Social Worker
Location: New York, NY
Type: Full Time, Exempt
About StreetSquash
StreetSquash was founded in Harlem in September 1999 as the second squash and education program in the United States. A comprehensive youth enrichment program, StreetSquash combines academic tutoring, squash instruction, community service, college preparation, leadership development, and mentoring for young people ages 11-24. What began as an after-school program with 24 middle school students and two staff members has expanded to serve 400 participants from 6th grade through college graduation, and entry into the workforce. Learn more about us at www.streetsquash.org.
About the Position
StreetSquash is seeking a driven, innovative Social Worker with a primary focus on middle school programs and family engagement. The ideal candidate will possess a passion for supporting young people on the path to high school graduation, post-secondary education and completion, and securing meaningful, self-sustaining employment. The Social Worker reports to the Senior Director of Social Work.
Ideal candidates will have a deep commitment to youth development in an after-school setting, value personal excellence, and have comfort supporting a young person’s social emotional development. They will have significant experience working with youth of color attending public schools in urban areas, and experience managing groups at varying development levels. This individual will be expected to work evenings until 6:30 pm and some weekends.
Responsibilities:
- Provide bio psycho social assessment and treatment and family sessions for cohort of middle school students
- Develop and lead weekly social-emotional curriculum and enrichment programming
- Communicate regularly with all staff about student action plans
- Support students and families in their academic and personal growth through programming and relationship-building including one on one counseling, school visits, home visits, group work, action planning, case work, crisis intervention, family sessions etc.
- Coordinate parent/caregiver groups and events
- Network with external stakeholders and other service providers to refer students and families as needed
- Collaborate on relevant programming with the social work staff and the organization as a whole
- Opportunity to gain supervisory experience and obtain SIFI
- Lead and participate in Family Leadership Board initiatives including meetings, forums, and fundraising efforts
- Participate in Emergency Fund coordination
- Support with team meetings and staff development
- Complete wellness calls/ meetings with students and families on caseload
- Coordinate with program staff to discuss individual cases
Qualifications:
- Registration as a Licensed Master of Social Work (LMSW) required, LCSW
- Prior experience providing therapy to youth and adolescents; ability to establish and strengthen relationships with participants and partners
- Passion for young people and enjoyment of spending time with them, and pushing them to set and achieve goals in all aspects of their lives
- Experience with parents and family engagement
- Knowledge of NYC Public Schools, transfer schools, special education desirable
- Excellent communication and research abilities
- Interpersonal, organizational, and networking skills critical
- Proven ability to make good, proactive decisions in potentially emotionally-charged situations and/or in the absence of complete clarity; comfortable taking risks
- Ability to understand program data and the purpose of its usage; use data to identify programmatic trends and develop responsive practices for improving programs
- Sensitivity to different cultures, races, and ethnicities. Works well with diverse or marginalized populations
- Valid driver’s license
- Supervisory experience, SIFI eligibility or certified a plus
- Spanish and/or French proficiency a plus
- Google Suite, Zoom, and Salesforce experience a plus, or demonstrated experience to learn new systems
Commitment: StreetSquash values long-term, deep, impactful work with students. It takes years to cultivate relationships and staff retention is a critical component of organizational success. This is not a transitional role or a temporary steppingstone. Candidates should be prepared to commit for the long haul, just as we are committed to supporting our staff to develop and grow.
Compensation & Benefits: StreetSquash offers competitive compensation, commensurate with experience. Full benefits include employer-supported health coverage, monthly MetroCard or equivalent transit stipend, monthly cell phone stipend, FSA, paid federal holidays, 20 days of paid vacation plus 5 day holiday break, 40 hours of sick time, 3 personal days (after the first 90 days), and 401k contributions (after 1 year of employment).
Vaccination: StreetSquash has implemented a policy requiring all employees to be fully vaccinated and submit proof as to their vaccination status in order to work on-site. Therefore, all new hires, prior to their start date, will be required to: (1) be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 (i.e., receive both doses of a two-dose vaccine or a single dose of a one-dose vaccine) and provide the Organization with a copy of their COVID-19 vaccination card, or (2) or receive an accommodation exempting them from the vaccination requirement. StreetSquash will keep any information about an employee or applicant’s vaccination status confidential in accordance with, and to the extent required by, applicable law.
Application Process: Interested candidates should send a resume and a detailed cover letter that directly addresses the specified requirements as outlined above and why you are interested in this position to hiring@streetsquash.org with “Social Worker Position” in the subject line. Only complete applications will be reviewed and only shortlisted candidates will be contacted. Final applicants will be requested to consent to a pre-employment background check and employment verification.
StreetSquash is an equal opportunity employer with a commitment to diversity. We encourage all qualified applicants to apply. No knowledge of squash is necessary for social work positions.