Many of our area schools have social workers either hired by the districts or contracted with various community agencies. However, many in our schools and communities may not know what these school social workers do. A social work degree is unique as it is very generalized, social workers are trained and educated to take on many roles.

School social workers can be licensed therapists and provide individual, family, or group counseling in schools. School social workers can work with students with I.E.P’s (Individualized Education Plans) and provide counseling or other services per student’s plans. School social workers can attend CSE meetings to help advocate for students needs. School social workers can engage directly with families and do home visits or meet families in the community. School social workers can help improve the relationships with families and our area schools. School social workers can work with doctors offices or psychiatrists to ensure kids have medications to help them better excel at school. School social workers (depending on their licensure status) can diagnosis mental health problems and help kids gets necessary services. School social workers also help connect students and families with community and state resources (SNAP, WIC, Health Homes, etc.). Social workers can also provide trainings to school staff on diverse topics such as prevention of suicide, recognizing mental health warning signs in students, behavioral interventions for the classroom, etc. School social workers can serve on building teams and are an integral part of many of our area schools.

Social workers are educated and trained in ethics and also in confidentiality, HIPPA, and FERPA. Many social workers have specialized areas of focus such as domestic violence, ADHD, autism, etc. Some social workers have therapy dogs they use in their work in schools. Social workers can also push into class rooms and provide mental health lessons or Second Step curriculum to students. Social workers can facilitate restorative justice circles. Social workers can also help connect families with food pantries, Toys for Tots program, or Helping Hands to obtain food and goods. School social workers can also organize community events and outreach programs.

As you can see from the above list, school social workers provide a plethora of services to our area schools. If you are interested in counseling or support for your child or a loved one please reach out to your local school to see what services might be available. Most schools in our county have social workers who can provide therapy and mental health support at the school during the school day. This also assists families who need transportation or have trouble bringing their students to a therapy appointment during the school day.