THE ROLES OF THE SCHOOL SOCIAL WORKER The School Social Work and Attendance Department Faye Kravitz & Rhonda Terpak

MISSION STATEMENT To establish a supportive network of services to bridge the gap between home and school. To assist administrators, principals, school based and student services personnel in meeting the educational needs of students.

OUTCOMES OF SOCIAL WORK INTERVENTIONS Improved attendance/ reduced truancy Increased graduation rates; reduction in drop out rates Increased school safety through positive social skills training Decreased substance abuse Increased parent involvement

Why do we need school social workers? Holistic perspective of student’s environments and resiliency Link to needed community resources Develop collaborative relationships between parents and teachers Advocacy Cultural diversity

Who are school social workers? Hold masters degrees in social work Clinically trained Diverse staff Experience in substance and child abuse and mental health issues

Holistic Perspective Integration of data from home, school,community Social/emotional determinants of behavior

Linkage To community resources To resources within the school, zone, area and district To encourage parent involvement

Parent Involvement Best practice Major system priority Parents want to be involved

RANGE OF SERVICES Psychosocial Assessment Adaptive behavior and other tools Consultation/staffings/child study/IAT Crisis intervention Individual and group counseling

Why Request Psychosocial Assessment? Enlist parental support and involvement Develop interventions based on data collected Provide developmental and home perspective for ESE assessment Root causes of behavior Differential diagnosis

Other SSW Services Grant writing Program development Medicaid Classroom strategies Training:parents and school staff

SSW Practice Areas Student achievement Truancy/DOP Teen Pregnancy Domestic violence/Child Abuse Outreach, ESOL ESE/504

HOW DO I ACCESS SSW SERVICES? Schools, Innovation Zones and Area Student Services Offices Parents or students may self refer

IN SUMMARY... School social workers help ALL referred students and families in need of help. School social workers are an integral part of zone support teams.

IN SUMMARY... School social workers play vital roles in the major system priorities of student achievement, parent involvement, school safety, and Professional Pathways for Lifelong Learning.

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