Working in a School Setting

The introductory chapter sets the stage for understanding the roles, responsibilities, and all other relevant information necessary for the success of school social workers within the public school setting. The chapter begins with a review of the key concepts related to the practice of school social work. It also discusses enduring practice tensions, policy domains that influence practice, seven domains of knowledge, values, and skills relevant to the success of new school social workers. The roles of school social workers and the factors that shape these roles are examined. Finally, the chapter discusses the importance and use of student and school assessments.

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The Art of Becoming Indispensable

10.1093/oso/9780197585160.001.0001 ◽

2021 ◽

Keyword(s):

Social Work ◽

Social Workers ◽

Academic Preparation ◽

School Social Workers ◽

Master Of Social Work ◽

New School ◽

Entry Level ◽

Work Practitioner ◽

Social Work Programs ◽

The Impact

Despite their academic preparation and lived experiences, new school social workers face a learning curve when moving from entry-level practice to proficiency. The Art of Being Indispensable: What School Social Workers Need to Know in Their First Three Years of Practice is the first book focusing specifically on the needs of new school social workers as they transition to this complex role. Each of the book’s 20 chapters features an academic scholar and at least one school social work practitioner; overall, there are 18 academics and 42 practitioners from 28 different states. The diversity of the authors’ experiences, representing all variations of schools and districts, ensures that the content is applicable to a variety of practice contexts. Each chapter addresses the challenges of a public health pandemic and the impact of racial injustice. There is a timeless quality to this text since every year, new school social workers are being hired, whether from master of social work and bachelor of social work programs or from the ranks of professional social workers changing fields and becoming school social workers. This indispensable guide will help new school social workers to effectively execute their roles and responsibilities.

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Understanding the Political Landscape in Schools

10.1093/oso/9780197585160.003.0002 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 13-23

Author(s):

Lainey Collins ◽

Wendy DuCassé ◽

Rachel Forsyth

Keyword(s):

Public Schools ◽

Social Workers ◽

School Social Workers ◽

The Political ◽

New School ◽

School Social Worker ◽

Political Landscape ◽

The Social ◽

Key Concepts

This chapter examines the unique internal and external political landscape of public schools and its relevance to the practice of school social work. The chapter focuses on four key concepts essential for new school social workers to navigate the politics of schools: (1) developing an understanding of the internal and external systems in which they interact; (2) clearly defining the role of school social worker, often within systems that are unclear or are new to the social worker’s role; (3) collaborating across all of the disciplines; and (4) sharing resources and information. Navigating the political landscape in schools is never easy and requires school social workers to be attuned to all of the nuances and complexities of the political landscape both inside and outside of schools.

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A Brief History of Public Education and Its Impact on Marginalized Populations

10.1093/oso/9780197585160.003.0006 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 55-63

Author(s):

Timmesha A. Butler ◽

Shelbie Dixon-Brown ◽

Rena′ Glass-Dixon ◽

Jennifer McLaurin

Keyword(s):

Public School ◽

Public Education ◽

School System ◽

School Social Workers ◽

Evidence Based ◽

Marginalized Populations ◽

New School ◽

The Public ◽

History Of ◽

The U.S

The purpose of this chapter is to provide new school social workers with an understanding of the inequality that is rooted in public education and how it relates to their professional practices. An overview of the history of the U.S. public school system and the history of school social work is provided, focusing on the public school system’s role in the academic achievement gaps that continue to exist between marginalized populations and their peers. The school social worker’s roles as advocate and connector, facilitator, and clinician are outlined. Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory, and strengths-based practice theories are discussed. Evidence-based strategies and resources that can be used to address the needs of marginalized populations are explained.

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Developing Credibility and Establishing Trust

10.1093/oso/9780197585160.003.0010 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 97-106

Author(s):

Ricki L. Moran ◽

Cristina Marquez ◽

James Garner

Keyword(s):

Social Work ◽

Social Workers ◽

Social Worker ◽

Code Of Ethics ◽

School Setting ◽

School Personnel ◽

School Social Workers ◽

Professional Relationship ◽

The Social ◽

Solid Foundation

This chapter discusses the importance of clearly establishing social worker roles within and outside of the building and the professional ramifications of differential training between school social workers and teachers. Steps are outlined for maintaining the social work code of ethics while partnering with other school personnel who are not bound to the same code. The importance of explaining confidentiality and its limitations early in the professional relationship is stressed. The social worker should remember to self-disclose only when it benefits the client. Advice is offered for building a solid foundation of trust and establishing credibility during a school social worker’s first three years in a school setting. Potential pitfalls will be discussed as well.

