Blackwell Public Schools is accepting resumes for Certified Teachers. The qualified applicant must have an Oklahoma Teaching Certificate in the areas listed. Interested applicants need to send a cover letter, resume, reference list and transcripts to Superintendent, Shawn Haskins @ shaskins@blackwell.k12.ok.us.
Middle School Science Position
Para-Professionals
High School Severe and Profound Life Skills Position
School-Based Family Services Specialist (SBFS) (see description below)
IDEAL CANDIDATE SUMMARY
The ideal candidate for the School-Based Family Services Specialist (SBFS) position is a compassionate and knowledgeable professional with a background in social work. They possess the ability to navigate complex systems, provide critical support to students and families, and act as a vital link between the school and community resources. Their role is pivotal in ensuring the safety, well-being, and academic success of the students they serve.
ROLE / POSITION OVERVIEW
The School-Based Family Services Specialist (SBFS) is responsible for linking families and children with helpful services, providing support, and fostering a collaborative environment between the school, families, and Oklahoma Human Services (OKDHS). The role requires strong problem- solving skills, extensive knowledge of social services, and the ability to work independently.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
Service Coordination and Delivery:
- Work onsite at the school, maintaining designated office hours.
- Identify and assess the needs of students, connecting them with school, community, or interagency services.
- Provide social-emotional support to students as needed.
- Make home visits and transport children when required.
- Assist families with applications for services such as TANF, SNAP, Child Care, and Medicaid.
Support and Advocacy:
- Act as a liaison among OKDHS, schools, families, and community partners.
- Empowering and strengthening families through provision of information, education, resources, and options.
- Support school staff and collaborate on referrals for allegations of abuse or neglect.
- Facilitate communication and cooperation among school personnel, families, and OKDHS.
Community Resource Development:
- Develop and convene community support groups.
- Assist in creating specialized programs within schools (e.g., tutoring, attendance support, family engagement).
- Build connections with community partners and coordinate resources to fill gaps in services.
Confidentiality and Accountability:
- Maintain confidentiality in accordance with laws and regulations.
- Attend all required trainings and stay updated on relevant OKDHS and educational policies.
- Maintain open communication in collaboration with OKDHS partners.
Event Participation and Connection:
− Participate in school and community events to provide information about available services and build connections with community partners.
− Assist families with referrals to health-related services and other state benefits.
− Provide ongoing support and follow-up to ensure family needs are continuously met.
QUALIFICATIONS
Education and Experience:
- Bachelor's degree or experience in social work, Human Services or related field preferred
- Relevant experience in social work, particularly with children and families.
- Experience in a school-based or educational setting preferred.
Knowledge and Skills:
- Strong understanding of OKDHS Child Welfare and Adult and Family Services Programs (TANF, SNAP, Child Care, Medicaid).
- Ability to assess and address the needs of students and families.
- Excellent problem-solving and decision-making skills, particularly in stressful situations.
- Effective communication and interpersonal skills for collaborating with multiple stakeholders.
- Knowledge of confidentiality laws related to children’s issues and OKDHS policies.
- Ability to work within and navigate a variety of different online systems, platforms, and software.
Personal Attributes:
- Empathetic and Culturally Sensitive: Deep empathy and cultural sensitivity towards the diverse needs of families and children, fostering trust and understanding in all interactions.
- Organized and Multitasking: Highly organized and excel at managing multiple tasks simultaneously, ensuring that no detail is overlooked.
- Committed to Support: Deeply passionate to supporting at-risk children and families, and dedicated to improving their well-being, always prioritizing their needs and advocating for their best interests.
- Proactive and Independent: Initiative taker and proactive in addressing challenges, comfortable working independently with minimal supervision.
School Based Service Coordinator–
School Based Family Specialist
(SBFS) Job Description
The school-based family specialist or coordinator is a trained service specialist with the support of an experienced DHS Program Field Representative who provides Adult and Family Services (AFS) and Child Welfare (CW) knowledge and communication links. The SBFS is the link between DHS, the school, the families who have children at the school. The job duties will vary within a given school system, however, there will be the following similarities.
The SBFS:
1. Will be responsible for working onsite at the school. His/her office hours will be determined by the school as he/she will be a school employee. He/she will work with limited supervision from the DHS Liaison and have the ability to make decisions based on DHS program knowledge.
2. Will have the ability to identify and assess the needs of students referred and connect them to school, community or interagency services as needed. May be asked to provide some social-emotional support to students.
3. Will assist school personnel in how to identify allegations of abuse or neglect through consultation and training. The SBFS will ensure that all required referrals are made. The SBFS will act as a liaison, in conjunction with the DHS Liaison, to CWS and the school if requested.
4. Will be required to make home visits or transport children as needed; therefore, the availability of transportation is a must. The SBFS will go to the homes of those children identified by the school and SBFS for a variety of needs. The individual must possess the ability to creative problem solve for solutions in stressful situations to provide social work support for children, families, and school personnel.
5. Will assist in developing community resources to meet the needs of families and children within the school system. The SBFS will have the ability to convene community support groups to aid in filling gaps in community resources that are needed to help the children and their families within the school system.
6. Will have a clear understanding of DHS Adult and Family Services Programs including TANF, SNAP, Child Care and Medicaid, as well as other AFS Programs. He/she must be able to identify children who may need assistance and provide support in the process of applying for services, explaining programs, and educating the families of the students, school personnel and community groups. (A major focus must be Medicaid as the schools are often dependent on (Medicaid reimbursement for their funding.)
7. Will work with the schools in developing specialized programs (such as tutoring services, truancy, or specific counseling services for at risk children, or after school activities.)
8. Will maintain confidentiality. The SBFS must have a good understanding of the Confidentiality Law as it relates to children’s issues and DHS and the confidential restraints that are in existence at the educational facility. The SBFS will attend all required DHS and school trainings annually.
Specific types of job duties of the SBFS, but not limited to only these, are as follows:
1. Participate in school events such as enrollment, open houses, or community resource events to assist and ensure students and families have current and available information regarding services provided.
2. Identify students and families that may be eligible for SoonerCare/SoonerSelect, Snap, or other state benefits and assist them with enrollment/re-enrollment and related education and information, including providers, services covered, and PCP enrollment.
3. Assist families with referrals to health-related care services when needed.
4. Identify at-risk children through inner-school referral system, with an emphasis on child safety, child well-being and parental/family protective factors.
5. Assist students and families in securing resources and services for identified transportation, housing, personal care and/or other needs required to ensure child safety and family protective factors are met.
6. When necessary, assist school faculty, staff and administration in making Child Welfare referrals which could include gathering supporting documentation, providing education and information about the referral process, or making the referral directly when there is a child safety concern.
7. Act as liaison to DHS when able, which could include gathering information, setting up interviews, providing and/or facilitating school in-service presentations and training on DHS services.
8. Serve as a connection to DHS and act as a liaison to assist the school with the provision of social services within the community by assisting with Job Readiness/Career and Strengthening Families.
9. Identify other student needs and provide support in obtaining community resources such as mental health services, transportation needs, housing needs, and food insecurity needs.
10. Provide support and assistance to develop or coordinate resources of school-based programs, projects and partnerships that assist schools with meeting social service needs of students and families.
11. Follow up and ongoing support for families to ensure needs continue to be met, satisfaction with services, and identify any new or existing barriers to services.
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