| School Social Workers are the link between home, school and community.
As members of the educational team, School Social Workers promote and support students' academic and social success by providing specialized services that may include:
- Assessment of student needs through observation, interviews and testing.
- Treatment of mental and emotional disorders.
- Individual and group therapeutic services.
- Crisis prevention and intervention.
- Working with students in both general education and special education settings.
- Advocacy for students, parents, and the school district.
- Education and training for parents and guardians.
- Information and referral.
- Professional case management.
- Collaboration and consultation with community agencies, organizations, and other professionals.
- Staff and policy development.
School Social workers help students to:
- Increase academic success.
- Improve interpersonal relationships.
- Cope with difficult and crisis situations.
- Develop self-esteem and self-discipline.
- Learn problem-solving, conflict resolution and decision- making skills.
School Social Workers help educators by:
- Developing and implementing plans to enhance students' school success.
- Providing ongoing emotional and behavioral support to students.
- Communicating information about how factors such as family, culture,
socioeconomic status, physical and mental health can affect students'
performance.
- Identifying and reporting child abuse and neglect situations.
- Coordinating community resources to meet students' needs.
- Identifying and eliminating barriers to educational success.
School Social Workers' role in special education is to:
- Consult with mainstream and special education teachers to develop and
implement pre-referral interventions.
- Design and implement behavior management plans.
- Participate on the child study team.
- Provide social, emotional, behavioral, functional and adaptive assessments.
- Educate parents and school personnel regarding the Individuals with
Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)
- School Social Workers provide services that are efficient and effective educational investments.
School Social Workers:
- Are licensed mental health practitioners and professionals.
- Develop intervention strategies that prevent school violence.
- Coordinate service delivery for students through cooperative interagency activity.
- Mediate disputes between students, parents, and school systems
State Certification, Legal Regulations and Professional Credentials
Ø The Minnesota Board of Social Work requires all practicing social workers to hold one of four levels of licensure:
· Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker (LICSW)
· Licensed Independent Social Worker (LISW)
· Licensed Graduate Social Worker (LGSW)
· Licensed Social Worker (LSW)
Ø School Social Work license obtained through the Minnesota Department of Education.
Ø School social workers adhere to a Code of Ethics set forth by the National Association of Social Workers.
Ø Core values of service of school social workers include service, social justice, dignity, worth of the person, importance of human relationships, integrity and competence.
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