What is a School Social Worker?
A school social worker is an advocate who helps students reach their potential in the school setting. In order to fulfill this goal, a school social worker provides support services to help remove barriers to a child’s success in school. These barriers may be school or home-based. As a result, the school social worker becomes a link between home, school and the community.
Here are some of the ways the school social worker can help children in Floyd County Schools achieve personal and academic success.
- serves with school staff on the Student Support Team. This is a problem-solving committee where student needs are discussed.
- completes a social history with a child’s parent or guardian as part of a special education evaluation.
- connects families with community resources, for example: food banks, social services, mental health referrals, or medical care.
- works closely with teachers and other school staff on a variety of issues affecting children every day.
- academic and behavioral concerns
- attendance issues
- abuse/neglect concerns
- financial needs
- health/medical concerns
- family/parenting issues
- homelessness
McKinney Vento - What defines a homeless student?
Definition:
Homeless students are defined as lacking a fixed, regular and adequate nighttime residence, including children who are:
- Sharing the housing of other persons due to loss of housing or economic hardship;
- Living in motels, hotels, trailer parks or camping grounds due to the lack of alternative adequate accommodations;
- Living in emergency or transitional shelters;
- Are abandoned in hospitals;
- Awaiting foster care placement;
- Living in public or private places not designed for or ordinarily used as a regular sleeping accommodation for human beings;
- Living in cars, parks, public spaces, abandoned buildings, substandard housing, transportation stations or similar settings;
- Migratory children living in conditions described in the previous examples; and
- Unaccompanied youth who are not in the physical custody of a parent or guardian.
**School social workers are available to assist every student achieve academic success. By working closely with school staff and administration, families and community agencies; school social workers help make a successful educational experience for each student.
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USEFUL LINKS AND NUMBERS:
To report child abuse or neglect call:
1-855-GA CHILD (1-855-422-4453)
Partners in the Community:
(Please contact the Social Worker for a referral or more information)
Jennifer Massey serves all Model Area Schools and can be reached at (706-236-1830 (JES); 706-236-1895 (MHS);
706-728-6685 (cell) or jennifermassey@floydboe.net