Leadership and School Social Work in the USA: A Qualitative Assessment

Elswick, Susan; Cuellar, Matthew J.; Mason, Susan E.

doi:10.1007/s12310-018-9298-8

Cited by 7 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 28 publications

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“…The public-health multitiered systems of supports (MTSS) model has become one of the most widely scaled-up educational practices in American schools over the past 30 years (Avant & Lindsey, 2015;Barrett et al, 2020) and is widely used in schools that employ SSW. MTSS, with its emphasis on primary prevention, data-driven decision-making, and evidence-based practice (EBP; Kelly et al, 2010), has enabled SSWs to advocate for their service role to be incorporated more fully into leading school social-emotional learning (SEL) programs, as well as leading initiatives related to trauma-informed care and restorative justice, and to incorporate primary prevention into their regular work within their schools (Crutchfield et al, 2020;Elswick et al, 2019;Gherardi, 2017).…”

Section: School Social Work Practice Before Covid-19mentioning

confidence: 99%

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

Kelly

Benbenishty

Capp

et al. 2021

Families in Society

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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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Section: School Social Work Practice Before Covid-19mentioning

confidence: 99%

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

Kelly

Benbenishty

Capp

et al. 2021

Families in Society

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“…Similar licensure requirements have been reported in other parts of the world (International Network for School Social Work, 2016, as cited in Huxtable, 2022 ), but the current state of research on MTSS and EBP applications in other countries is limited (Huxtable, 2022 ). Furthermore, although previous literature indicated more school social workers applied EBP to primary prevention, including trauma-informed care, social–emotional learning, and restorative justice programs in school mental health services (Crutchfield et al, 2020 ; Elswick et al, 2019 ; Gherardi, 2017 ), little research has been done to review and analyzed the legitimacy of the existing school social work practice model and its influence in the changing context of school social work services. The changing conditions and demands of social work services in schools require an update on the functions of school social workers and the efficacy of their state-of-the-art practices.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Characteristics and Outcomes of School Social Work Services: A Scoping Review of Published Evidence 2000–June 2022

Ding

Lightfoot

Berkowitz

et al. 2023

School Mental Health

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School social workers are integral to the school mental health workforce and the leading social service providers in educational settings. In recent decades, school social work practice has been largely influenced by the multi-tiered systems of support (MTSS) approach, ecological systems views, and the promotion of evidence-based practice. However, none of the existing school social work reviews have examined the latest characteristics and outcomes of school social work services. This scoping review analyzed and synthesized the focuses and functions of school social workers and the state-of-the-art social and mental/behavioral health services they provide. Findings showed that in the past two decades, school social workers in different parts of the world shared a common understanding of practice models and interests. Most school social work interventions and services targeted high-needs students to improve their social, mental/behavioral health, and academic outcomes, followed by primary and secondary prevention activities to promote school climate, school culture, teacher, student, and parent interactions, and parents’ wellbeing. The synthesis also supports the multiple roles of school social workers and their collaborative, cross-systems approach to serving students, families, and staff in education settings. Implications and directions for future school social work research are discussed.

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