teaching and social work team
• Unmatched Social Work Talent: Be surrounded by a collaborative community of experienced, passionate Social Workers and Educators who care about educational equity
• Time Off: Approximately 10 weeks of vacation per year (all school vacations)
• Employee Wellness: We value your well-being through our Staff Food Program, Staff Retreats, and Wellness Programming
• Healthcare: World-class medical, dental, vision, Short-Term Disability (STD), Long-Term Disability (LTD), and Life Insurance policies
• Family Focus: Parental leave and dependent care account so you can care for your loved ones
• 403b Retirement Plan: We care about your ability to save for your future
• Learning & Development: A culture that provides and encourages professional growth and development, including professional development and tuition/continuous learning reimbursements

Note that as this role requires a strong on-site presence, TEP's Clinical Social Worker is a fully in-person position at TEP's Middle School campus in Inwood, NYC.

Application Process

TEP is designed and structured around the belief that great staff members are the key to achieving educational success for students. As such, we require Social Work applicants to demonstrate their qualifications throughout the application and hiring process. The requirements for each Clinical Social Work applicant include:

• Resume: Potential candidates must submit an up-to-date resume
• Cover Letter: Potential candidates must submit a well-written cover letter that highlights their specific interest in joining the TEP community

TEP is currently reviewing applications on a rolling basis. If you submit both a cover letter and resume, you will receive a response from us as to whether or not you will be invited to the next stage of the process for the Clinical Social Work role.

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