Social Work Services
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The Chenango Valley school social workers bring unique knowledge and skills to the school system and are instrumental in helping to provide a setting for teaching, learning, and the attainment of competence and confidence. School social workers enhance the district's ability to meet its academic mission by maintaining and enhancing the mental, emotional, behavioral, cognitive and social functioning of student learners.
School social work services promote the development of a school environment that supports a sense of belonging and connectedness, the development of positive relationships, enhanced self-esteem and empowerment that benefits the student, the school and the broader community.
School social workers are effective members of an interdisciplinary team and bring their unique skills, abilities and a systems perspective to act as a consultant to teachers, parents and others to facilitate the understanding of how factors in the home, school and community affect student learner outcome.
What do school social workers do?
School social workers are licensed as well as certified pupil personal providers with unique and diverse skills. A sampling of the scope of school social work practice includes:
- Identifying biological, medical, psychological, cultural, sociological, emotional, legal, economic and environmental factors that impact student learning.
- Providing individual school counseling and support groups as needed.
- Helping students address issues of school attendance and adjustment to a new school and/or grade level.
- Implementing appropriate school intervention and prevention programs in response to demonstrated needs, which may include but not be limited to crisis intervention, conflict resolution, violence prevention, substance abuse prevention, child abuse prevention, positive self-image, social skills and character education via consultation and/or individual, group and/or family counseling or classroom lessons.
- Offering classroom management strategies and professional development programs to teachers to enhance their knowledge of social/emotional and behavioral needs to generate positive results in academics.
- Forming collaborative relationships with community agencies and practitioners to address needs of student learners.
- Conducting assessments, educational planning and transition services.
- Understanding theories of normal and exceptional development in early childhood, latency, adolescence, and early adulthood and their application to all students.
- A school social worker who is licensed as a clinical social worker can diagnose mental, emotional, behavioral, addictive and developmental disorders and disabilities. Licensed clinical social workers also administer and interpret tests and measures of psychosocial functioning, develop and implement appropriate assessment-based treatment plans, and provide behavior therapy and psychotherapy.
- Utilizing family strengths and structures, to enable families to function for their children's education and well-being.
- Incorporating diversity issues to plan for the unique educational needs of culturally and linguistically diverse populations.
- Providing resources and information on community services/agencies and making referrals to appropriate agencies.