SOCIAL WORK SERVICES

Social Workers - An Overview

School social workers are assigned to all St. Louis Public Schools on a scheduled basis, providing a link between home, school, and community.  As members of the educational team comprised of teachers, students support staff, administrators, and parents.  School social workers promote and support students’ academic and social success by providing specialized services. 

School social workers help students to increase academic success, improve attendance, cope with crisis situations, build self-esteem, learn problem-solving and decision making skills, resolve conflicts without violence, improve interpersonal relationships, collaborate with community agencies and organizations, identify and report suspected child abuse and neglect, and obtain community resources to meet students’ needs. 

The following links through the Missouri Department of Elementary & Secondary Education provide additional resources regarding trauma informed schools:

Social Emotional Learning & Trauma-Informed Schools

Trauma-Informed Parent Resources

Missouri Model for Trauma-Informed Schools

School Social Workers and the Family 

• School social workers understand better how factors such as family, culture, socio-economic status, and physical and mental health can affect the student’s performance.  School social workers collaborate with community agencies and organizations and coordinate services for family members.

School Social Workers & the Community

• School social workers help communities understand school policies, programs, and practices.  They also work closely with community agencies and organizations to meet the social-economic and psycho-social needs of children and their families.
  School Social Workers and Special Education

School Social Workers & Special Education

• Federal regulations implementing the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of 1997 define social work services in schools as a related service in special education.  These services include preparing social or developmental histories on children with disabilities, providing group and individual counseling to children and their families, and working with problems in children’s living situations that affect their adjustment in school.