School social workers' main responsibilities are to provide help to students who are having difficulties in school due to attendance, economic, health, emotional, and/or family problems. These difficulties may include behavior problems, academic failure, underachievement, and substance abuse.
The school social worker also enforces Georgia Compulsory School Attendance Law. School social workers must make referrals to Juvenile or State Court when violations occur and students are found truant.
School social workers provide the following services: crisis intervention, referrals to community agencies, counseling, groups, participation in the student support team processes, program development, home visits, and involvement with community agencies. A school social worker also provides services to families displaced from their home under certain circumstances.
School social workers at Social Circle City Schools are assigned to and visit all four schools in our district. They are the liaison between school, home, and the community. School social workers can provide crisis intervention, connect families to community resources, assess and support students with mental health concerns, and support families and students with attendance concerns.
School counselors are assigned to one or two schools at SCCS and work with students primarily in the school setting on topics such as academic progress, character education, bully prevention, etc.
No.
School social workers routinely receive referrals for abuse or neglect, academics difficulties, attendance, economic aid, family issues, out of district, school discipline, special education, and health issues, etc.
Home visits allow the school social worker to personally contact parent/guardian regarding pertinent information about the student. This enables the school to demonstrate their commitment to communicating with families.
Any student subject to compulsory attendance who during the school calendar year has more than 10 days of unexcused absence can be found truant. Consequences of being found truant include going before a judge and possible fines, jail time or probation, and community services. Students might also be delayed in receiving their drivers license or work permits.