School Social Work in the United States: Current Evidence and Future Directions

Abstract

This paper surveys the historical and school institutional factors that shape current workforce, programmatic, and practice trends related to school social work in America. A key strand developed throughout is that the field of practice appears to be at a crossroads. It is suggested that this field of practice may be enhanced by placing the central focus on schools as organisations and school-community relations as key targets of intervention. KEYWORDS:School social work; education; academic performance. RESUMEN:Este artículo examina los factores históricos e institucionales que perfilan al personal docente, las tendencias en las programaciones y las prácticas que se desarrollan en la actualidad en el ámbito del trabajo social en la escuela en los Estados Unidos de América. Un aspecto clave derivado de este examen es que la profesión parece estar en una encrucijada. Se sugiere como alternativa a esta situación, centrar la atención y los objetivos fundamentales de intervención en las escuelas como organizaciones, y en las relaciones que se generan entre las escuelas y la comunidad.

Needs of Children and Families during Spring 2020 COVID-19 School Closures: Findings from a National Survey

“…Most of our nation’s more than 700,000 social workers serve children and families, including in school settings ( U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2020 ). Schools have become a key provider of social services for students and their families, including medical and behavioral health care, health and mental health promotion, nutritional supports, and case management ( Stone, 2015 ). Social workers have played a central role in responding to crisis situations ( Callahan, 2009 ).…”

The Effectiveness Of Self Creation In Improving Job Quality Of Social Workers Dealing With Extra-Curricular School Activities Groups

“…These guidelines are set forth in the (NASW) standards for school social work services, which were adopted in 1978 and revised in 1992 and again in 2002 (Openshaw,2008 School social work is a distinct field of practice within the social work profession that primarily aims to support student learning and psycho-social functioning in educational settings. School social workers adopt a diverse set of roles and tasks in schools, including direct work with students and families, consultation with school staff, and facilitation of linkage between school and community resources (Stone ,2015).…”