Happy School Social Work Week!
“Beacon of Hope: School Social Workers – Lighting the Way” is the theme for School Social Work Week 2021. In their role, School Social Workers are able to light the way, emphasizing the whole child, collaborating with other professionals, linking students and families with needed services, and advocating for our profession. -SSWAA
Schools Social Workers shine a light of welcome, hope and guidance into school communities across the nation. They promote family involvement, respect and uplift culture, listen with their ears and their heart, and foster safe and supportive school environments.
School Social Workers recognize strengths in the child or family, offer support, help them visualize a way out or around a challenge, and come alongside them to help them see a brighter tomorrow.
School Social Workers will use their knowledge and skills to support students and families, leverage resources, and help identify solutions or coping skills needed to navigate rough waters.
Did You Know?
47% of social workers work in the child, family, and school sector.
There are approximately 1,300 school social workers in NC.
School social workers help students and families overcome some of life’s most difficult challenges: poverty, discrimination, abuse, addiction, physical illness, divorce, loss, unemployment, educational problems, disability, and mental illness. They help prevent crises and counsel individuals, families, and communities to cope more effectively with the stresses of everyday life.
Often viewed as the hidden helpers, school social workers are trained mental health professionals who are prepared to recognize and respond to student mental health crises and needs as well as provide support to administration and staff when school crises occur.
According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), professional social workers are the largest group of mental health service providers.
