Education, Training, Case, and Cause: A Descriptive Study of School Social Work

2020 ◽  
Vol 42 (2) ◽  
pp. 99-109
Author(s):  
Brad Forenza ◽  
Betsy Eckhardt
Keyword(s):  
Social Work ◽  
School Social Work ◽  
Vital Role ◽  
System Level ◽  
School Social Workers ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Policy Practice ◽  
Job Functions ◽  
Communities Of Place ◽  
Professional Capacity

Abstract School social workers (SSWs) play a vital role in district-level education, but ambiguity within our collective understanding of school social work is a pervasive problem. Clarity of the SSW role is important for communities of place (schools), practice (SSWs), and circumstance (consumers of school social work). This research recruited and surveyed 52 SSWs in a focal state to contextualize their practice domains and professional capacity. Findings broadly pertain to the actual and idealized education and training of SSWs, as well as their case-level and cause/system-level job functions. The article concludes with a discussion of the implications for policy, practice, and future research.

School Social Work and the Educational Justice Movement: A Snapshot of Practice

2020 ◽  
Vol 42 (3) ◽  
pp. 179-186
Author(s):  
Annahita Ball ◽  
Candra Skrzypek
Keyword(s):  
Social Work ◽  
School Choice ◽  
Social Workers ◽  
School Social Work ◽  
School Social Workers ◽  
Macro Level ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Educational Justice ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Cross Sectional

Abstract Educational disparities and disproportionalities for oppressed children signal the need for an educational justice movement that focuses on macro-level changes within and outside of the educational system. School social workers are uniquely trained to engage in activities that promote educational justice, yet most school social workers focus on micro-level practice with individuals. Drawing on Teasley’s practice recommendations to improve educational outcomes for African American urban youths, this study examined the extent to which school social workers engage in macro-level practice strategies that promote educational justice. Cross-sectional survey data were collected from 112 school social workers. Results indicated that most participants reported little engagement in macro-level practice in support of educational justice, most notably in relation to leadership and public policy advocacy and school choice. Social workers reported the most engagement in areas associated with typical practice, such as family engagement and schoolwide needs assessment. Implications for school social work training, practice, and future research are discussed.

scholarly journals Practice in a Pandemic: School Social Workers’ Adaptations and Experiences During the 2020 COVID-19 School Disruptions

2021 ◽  
pp. 104438942110098
Author(s):  
Michael S. Kelly ◽  
Rami Benbenishty ◽  
Gordon Capp ◽  
Kate Watson ◽  
Ron Astor
Keyword(s):  
Online Learning ◽  
Social Work ◽  
Social Workers ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Work Practice ◽  
School Social Work ◽  
Social Work Practice ◽  
Virtual School ◽  
School Social Workers ◽  
Traditional Practice

In March 2020, as American PreK-12 schools shut down and moved into online learning in response to the global COVID-19 pandemic, there was little information about how school social workers (SSWs) were responding to the crisis. This study used a national online survey to understand how SSWs ( N = 1,275) adapted their school practice during the initial 2020 COVID-19 crisis. Findings from this study indicate that SSWs made swift and (relatively) smooth adaptations of their traditional practice role to the new context, though not without reporting considerable professional stress and personal challenges doing so. SSWs reported significant concerns about their ability to deliver effective virtual school social work services given their students’ low motivation and lack of engagement with online learning, as well as significant worries about how their students were faring during the first months of the pandemic. Implications for school social work practice, policy, and research are discussed.

Recommendations for Policy, Practice, and Future Research Opportunities

2017 ◽  
pp. 108-126
Keyword(s):  
Market Failure ◽  
Third Sector ◽  
Vital Role ◽  
Social Enterprises ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Research Opportunities ◽  
Policy Practice ◽  
Set Up ◽  
Sustainable Income

There is a wealth of reporting and evidence from research that small third sector social enterprises have a vital role to play not just in relation to service delivery, but also contribute to nurturing positive relationships, supporting vulnerable, disadvantaged groups and building stronger communities (Maher, 2015a; Seanor & Meaton, 2007; Smallbone & Lyon, 2004). Most small third sector social enterprises are set up because they have identified a gap in the market. Often, this has meant that there is either a public-service or private-market failure. In order to help these enterprises grow, policy makers need to tailor policy and support aiming to build capacity of these organisations in terms of the scale and volume of their activities; to enhance their contribution at local, regional and national levels. Organisations should advance their business management and procurement skills to enable the creation of sustainable income. This chapter makes recommendations for both policy and practices to help the development, growth, and sustainability of small third sector social enterprises and concludes by making suggestions for future research opportunities.

