About School Social Work Services
The primary goal of School Social Workers is to provide direct services for students within the schools, and linkages to organizations and agencies that can provide necessary community and home supports. School social workers provide both direct and indirect supportive services to students to enable them to fully participate with and be successful in their educational programs. Services to students and families include counseling supports and casework, providing crisis intervention and consultation, along with making referrals to community agencies. School social workers serve as an additional resource by providing specific problem-solving strategies, behavioral management techniques, developing strategies to teach appropriate social, behavioral and adaptive skills, and to facilitate interagency collaboration. School social workers routinely consult with teachers and administrators and frequently participate on teams within the schools to ensure that supportive services are available to students and families.
School Social Workers have varied roles and functions depending on the specific district needs. Roles may include:
Individual and group counseling for students experiencing emotional, social, educational, family and community difficulties that affect school success including: life stressors, mental health concerns, grief and loss, divorce, peer pressure, etc.
Social skills training such as anger management, peer mediation, conflict resolution, coping skills, communication skills, personal safety, empowerment and advocacy skills.
Interagency coordination among home, school, and community resources in order to identify and secure needed services for students. Examples include: referrals to local mental health providers for ongoing counseling supports, public assistance office for medical insurance, collaboration with county agencies such as Bucks County Children and Youth Services, Juvenile Probation, and the Bucks County Council for drug and alcohol services.
Participation in IEP development and implementation regarding counseling services.
Participation with Student Assistance Teams, Academic Support Teams, and Child Study Teams
Conducting home visits to assist in assessing students needs related to school, residency and truancy concerns.
