What is school social work??

The school social worker collaborates with all other school staff, parents and community partners to identify and address any problems that are or may become barriers to a successful education. The social worker looks for and implements appropriate interventions and strategies to address these barriers. Social-emotional support, mental health referrals, conflict resolution, bullying prevention, financial resources, and basic needs are just some examples of help that may be provided by the social work program. 

Why a school social work program?

"If the only task of teachers was to teach the three R's, their jobs would be easy. But as we know, many factors conspire to make it difficult for some young people to make it through school—among them, poverty, substance abuse, community violence, early sexual activity and family conflicts."

"School social workers pick up where teachers leave off. They are perhaps the professionals best equipped to address the social and psychological issues that can block academic progress. Through counseling, crisis intervention and prevention programs, they help young people overcome the difficulties in their lives, and as a result, give them a better chance at succeeding in school."

"About 5% of the nations approximately half a million social workers work in the schools, primarily in public school settings. Besides helping youth with traditional academic problems, social workers aid others whose specific social, psychological, emotional or physical difficulties put them at risk for falling through the cracks." 

"Because social workers are trained to think of innovative solutions to complex problems, their interventions often make a strong difference for young people at risk for academic failure." 

-http://www.socialworkers.org/pressroom/features/issue/school.asp