DISTINGUISHING FEATURES OF THE CLASS:   The work involves the performance of a wide variety of duties related to substance abuse prevention and treatment provided to students in a school district.  Primary emphasis is on providing counseling and guidance to students and their families.  Other duties include the dissemination of information on programs and services provided by the agency, follow-up on former student cases and the preparation of records and reports.  The purpose of the work is to coordinate services being provided to students with substance abuse problems to facilitate their transition to employment.  The work is performed under the general supervision of a professional staff member in accordance with established policies and procedures.  The incumbent does related work as required.

 

TYPICAL WORK ACTIVITIES:

• Maintains records of interviews and meetings with students and their families;
• Keeps abreast of new developments, programs and techniques in addictive abuse prevention and rehabilitation
• Works with addictive substance abusers to gain their confidence
• May disseminate information concerning programs and services to public and private agencies and to the general public through speaking engagements, media releases and educational programs
• Develops treatment plans for assigned students and maintains case progress notes in accordance with State guidelines
• Makes the community aware of the services available
• May prepare monthly student status and demographic reports
• Performs counseling function using an in-depth knowledge of alcoholism and drug addiction with students having special, social, adjust mental, addictive or personal problems in order to provide appropriate counseling relative to the student’s stage of recovery
• Performs case management functions as well as managing an assigned caseload of specific hard to serve  students using knowledge of long term recovery process so as to have the educational program enhance, or at least not jeopardize, the recovery
• Develops needed community resources and maintains working relationships with these groups and programs for hard to serve students
• May act as case coordinator with other community service agencies such as social services, alcohol rehabilitation organizations, mental health, private hospitals, educational  institutions, etc. to provide more integrated services to students
• May perform specialized follow-up visits and studies to assist in evaluating program         effectiveness
• May carry out special projects through research study and development in areas such as case management, integrated service planning and delivery for hard to serve students, etc.
• May supervise the administration of standardized testing instruments and procedures used in the evaluation of hard to serve students
• Performs a variety of related duties as required

 

FULL PERFORMANCE KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, ABILITIES AND PERSONAL CHARACTERISTICS:   Good knowledge of the problems of those addicted to or dependent on addictive substances; Good knowledge of the symptoms and physical signs of addictive substance use; Good knowledge of group and individual counseling; Working knowledge of services provided in a school district; Working knowledge of the public and private agencies available to provide assistance to the addicted; Ability to relate to and be accepted by addictive substance abusers; Ability to evaluate student interests and aptitudes; Ability to work with students in a variety of counseling and educational guidance situations; Ability to work in a team approach as part of an educational support team when primary goals are educational success; Ability to follow oral and written directions; Ability to maintain records.

 

 

This position exists in the Schenectady City School District and involves the responsibility for program planning, administration and supervision for the 21^st Century Community Learning Center Grant Program.  Responsibilities include:  Working closely with Child Guidance staff, administrators and faculty located in the proposed school sites in the District, coordinates the grant activities and staff with the goal of overcoming the chronic and pervasive effects of poverty and low achievement through coordination of strategies that will close achievement gaps and engage students and families in developing 21^st century competencies to be prepared and empowered in post-secondary education and careers.  Supervision is received from the school principal with leeway given for carrying out the details of the work.  Does related work as required.

TYPICAL WORK ACTIVITIES:

 

• Plans, implements and evaluates an integrated afterschool program offering a menu of needs-driven, high quality programs and services, Expanded Learning Opportunities(ELO’s)in adherence with the objectives of the grant including, but not limited to:  Targeted tutoring in reading and math based on student specific data;
• Academic enrichment aligned to the CCSS;
• Clinical social workers providing individual and group counseling and support to students and their parents/guardians;
• Youth development programs provided by the BGCS;
• Video production, music and the arts, recreation, nutrition, health and fitness;
• Technology integrated projects using iPads;
• Enriching field trips and experiences;
• Parent engagement activities and parent education including  reinforcing literacy foundations in the home;
• Enrichment featuring college and career linkages;

 

Location/Program Support:

 

• Aligns and integrates all extended day and support programming supporting each proposed site;
• Assists the Principal, faculty and other school stakeholders in promoting the Expanded Learning Opportunities (ELO’s), helping with social marketing and organizing college, career and enrichment field trips;
• Assists the Principal in developing firm connections with early childhood education providers, and improving transition supports needed for students entering kindergarten and children moving on to middle school;
• Attends program conferences;

 

Communications/Customer Service:

 

• Configures and evaluates collaboration among several systems (i.e. Building administration, District Child Guidance clinicians, faculty, and Boys & Girls Club Program staff) to ensure a smooth transition from one ELO activity to activity in each program site in close collaboration with the Principal;

 

 

• Configures and evaluates communication among CCLC teachers and classroom or subject area faculty within the school building with the goal of understanding students’ individual needs through use of data;
• Convenes and serves on the site-based community school leadership team, co-led by the principal, to identify needs, set priorities and coordinate strategy;
• Assists the principal in developing firm connections with school stakeholders;
• Attends program conferences;
• Represents the community school in various public forums as needed and participates in advocacy activities to promote the initiative;
• Conducts outreach to community partners and expands and coordinates services as directed by the school principal;
• Organizes special events including those celebrating the successes of the 21^st Century Community Learning Center program;
• Coordinates with the Communications Officers for press releases and event publicity;
• Supervises the CCLC after school teachers and CCLC summer program teachers and assists this person in evaluating and continuously improving conventional parent involvement programs and innovative collective parent empowerment and family support programs;
• Supervises the program support;

 

Record-keeping/Database Management:

 

• Organizes and assures that CCLC teachers take attendance for each program activity they provide in the District’s Pentamation system;
• Assures that CCLC teachers document enrichment activity lessons and outcomes;
• Maintains overall record-keeping system;
• Assists the Principal and teachers and other school stakeholders in promoting the strategies designed to engage students and families in developing the 21^st century competencies;
• Assists school principal in managing the program budget and purchasing;
• Collects data and outcome reporting from partners, school building and district personnel for NYSED reporting with special attention to community data and its uses in school and classroom improvement planning;
• Develops evaluation-driven and continuous quality improvement data protocols for connecting out-of-school time learning and student engagement strategies to classrooms, with teachers as co-designers;
• Develops evaluation-driven and continuous quality improvement service protocols for students, parents, teachers, community partners and all program stakeholders;

 

Documents Preparation:

 

• Prepares public presentations on the 21^st Century Community Learning Center Program for various audiences;
• Prepares draft grant-related accountability and financial reports for NYSED for review by the school principal and the district Director of Planning and Accountability;
• Prepares quarterly performance and accountability reports including student data measures and partner data for the school principal;

• Does related work as required in all categories.

FULL PERFORMANCE KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, ABILITIES AND PERSONAL CHARACTERISTICS: Good knowledge of the purposes, principles, terminology and practices employed in program planning; good knowledge of educational programs; good knowledge of public information and public relations techniques; ability to adapt to various socio-economic groups and communicate clearly and effectively both verbally and in writing; ability to establish and maintain effective relationships with others; ability to work flexible hours including evenings; cultural sensitivity; organizational skill; skill with public speaking; tact; courtesy.