Assessing the National School Social Work Practice Model: Findings from the Second National School Social Work Survey

Abstract

The Second National School Social Work Survey in 2014 aimed to update knowledge of school social work practice by examining how practitioner characteristics, practice context, and practice choices have evolved since the last national survey in 2008. This second survey was also developed to assess how the new national school social work practice model created by the School Social Work Association of America aligns with early 21st century school social work practice realities. The second survey was conducted from February through April 2014 (3,769 total responses were collected) and represents the largest sample of American school social workers surveyed in two decades. Data from the Second National School Social Work Survey showed a field that still has not fully responded to calls to implement evidence-informed and data-driven practices. This article notes the need to better integrate pre- and postservice training in data-driven practices and provides recommendations for ways to overcome barriers that school social workers report facing.

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

“…These efforts call attention to the field's need for practice models and parameters within this mature, developed specialty area of social work practice. Still, results from the most recent national survey of SSW practitioners show that they still do not regularly use evidence-informed practices (Kelly et al, 2016). Another line of Kelly et al's (2016) inquiry reveals that the use of universal screeners and progress monitoring toolsessential tools given MTSS frameworks' emphasis on data-driven decision making-are not yet a standard part of SSW practice (Kelly, 2008;Kelly et al, 2016).…”

Depression Education As Primary Prevention

“…The findings from this initial pilot study offer several important implications for school social workers (SSW) and other related school mental health professionals. Due to high caseloads and other workplace demands, most SSW report struggling to find the time to deliver evidence-informed Tier 1 and Tier 2 interventions within the commonlyunderstood multi-tiered systems of supports (MTSS) framework (Kelly et al, 2016). This intervention offers an opportunity for SSW to address depression awareness and suicide prevention at the Tier 1 universal level, and to work within their school community to build the capacity of other key stakeholders (teachers, administrators, peers, and parents) to make school communities more responsive to youth who struggle with depression and suicidal thoughts (Erbacher, Singer, & Poland, 2014).…”

Too Hard to Find with Too Little Time: What School Social Workers Want in Online Resources for Evidence-Based Practice

“…Further, in a national survey of SSWs, 42.6% reported "always" using evidence-based practice sites (Kelly et al, 2015) however, only 3.5% reported having a "high" level of access to sites with information on evidence-based practices (Kelly et al, 2015). Further, SSWs on average reported using online EBP websites and research article databases the most compared to other information sources, but these survey data provided no way to know more about what SSW used those resources for, or what the quality of the evidence was that they ultimately chose to use in their practice (Kelly et al, 2016;Kelly et al, 2015). The inconsistent reports by SSWs indicate that they encounter barriers at the very first step of an evidence based approach: Not knowing where to look, not having enough access to websites with EBP information, and not being confident in their ability to critically evaluate the research they do find.…”