What is a School Social Worker?

• School Social Workers are trained mental health professionals who can assist with mental health and behavioral concerns, academic and classroom support, consultation with teachers, parents, and administrators as well as provide individual and group counseling

• School Social Workers are instrumental in furthering the mission of the schools which is to provide a setting for teaching, learning, and for the attainment of competence and confidence

• School Social Workers specialize in community collaboration which is the key to achieving student success​

• School Social Workers are the link between the home, school and community in providing direct and indirect services to students, families and school personnel, to promote and support students' academic and social success

What do School Social Workers do?

• Provide individual, group and/or family counseling

• Provide crisis intervention and conflict resolution

• Work with the challenges in a child's living situation that affect the their adjustment in school

• Mobilize family, school, and community resources to enable the child to learn as effectively as possible

• Assist in developing positive behavioral intervention strategies

• Participate in special education assessment and planning meetings

• Help children develop social and emotional skills to succeed in school

• Identify biological, medical, psychological, cultural, sociological, emotional, legal, economic, and environmental factors that impact student learning

• Alleviate family stress to enable the child to function more effectively in school & community

• Assist parents in accessing and utilizing school and community resources

• Utilize family strengths and structures, to enable families to function and advocate for their children’s education and well-being

• Provide staff with essential information to better understand factors (cultural, societal, economic, familial, health, etc.) affecting a student’s performance and behavior

• Provide information on community services and resources, making appropriate referrals

• Form collaborative relationships with community agencies and providers to address needs of student learners

• Provide case management for students and families requiring multiple resources

• Incorporate diversity issues to plan for the unique educational needs of culturally and linguistically diverse populations