Director of School Social Work - Bright Star Schools

Position Title: Director of School Social Work

Department:  Non-Instructional

Reports to: 

FLSA Status:  12 month, Exempt, Full Time

Who We Are: 

Bright Star Schools is a free, publicly funded, and open-enrollment non-profit organization with 9 public charters in urban Los Angeles. Across all of our Bright Star sites, over 90% of our students are eligible for free and reduced lunch.

Our mission is to provide holistic, inclusive support for all students to achieve academic excellence and grow their unique talents so that they find joy in higher education, career, and life. Bright Star students will become leaders who act with integrity and champion equity to enrich our communities and the world. The framework for our success is our core operating principles, which are Integridad, Ubuntu, Kohyang (고향), and Growth.

Our educators join a family that is passionate and committed to developing all students to become well-rounded citizens. We offer small class sizes, comprehensive coordinator support, and numerous collaboration opportunities across the organization and within school sites. We strongly believe in listening to all stakeholders’ voices, and we work to increase teaching practice and effectiveness through our data-driven and feedback-derived professional development.

____________________________________________________________________________

Bright Star Schools is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, national or ethnic origin, age, disability, pregnancy, or veteran status.

Position Description: The Director of School Social Work leads and oversees Bright Star Schools' network-wide social work and internship program, ensuring high-quality, compliant, and effective social work services across the organization. The Director is responsible for the design, implementation, evaluation, and continuous improvement of the social work internship program, clinical practice standards, university partnerships, and systems that support student and family mental health and social-emotional needs.

The Director partners with school and network leaders to integrate social work services into broader student support systems, identify emerging needs and trends, strengthen school-based practices, and ensure consistent implementation and outcomes across Bright Star schools.  As part of this role, the Director oversees activities connected with the enforcement of the laws relating to compulsory education.

What You’ll Do:

Basic Components of the Job Description for this position include (but are not limited to): 

• Design, lead and continuously improve Bright Star’s network-wide social work internship program, including recruitment and placement strategy, onboarding, orientation, practicum experiences, supervision structures, professional development, evaluation, and program outcomes for BSW and MSW interns. 
• Establish and oversee the network-wide clinical quality assurance and compliance framework for social work and intern-delivered services, including standards, protocols, monitoring systems, documentation requirements, risk identification, and corrective actions to ensure compliance with DHCS, PPSC, university, EHR, NASW Code of Ethics, and applicable federal, state, and local requirements.
• Establish and oversee a consistent model for intern supervision, coaching, evaluation, and clinical development across the network, while providing direct clinical/practicum supervision as appropriate. Ensure interns demonstrate progress in clinical competencies, ethical decision-making, evidence-based practice, documentation, and professional readiness.
• Provide clinical consultation, guidance, and support for complex or high-risk student and family cases and crisis situations, while strengthening the capacity of interns and school-based teams to implement evidence-based mental health and social-emotional interventions.
• Develop and lead network-wide professional learning, consultation, and capacity-building efforts for school leaders, counselors, teachers, and student support staff related to trauma-informed practices, self-harm and suicide prevention, crisis intervention, behavioral and mental health supports, and other emerging student needs.
• Partner with school leaders and network teams, including Student Services, Special Education, Counseling, and other key functions, to ensure social work services are effectively integrated into MTSS, SSPT, 504, IEP, attendance, crises response, and other student support systems across Bright Star Schools. 
• Develop and lead network-wide professional learning, consultation, and capacity-building efforts for school leaders, counselors, teachers, and student support staff related to trauma-informed practices, self-harm and suicide prevention, crisis intervention, behavioral and mental health supports, and other emerging student needs.

Success in this role is demonstrated through strong program performance and measurable impact, including:

• High-Quality Intern Development: Social work interns receive consistent supervision, coaching, and feedback and demonstrate measurable growth in school-based practice, clinical skills, ethical decision-making, and professional readiness.
• University Partnerships: Maintain effective communication and liaison with university partners to foster strong internship program collaborations and support the recruitment and retention of high-quality social work interns.
• Effective Student & Family Support: Students and families are connected to timely, evidence-based mental health, social-emotional, and community supports that reduce barriers to learning and contribute to improved student well-being, engagement, and academic success.
• Clinical Quality & Compliance: Intern and student services consistently meet Bright Star, university, PPSC, DHCS, legal, ethical, and documentation requirements, including timely and accurate Electronic Health Record documentation.
• Strong School-Based Systems & Crisis Response: Social work services are effectively integrated into MTSS, SSPT, 504, IEP, attendance, and crisis response systems, ensuring students receive coordinated, timely, and appropriate interventions.
• Staff, Family & Community Capacity: Strong partnerships with school staff, families, and community organizations increase the school's capacity to identify student needs, respond effectively to mental health and behavioral concerns, and connect students to appropriate resources.

What You’ll Bring:

Minimum Qualifications:

• Master's Degree in Social Work and a valid Pupil Personnel Services (PPS) credential in School Social Work, Child Welfare, and Attendance is required
• A valid license as a Clinical Social Worker by the California Board of Behavioral Sciences is required
• Knowledge of Education Code, FERPA, and HIPAA
• Knowledge of local, regional, and statewide resources to support students and families
• Experience providing case management, facilitating support groups, and counseling in a school setting
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills,
• Experience collaborating with community-based organizations and other city agencies

Desired Qualifications:

• Knowledge and experience with data collection and analysis
• Bilingual-Spanish preferred

Experience:

• Training and experience utilizing mental health evidence-based practices
• Previous experience working with at-promise youth 
• Experience providing individual, group, and family counseling
• Experience facilitating presentations, monitoring programs, and report writing
• Experience collaborating with community-based organizations
• Experience providing crisis response services and support
• Experience providing school-based social work two years post-MSW is required

WHAT WE OFFER: 

Salary: $108,000 - $121,000

Status: Full time (40 hours) 

Location: Los Angeles, CA 

Benefits: Health, dental, vision, life insurance, short-term disability, personal time off (PTO), 403b  Sponsored Plan, Disability Insurance, Holidays.

Please note: 

Effective January 1, 2025: Under Education Code section 44939.5, you must provide a complete list of all prior employment with any school district, county office of education, charter school, or state special school, including part-time and substitute roles. You can provide your complete prior employment history within the work experience section of the application. Failure to disclose this information may be considered dishonesty in the hiring process or during employment.

What You’ll Bring:

Minimum Qualifications:

• Master's Degree in Social Work and a valid Pupil Personnel Services (PPS) credential in School Social Work, Child Welfare, and Attendance is required
• A valid license as a Clinical Social Worker by the California Board of Behavioral Sciences is required
• Knowledge of Education Code, FERPA, and HIPAA
• Knowledge of local, regional, and statewide resources to support students and families
• Experience providing case management, facilitating support groups, and counseling in a school setting
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills,
• Experience collaborating with community-based organizations and other city agencies

Desired Qualifications:

• Knowledge and experience with data collection and analysis
• Bilingual-Spanish preferred

Experience:

• Training and experience utilizing mental health evidence-based practices
• Previous experience working with at-promise youth 
• Experience providing individual, group, and family counseling
• Experience facilitating presentations, monitoring programs, and report writing
• Experience collaborating with community-based organizations
• Experience providing crisis response services and support
• Experience providing school-based social work two years post-MSW is required