Temporary Position About the Board

The Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board (HWDSB) is committed to learning, equity, engagement and innovation. We are guided by our vision, Growing Together, the mission that every student experiences a sense of belonging and engages in dynamic learning to reach their potential and build their own future, and our values of Compassion, Dignity, Trust, and Joy to guide our daily work and ensure that we honour the unique identities and needs of all. Proudly serving a community of approximately 50,000 students in the City of Hamilton and surrounding area, HWDSB operates across 84 elementary schools, 13 secondary schools and 1 Adult Learning Centre, in addition to providing support and service to approximately 8,800 staff members.

Staff Wellness

At HWDSB, staff wellness is a priority. We are committed to co-creating and fostering an environment where staff feel safe, valued, and supported. We are continuously striving to support the needs of our diverse community and actively work to foster and maintain a culture of human rights.

Our holistic Staff Wellness program has been designed to support employees well-being in all dimensions of health. As one part of this comprehensive program, all staff as well as their dependents have access to free and confidential supports through our Employee and Family Assistance Provider (EFAP), in addition to many other program components.

Reporting to the Manager of Social Work Services/Mental Health Lead and Manager of Social Work/School Based Support, the School Social Worker will provide therapeutic interventions, guided by evidence-informed practices, to enhance the social-emotional well-being and mental health of HWDSB students. The Social Worker meets these expectations by intervening within a continuum of service, and is responsible to provide the following:

Providing consultation, brief service, treatment intervention and crisis support to children and youth between 4-18 years old presenting with: Mental health concerns, such as anxiety or low mood

School avoidance and non-attendance

Personal and behavioural challenges such as peer relationship stress, substance use, adverse childhood experiences.

Family stressors that impact on the student's functioning at school.

Experiencing systemic oppression and discrimination (racism, poverty, colonialization, homophobia/biphobia/transphobia, poverty etc.)

Urgent mental health crisis that places the child/youth at risk or poses a risk to others.Brief Service includes: Focusing on client strengths, are culturally inclusive and safe, and promote shared decision-making with the client.

Provision of quick access therapeutic encounters to address the immediate or presenting needs of a child or youth.

Provision of a timely response to requests for service, maximizing the child or youth and familys readiness for change and diverting children, youth and families from waitlists whenever possible.

Facilitating referrals to appropriate alternate or additional services, both within the Board as well as the larger community.Treatment Intervention includes: A series of planned, interrelated interventions based on an assessment of the child, youth and familys multiple risks, needs and strengths. A range of modalities such as individual, group and family

Using an evidence-informed approach that is strength-based, and culturally responsive to diverse populations, centered on the individual, considering the individual child/youth within their whole context, respecting their needs and preferences.

The intervention/treatment process involves clients and uses shared decision-making so that all parties understand the goals and desired outcomes.

The intervention/treatment plan is reviewed and recorded on a regular basis, and results are used to modify the intervention/treatment plan, if necessary.Crisis Support Services include: Implementing a triage protocol inclusive of prioritization criteria, type of contact and corresponding response time targets.

Referral to appropriate community agencies and services to support the student in developing and implementing a safety plan.

Supporting system wide initiatives that enhance or establish universal conditions for student wellbeing and inclusionThe ideal candidate will have the following qualifications: A Masters in Social Work and registration in good standing with Ontario College of Social Workers and Social Service Workers.

Strong commitment to social work values, anti-oppressive/anti-racist practice, culturally safe and inclusive approaches to service delivery.

Knowledge and awareness of the issues that impact upon children and youth and their school experience.

Knowledge and experience in the application of evidence informed therapeutic interventions with children and families, and how to apply this within a school setting. Experience in the provision of therapeutic treatment groups and an understanding of group modalities, dynamics and techniques.

Thorough knowledge of child development, social, environmental and structural influences, cultural diversity, family systems and age-appropriate change strategies.

Demonstrated ability in working both within a multi-disciplinary team and/or a singular discipline team, and the ability to promote the transference knowledge across the team.

Experience and comfort in working independently in a fast paced environment.

Knowledge and experience in working with community agencies and partners to ensure seamless and integrated service delivery for children, youth and their families.

Strong documentation skills in accordance with OCSWSSW standards, coupled with solid organizational, administrative and computer skills.Employment Equity Statement Hamilton-Wentworth

District School Board (HWDSB) is committed to building inclusive

learning and working environments where students see themselves

reflected in the curriculum, staff population, physical surroundings and

the broader community.

HWDSBs

mission is to empower students to learn and grow to their full

potential in a diverse world. Guided by this mission, HWDSB strives to

build a workforce that embodies the values of human rights, equity,

diversity and inclusion, while reflecting and welcoming the diverse and

distinct identities, experiences and needs of our students and our

communities.

HWDSB

seeks qualified candidates who share our commitment to equity and

inclusion, and who will contribute to the vision of creating inclusive

and equitable outcomes. HWDSB especially invites and welcomes

applications from:

Indigenous Peoples (e.g. First Nations, Mtis and Inuit peoples;)

Members

of groups that commonly experience discrimination due to race,

ancestry, colour, religion and/or spiritual beliefs, or place of origin;

(e.g. Black and racialized communities, immigrant communities, etc.)

Persons with visible and/or invisible (physical and/or mental) disabilities;

Persons who identify as women; and

Persons of marginalized sexual orientations, gender identities, and gender expressions. (i.e. Two-spirit and LGBTQIA+)

As

part of HWDSBs commitment to employment equity and removing barriers

to groups that have faced and continue to face barriers in employment,

we invite all applicants to complete a voluntary question(s) that

collects identity-based information. The voluntary question(s) is on the

Apply to Education application page for this position.

HWDSB

is committed to providing accommodation throughout the recruitment and

selection process, based on any human rights protected grounds. If you

require accommodation, please notify us in advance and we will work with

you to meet your needs.Land Acknowledgement

HWDSB is

located on ancestral Anishinaabe and Haudenosaunee Confederacy land as

determined by the Dish with One Spoon treaty. The Dish with One Spoon

wampum belt represents the treaty relationship between the Haudenosaunee

Confederacy and Anishinaabe with respect to sharing the land and

resources thereon. The intent of this agreement is for all nations

sharing this territory to do so responsibly, respectfully and

sustainably in perpetuity. We respect the longstanding relationships

with the local Indigenous communities, the Mississaugas of the Credit

First Nation and the Six Nations of the Grand River.

Applicant Self-Identification Form

The information collected on this form is used to monitor HWDSBs progress toward our equity goals including our commitment to diversity in HWDSB recruitment and hiring practices.

We are committed to the security and confidentiality of information under our control, and to the protection of privacy with respect to personal and confidential information that is collected, used, disclosed and retained in the system (Policy 1.6 - Privacy). Information on this form is collected pursuant to Ontarios Education Equity Action Plan (Ministry of Education) and in accordance with the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (MFIPPA). Access to this form is restricted to specific individuals in Human Resources. The Research and Analytics Department will use aggregate data from all the forms (not individual data) for internal reporting. Their access and use of the data is governed by MFIPPA and ethical research practices. Applicant Self-Identification Forms will be maintained in the Human Resources job competition file and securely destroyed 1 year after the job posting for candidates not selected for an interview and 6 years after the job posting for candidates interviewed, in accordance with general records retention principles.

If you prefer not to answer any of the questions, you can select prefer not to answer. This in no way affects your application or the applicant selection process. If you have questions or concerns about this form please contact humanresources@hwdsb.on.ca.