History of School Social Work

Social work services in schools grew out of a concern for underprivileged pupils. School based social work services began in New York City in 1907. In New York City, “settlement workers” from the Hartley House and Greenwich House thought that it was necessary to know the parents and teachers of the children who came to the settlements, so they assigned workers to visit schools and homes to help pupils overcome barriers to learning.

The first Board of Education to initiate and fully fund a “Visiting Teachers Program” was in Rochester, New York, in 1913. In 1943, the National Association of Visiting Teachers (NAVT) became the American Association of School Social Workers (AASSW). In 1955, AASSW merged with six other social work associations to form the National Association of Social Workers (NASW). Since 1907, school social workers have collaborated with teachers and other school personnel in advancing the purposes of education.

Today, professional school social workers undergo rigorous academic preparation and are universally recognized as an integral part of the “educational process.” All of Muscogee County School District’s school social workers are certified by the Georgia Department of Education. Several are licensed by the Georgia Composite Board of Professional Counselors, Social Workers and Marriage and Family Therapist, and two possess national certification through the National Association of Social Workers.

Mission Statement

The mission of the Muscogee County school social workers is to embrace diversity, advocate for children, respect the uniqueness of every student and facilitate goal inspired success by strengthening families, ensuring access to school and community-based resources, removing barriers to academic achievement and empowering students through nurturing redirection, structured support and constructive reinforcement.

Services and Responsibilities

Today’s children face many social and personal problems which threaten their ability to do well in school and become productive citizens. School social workers provide assistance to students who are experiencing difficulties due to attendance, economic, health, emotional and/or family disruption. These difficulties may include behavior/adjustment problems, academic failure, pregnancy, underachievement and/or substance abuse. In collaboration with school counselors, school nurses and school psychologists, school social workers help students to achieve the maximum benefit from their educational opportunities by removing barriers to learning. School social workers bring to the educational process an understanding of the biopsychosocial development of children and the influence family, community, society and culture can have on shaping various attitudes and beliefs toward learning. The school social worker can provide specialized consultative services to school staff in areas such as behavior management, conflict resolution, mediation, mental health and emotional impairment, child abuse and domestic violence, teen pregnancy, parenting, family therapy, preventive interventions and classroom management. Through their work, school social workers foster the inherent growth potential of all children and youth. Listed below are some of the services offered by Muscogee County school social workers:

• Help students overcome barriers to learning and school attendance.
• Serve as the link between school, home and community.
• Provide referral information to facilitate family/student use of community-based resources.
• Maintain open communication between schools and community agencies to facilitate common objectives in situations requiring interagency collaboration.
• Counsel students and parents individually and in groups on topics such as teen pregnancy, problem-solving/decision-making, self-control, disorders of behavior, drug and alcohol abuse, anger management training, stress reduction training, parenting, social skills training, family disruption or any concern and/or need/issue that hinders learning and/or school attendance.
• Provide assessment and referral services for homeless students.
• Promote parental responsibility through home visits and parent/teacher conferences.
• Educate the public about truancy and enforce the Georgia Compulsory School Attendance Law.
• Initiate referrals to Juvenile and/or Municipal Court.
• Provide crisis intervention services.
• Conduct home visits to asses environmental factors that inhibit learning and impede the social/emotional well-being of students.
• Participate in staff conferences related to student behavior, adjustment and/or academic progress.
• Contribute to staff development on subjects such as parent interviewing, cultural diversity, classroom management, barriers to learning/school attendance and children who are withdrawn or disruptive.
• Help parents to better understand and meet the social, developmental and emotional needs of their children.
• Collaborate with teachers and other professional staff in assessing student needs and in designing individualized educational programs.
• Contribute to the Student Support Team process.
• Provide conflict resolution and mediation services.
• Help parents and the community to interpret and understand school district programs, polices, procedures and practices.
• Offer skills training to parents and school personnel to reduce the number of school drop-outs.
• Represent the School District on boards and committees of organizations serving school age children, e.g., Truancy Intervention Project, Homeless Task Force, Drug Court, Mayor’s Council on Diversity, etc.