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Social work in public schools: Ratios of students per social worker in Portugal

Revista Portuguesa de Investigação Comportamental e Social ◽

10.31211/rpics.2019.5.1.107 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 5 (1) ◽

pp. 61-71

Author(s):

Sara Mendes ◽

Sónia Guadalupe

Keyword(s):

Public Schools ◽

Social Work ◽

Social Workers ◽

Social Worker ◽

Regional Level ◽

School Social Workers ◽

Social Intervention ◽

The Public ◽

Documentary Sources ◽

Documentary Analysis

Aim: This research estimates the ratio of students per social worker in public schools in Portugal. Methods: Documentary analysis was used to collect data following three steps, with specific criteria: 1) official documentary sources were first used to identify the schools that allow hiring social workers; 2) evidence was collected of their employability in the institutional webpage of each school; 3) a database was built, at the national and regional level for continental Portugal. Results: One hundred and twelve social workers have been identified in a universe of 811 public schools (grouped and ungrouped schools). The national ratio social worker/students in all schools of continental Portugal was 1:12,086, varying between 1:8,753 and 1:22,237. The ratio in the schools that have social worker(s) was 1:1,394, varying between 1:1,210 and 1:1,768, depending on the region. Conclusions: School social workers are very residual in the public school, highlighting alarming and unequal territorial ratios social worker-students. The results make clear the disinvestment in the profession and its aims in the education field. These results call on national and European organizations of social workers to recommend ratios of students per social worker, requiring a major investment in this crucial area of social intervention.

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Emerging Trends in School Social Work

10.1093/oso/9780197585160.003.0020 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 196-206

Author(s):

Christine Sabatino ◽

Andrea Plasko ◽

Stephanie Ochocki

Keyword(s):

Social Work ◽

Social Workers ◽

Educational Inequality ◽

Work Practice ◽

School Social Work ◽

School Social Workers ◽

New School ◽

Emerging Trends ◽

Critical Issues ◽

Policies And Programs

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought new challenges to education and school social work practice. School social workers have been called upon to adapt their practices, policies, and programs but are still responsible for maintaining the connection between students’ homes, schools, and communities. Distance learning and online instruction is a service to some communities and a disservice to others. With a focus on the whole student in the context of family and community, this chapter explores three critical issues impacting schools: educational inequality in relation to family engagement; technology; and child and adolescent mental health. This chapter explores paths that school social workers can follow to foster educational success through traditional and innovative procedures. It also provides new school social workers with a toolbox to use for remote-based work.

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Youth Outcome Questionnaire 30: A Study on Its Effectiveness as an Outcome Measure in the Public School Setting

PsycEXTRA Dataset ◽

10.1037/e533542007-001 ◽

2006 ◽

Author(s):

Jennifer Cannon

Keyword(s):

Public School ◽

Outcome Measure ◽

School Setting ◽

Outcome Questionnaire ◽

Youth Outcome Questionnaire ◽

The Public

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

Families in Society The Journal of Contemporary Social Services ◽

10.1177/10443894211009863 ◽

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.

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The Call of the Faithful: The Integration of Spiritual and Social Work Practice in the Time of COVID-19

Social Work & Christianity ◽

10.34043/swc.v48i4.241 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 48 (4) ◽

pp. 379-392

Author(s):

Shirley Newton-Guest ◽

Claudia Sofia Moreno ◽

Marla Coyoy ◽

Roxanna Najmi ◽

Tonia Martin ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Social Work ◽

Social Workers ◽

Interpersonal Violence ◽

Work Practice ◽

Social Work Practice ◽

Health Crisis ◽

The Public ◽

Body Of Knowledge ◽

Unaccompanied Children ◽

The Impact

This has been a season of change worldwide. It has become virtually impossible to ignore distressing news about the state of our world. COVID-19 has changed the way we live, work, how we think, and even how we grieve. Every day, Americans are bombarded with reports of rising death tolls, massive unemployment, economic turmoil, and dismal foreseeable predictions. This health crisis has put an enormous amount of pressure on the global community, and this is especially true for our clients who are new immigrants. This pressure has manifested in mental health challenges. Social workers have reported that for many clients the uncertainty and pressure are becoming too much to handle. Typically, clients are experiencing anxiety, depression, substance use disorder, and in some cases interpersonal violence (Brodhead, 2020; Endale et al. 2020; Saltzman et al.,2020). Now imagine the impact on unaccompanied minors arriving at our borders. Prior to the pandemic, the unaccompanied children were dealing with three crises simultaneously: 1) parental and home country separation; 2) trauma from a harsh journey; and 3) language barrier and cultural shock. These issues alone are overwhelming and cause powerful emotions such as anxiety in these children. So how can these emotions be managed, coupled with the dangers of COVID-19? How can social workers provide comfort and support when they may be experiencing the same emotions? This article brings this hidden reality into the public view and enrich the existing social work body of knowledge by demonstrating the restorative power of faith, spirituality, and self-care.

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