Mapping the field of international comparative research in school social work

2020 ◽  
pp. 002087281989774
Author(s):  
Kathrin Franziska Beck ◽  
Juha Hämäläinen
Keyword(s):  
Social Work ◽  
Comparative Research ◽  
Work Practice ◽  
School Social Work ◽  
Social Work Practice ◽  
School Social Workers ◽  
Culturally Appropriate ◽  
International Comparative Research ◽  
International Comparative ◽  
National Boundaries

This article maps the field of international comparative research in school social work. For this purpose, a systematic literature review was conducted and subjected to a narrative synthesis. The review reveals 11 publications that are predominantly non-empirical, take mainly Asian, European, North American countries and Australia and New Zealand into account, and are focused on profession-related and sociopolitical aspects of school social work. A synthesis of school social work practice themes transcending national boundaries emerged from the findings, covering child-, family-, school-, and community-related issues. Accordingly, children are predominantly confronted with similar issues, irrespective of the place where they live, such as violence toward themselves, at home, in school, and in their community. Bearing in mind methodological challenges when carrying out comparative studies, recommendations include the conduct of practice-focused studies that generate new stimuli to improve already well-developed practices in a culturally appropriate way and enable mutual learning among school social workers.

The changing context of China: Emerging issues for school social work practice

2010 ◽  
Vol 53 (3) ◽  
pp. 339-352 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kathryn A. Levine ◽  
Kai Zhu
Keyword(s):  
Social Work ◽  
Mainland China ◽  
Work Practice ◽  
School Social Work ◽  
Social Work Practice ◽  
School Social Workers ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
Emerging Issues ◽  
Effects On Children ◽  
The Impact

This article provides a contextualized analysis of the ways in which school social workers may address the impact of economic, social and political challenges as they will be experienced by the children of mainland China, and how the profession of school social work may serve to ameliorate the negative effects on children as they transition through these developments.

scholarly journals Practice of School Social Worker with Children for Facilitating Social Needs in Sri Lanka

2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 1-7
Author(s):  
Varathagowry Vasudevan ◽  
Osamu Kobayashi ◽  
Kazue Kanno
Keyword(s):  
Social Work ◽  
Sri Lanka ◽  
Social Workers ◽  
Social Worker ◽  
School Social Work ◽  
Social Work Practice ◽  
Social Needs ◽  
School Social Workers ◽  
School Social Worker ◽  
The Social

School social workers adopt ecological perspectives to facilitate children with social needs. The purpose of this study is to explore school social work practice in Sri Lanka to cater the children with social needs. A semi structured interviews was conducted with selected five school social workers. The interview questions were about their practices as a school social worker, daily activities especially effective support activity for students with social needs, student’s school life and their home, especially difficulties for supporting their families. Findings reveal that School Children with social needs around social problems, social relationship problems, structural and systemic problems such as child poverty, mother labour migration, lack of housing, lack of love and affections, lack of acceptance, love and kindness, belongingness, lack or inadequate security for the children. These social needs related lack of emotional and social developmental needs lead to impact on children’s educational performance. School social workers are very proactive in applying social work generic skills in school context in Sri Lanka. This study provides evidences for professionalizing the social work profession and enhances school system to provide guidance and consultation to school administrators, policy makers and practitioners focusing the significance of fulfilling the social needs of children during each stages of life via school social work programmes.

School Social Worker Practice Decisions: The Impact of Professional Models, Training, and School Context

2017 ◽  
Vol 98 (4) ◽  
pp. 275-283 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kate L. Phillippo ◽  
Michael S. Kelly ◽  
Emily Shayman ◽  
Andy Frey
Keyword(s):  
Social Work ◽  
School Context ◽  
Work Practice ◽  
School Social Work ◽  
Evidence Base ◽  
Social Work Practice ◽  
School Social Workers ◽  
Practice Models ◽  
Contemporary Practice ◽  
The Impact

School social work practice decisions have been the focus of local and national surveys for several decades, most recently in 2014. The need to better understand these findings, particularly school social workers' practice decisions that appear counter to what the field's evidence base indicates is sound practice, led to the current qualitative study. Our inquiry focused on developing a deeper understanding of the impact of professional models (particularly the multitiered systems of support), training, and school context on practice. Data from 16 focus groups (N = 60) revealed that practitioners struggled with contextual constraints upon their work and encountered limited learning opportunities and support, to the extent that they could not consistently implement contemporary practice models. Implications for school social work policy, training, and practice are considered.

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