- Manville School District
- Role of School Social Worker
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School Social Workers are trained mental health professionals with a degree in social work who provide services related to students’ and family’s social, emotional, and life adjustment to school and/or society. School Social Workers bridge the gap between home, school and the community to support and advocate for struggling students and families. The primary goal of school social work is to address barriers to success and to provide the resources that students and families need in order to achieve success, both in school and in life. As integral members of an interdisciplinary educational team, school social workers provide supportive services to students and their families. Some of the many services that School Social Workers can provide are:
- Crisis Prevention and Intervention
- Assess and address behavioral, emotional and mental health needs
- Coordinate programs and services with other school based activities and community agencies
- Advocacy for students, parents and the school
- Identify and plan appropriate strategies that will assist school personnel in intervention and student assistance techniques
- Referrals to social services/therapeutic resources available in the community
- Attendance monitoring and truancy intervention services
- Provide individual and group supportive counseling and/or social skills training
- Parent education and training
- Safe schools climate and prevention programming
- Collaboration with educational and student services professionals
- Collaboration with community agencies and organizations
- Solicitation and facilitation of community involvement in the school
- Staff training and development
- Policy advocacy and development
School Social Workers Help Students... School Social Workers Help Families... - Increase academic success
- Cope with crisis situations
- Resolve conflicts without violence
- Improve attendance
- Develop self-discipline
- Build self-discipline
- Develop healthy lifestyles
- Improve interpersonal relationships
- Remain in school and graduate
- Participate more fully in their children's education, through parent conferences and school based meetings
- Develop realistic expectations and ways of caring for their children which are age/developmentally appropriate
- Identify and meet their children's social and emotional needs
- Monitor their child's homework and attendance