School social workers help students achieve academic success by addressing emotional, behavioral, developmental, and educational needs and are an integral link between school, home, and the community. Serving in this role, school social workers collaborate with school administrators and staff as well as students and families to identify and address unmet needs.
What is a School Social Worker?
School Social Workers are licensed professionals with a Master’s Degree in Social Work. Our job is to help students do well in school by addressing troubles that interfere with learning. We also work with and supervise Social Work interns, who are students in undergraduate (BSW)/graduate (MSW) level courses. Services at the schools can be provided to students by school social workers and/or our intern(s).
Who receives services?
School social workers can work with any student in the entire student body who is referred to the school social worker. We work directly with students experiencing housing and food insecurities, students with IEP services, students struggling with attendance, and with students in the STAR program at SAMS and across the district in ES classrooms, to name a few examples.
Services Offered
• Facilitate individual and/or group counseling to students on a short-term or on-going basis
• Work to identify and address circumstances surrounding student attendance concerns
• Conduct home visits
• Confer with teachers, school counselors and other school staff members about methods for helping a student
• Build positive home/school connections through work with parents/families
• Link families with appropriate resources within the school or community
• Collaborate with social services agencies (CYS, probation, etc.) that are involved with the student and family
