About Your School Social Worker

Michael Barber, LCSW

Hello! Thanks for visiting this page, and I hope we get to meet soon if we haven't yet.

I'm Mr. Barber, and I'm a licensed clinical social worker (LCSW) and mental health practitioner (LMHP). I graduated with my Master of Social Work degree from the University of Nebraska Omaha and worked as a therapist with children and families before joining LPS in 2017.

I'm at Southwest everyday—unless the calendar on my door says otherwise—and I provide students with individual support around any concerns present in the moment that may be causing stress. I do this by helping them recognize and build on their unique strengths while offering a space where they can talk and explore complex and difficult parts of life without judgement. This support can look all kinds of different ways, so I always want students to let me know if something isn't helpful for them—it doesn't hurt my feelings.

Common topics I discuss with students include:

• Mental health (anxiety, depression, ADHD, etc.)

• Self-harm and suicide

• Stress related to race, discrimination, or oppression

• Questions of belonging

• Grief and loss

• Focus and motivation difficulties

• Feeling unsafe

• Basic needs (food, housing, clothing, transportation)

• Gender and sexual identity

• Family and peer dynamics

In short...if it's important to you, it's important to me.

Overall, my main job is to be available for students as they are in crisis or having difficulty at school, so I don't just work with a certain caseload of students. Instead, I ensure as much as possible that the students who talk with me are safe, connected to supports at school and home, and referred to mental health and medical providers in the community for ongoing care when needed.

I believe that partnering with parents, teachers, and community providers is key to academic success, so please feel free to contact me if you would like to collaborate or discuss a concern! (For me to talk with health providers, a parent or guardian must first sign a release of information form, which can be found here.)

It's an honor to be at Southwest! I am passionate about the work I get to do with students and families, and I look forward to getting to know you.

Take care,

— Mr. Barber

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Click here to read more about school social workers and how Lincoln Public Schools uses our role to help students succeed!