Grant Details

Social Worker Salary Grant for Three Years

This grant is dedicated to salary assistance for a Licensed Master Social Worker or a Licensed Clinical Social Worker. To receive this grant, the school district and high school administration must agree to support the social worker in the ways listed below.

The Brighter Sky Foundation will fund this program for six semesters over three years. The district will commit, in writing, that if this position proves its worth, the district will continue the practice of dedicating a social worker to this high school for the population most at risk for dropping out.

We expect the school to support its Brighter Sky social worker with a personal office space large enough to host group sessions. We expect the school to provide reliable phone and internet connections, as well as the same health and financial benefits furnished to other faculty & staff members.

Our Commitment

Proactive Intervention

Behavior such as falling grades, poor attendance, rebellion and other conduct that affects school performance will be an indicator for investigation and intervention.

Referral System

Proactive Intervention

The social worker will establish a referral system to access referrals from teachers, parents, school, staff, as well as students’ friends and self-referrals.

Community Resources

Proactive Intervention

Community Resources

The social worker will establish relationships with community resources to support students and their families.

Home Visits

Use of Statistics

Community Resources

The social worker must be willing to make home visits.

Reporting

Use of Statistics

The social worker will be expected to keep and report statistics to the Brighter Sky Foundation and the school administration on a regular basis, tracking trends of numbers of students assisted, parent conferences, home visits, mediation, crisis intervention, etc.

Use of Statistics

The effectiveness of the program must be evaluated on a semester-by-semester basis. Statistics are also used to encourage other school districts to consider the importance of having social workers to support their students.

Qualification

Full Time Employee

Brighter Sky Foundation trusts the school district to choose and hire the social worker, consider that person an employee of the district and provide appropriate insurance coverage and any other benefits as befitting a full-time employee.

Private Office

Full Time Employee

The social worker must have a private office with adequate space for group work and an area for private counseling. The students must know there is a specific place they can go to ask for help. The school must also provide consistently functioning office equipment and office supplies.

New Programs

Full Time Employee

The Students' Side

The social worker will be encouraged to develop programs to reach as many students as possible with a special focus on the academically distressed.

The Students' Side

The social worker will not be asked to represent the school in truancy cases. Their role is to advocate for the students, never against them.

Provide Statistics

The Students' Side

Provide Statistics

The school will provide the incoming social worker with the current baseline statistics on attendance records, drop-out rates, leaver code numbers, college acceptance, etc. so that the social worker can analyze and track the three-year progress of this grant.

Use of Funds

The Students' Side

Provide Statistics

Brighter Sky Foundation funds will never be mingled with general school funds. Our grant is a separate program and cannot be used for other projects. Funds are to be used for salary only.