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Racker
Ithaca, New York

Preschool Social Worker

Social WorkerFull-Time

Listed compensation

$45k-$55k

The week · per this posting · weekdays assumed

Ask the employer about the work setting, call expectations, weekend coverage and time off.

Posted 1mo ago

Job Description

Racker is excited to welcome applicants for a full-time Preschool Social Worker position to work in our innovative Early Childhood Programs in Cortland or Ithaca. Join our dynamic team of experienced therapists, teachers, and paraprofessionals in the beautiful Finger Lakes Region of Upstate New York. Our Social workers work in a team environment with early childhood staff and families of preschoolers with special needs to build the skills of both children and parents, providing services that include family meetings and workshops, home and classroom visits, and crisis intervention.

Racker offers a competitive rate and flexible schedules. Our competitive benefits include a continuum of health care options for families and individuals, funding and time for continuing education, retirement investment with employer match, paid vacation for school holidays and breaks, paid sick time, and a 20% discount on childcare services for children of full-time staff. Additionally, we offer clinical supervision and support to new social work graduates and CEUs are available! Come join our team!

  • $45,000 - $55,000 starting salary * 7.5 hour shift * LMSW *

Responsibilities

Works collaboratively with program directors and interdisciplinary team members to ensure quality services to all students served and their families.

  • Participate in intake and case review process, including providing evaluations and psycho-social assessments
  • Develops recommended annual individualized education plan (IEP) goals and objectives
  • Develops appropriate treatment plans, based on a student’s IEP

Provides services, including the provision of individual and group counseling/play therapy for children in Racker's Preschool Program, as indicated in the child’s annual IEP and documents per regulation and in a contemporaneous manner.

Provide education, training, and support for families on children's diagnosis, goal progression, and carryover strategies.

Provides comprehensive psychosocial services using methods and instruments appropriate to the developmental age and needs of the student.

Implements classroom management and individual behavior intervention through a multi tiered approach

Provides training and support to classroom staff on behavior interventions, family dynamics, trauma history, and diagnoses of children in the classroom

Provides assistance as necessary to management and team during student/family crisis and/or suspected child abuse/neglect screening and reporting

  • Advocates for families and individuals in the school system
  • Support families to access needed community resources

Qualifications

  • Graduate degree (Masters) in field of Social Work, Psychology, or Behavioral Sciences.
  • Must be a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW)

Professional experience working with students with developmental, physical, neurological disorders, and Autism Spectrum disorders preferred

Qualifications

Education
Master's degree (postgraduate degree)

Key Skills

Individual counselingPsycho-social assessmentIEP developmentFamily supportAdvocacyTrauma-informed careDevelopmental disorders supportAutism spectrum disorder support

Social Worker Career Context

Of the 50 active Social Work listings this role was benchmarked against, 54% are remote, 26% have no call, 68% require no weekends.

The cost-of-living index for New York is 107.9 (US average = 100; BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)), so the posted ~$50k midpoint carries the purchasing power of roughly $46k in an average-cost state. 64.6% of New York clinicians report burnout symptoms in WeekdayDoc's Burnout Index (2026-01 data).

Top Social Worker Jobs

39 matches · ranked by pay

Salary Distribution39 jobs · 26 employers

18
<$90k
3
$90k-110k
12
$110k-130k
6
$130k-150k

Annual compensation range

Benefits & Perks33 jobs · 26 employers

401k / retirement match
97% this job
Sign-on bonus
33%
CME allowance
12% this job
Loan repayment
6%
PSLF eligible
3%

Share of similar jobs offering each benefit

#1

Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker (LICSW)

LifeStance Health · Vancouver, Washington

$123k-$141k
#2

Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW)

LifeStance Health · West Linn, Oregon

$123k-$141k
#3

Licensed Mental Health Therapist (LMFT, LCSW, LPCC)

$118k-$135k
#4

Licensed Mental Health Therapist (LMFT, LCSW, LPCC)

$117k-$134k
+ 37 more · ranked by pay

Work-life snapshot

median 6.0this job 4.8
Better work-life than 40% of Social Work listings

Listing-based score, 0–10, across 6,492 comparable listings. Shaded area = the share scoring below this one.

Living in Ithaca

Typical market rent
$1,975/mo≈ 53% of gross pay
Residents’ average commute
19 min
Metro price indexU.S. average = 100
103.3
State income tax
Up to 10.9%
Sources & methodology

Sources: Zillow market rents (Aug 2026), U.S. Census ACS 2024 five-year.

BEA 2024 · Ithaca, NY metro prices. Housing figures are city-level.

Ratios use this listing’s gross annual pay. Not a cost-of-living guarantee.

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About Racker

Individual and Family Services
Ithaca, NY
201-500 employees

Benefits & Perks

Health insurance
Dental
Vision
Retirement investment with employer match
Paid vacation for school holidays and breaks
Paid sick time
20% discount on childcare services
Clinical supervision and support