GOVERNMENT RELATIONS ALERT & UPDATE

School Social Work

July 10, 2000

Background

The Elementary School Counseling Demonstration (ESCD) program was first authorized in 1994 as part of the Improving America’s Schools Act (which reauthorized the Elementary and Secondary Education Act). The first funding it received was $20 million for fiscal year (FY) 2000 (October 1, 1999-September 30, 2000). This success is significant because it is the only pot of federal money dedicated solely for school counseling programs.

The ESCD grants will be awarded to elementary schools to establish or expand comprehensive school counseling programs staffed by teams of qualified school social workers, school counselors, and school psychologists. A qualified school social worker is defined as "an individual who holds a master’s degree in social work and is licensed or certified by the State in which services are provided or holds a school social work specialist credential." The team-based counseling programs are to help prevent violence, improve children’s mental health, and eliminate barriers to learning and academic achievement.

Status

The application deadline for the FY 2000 grants was June 9, 2000. Over 500 applications were submitted and are now being reviewed. Awards are expected to be made sometime in August. Approximately 60 grants will be awarded.

Future Funding

NASW has been working to increase funding for FY 2001 for the ESCD program. The Senate included $30 million for the Elementary School Counseling Demonstration Program in its FY 2001 funding bill for Labor-HHS-Education (S. 2553) -- an increase of $10 million over last year (FY 2000). The House eliminated funding for the program in its version of bill (H.R. 4577). Even though both chambers have passed their respective bills (the House on June 14 and the Senate on June 30), much work and many negotiations will be necessary before the House and Senate agree on a compromise bill that the President is willing to sign. NASW is working to protect the $30 million contained in the Senate bill throughout the negotiating process.

ACTION NEEDED!

The key negotiators for ESCD funding will be members of the House and Senate Labor-HHS-Education Appropriations Subcommittees. Support from House Republican members is especially critical. If your member is among those listed below, please take a few minutes to contact him/her and urge support for the $30 million contained in the Senate bill.

Majority Members

• John Porter (R-IL), Chairman
• C.W. Bill Young (R-FL)
• Henry Bonilla (R-TX)
• Ernest Istook (R-OK)
• Dan Miller (R-FL)
• Jay Dickey (R-AR)
• Roger Wicker (R-MS)
• Anne Northup (R-KY)
• Randy "Duke" Cunningham (R-CA)

Minority Members

• David Obey (D-WI), Ranking Member
• Steny Hoyer (D-MD)
• Nancy Pelosi (D-CA)
• Nita Lowey (D-NY)
• Rosa DeLauro (D-CT)
• Jesse Jackson, Jr. (D-IL)

Majority Members

• Arlen Specter (R-PA), Chairman
• Thad Cochran (R-MS)
• Slade Gorton (R-WA)
• Judd Gregg (R-NH)
• Larry Craig (R-ID)
• Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-TX)
• Ted Stevens (R-AK)
• Jon Kyl (R-AZ)

Minority Members

• Tom Harkin (D-IA), Ranking Member
• Ernest Hollings (D-SC)
• Daniel Inouye (D-HI)
• Harry Reid (D-NV)
• Herb Kohl (D-WI)
• Patty Murray (D-WA)
• Dianne Feinstein (D-CA)

• Phone: All Members can be reached through the Capitol Switchboard 202-225-3121.
• Mail: The Honorable (first name, last name), U.S. House of Representatives, Washington, DC 20515; Dear Representative (last name):
• Email: Addresses can be accessed through www.house.gov

• Phone: All Members can be reached through the Capitol Switchboard 202-224-3121.
• Mail: The Honorable (first name, last name), United States Senate, Washington, DC 20510; Dear Senator (last name):
• Email: Addresses can be accessed through www.senate.gov

THANKS FOR YOUR ADVOCACY!

Background

NASW has been promoting the role of school social workers in providing school-based mental health and other pupil services in the context of the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), Public Law 103-382 -- legislation that defines the federal role in elementary and secondary education. NASW's efforts have focused on reauthorizing the Elementary School Counseling Demonstration program and protecting and expanding the role of school social workers in Title I-Education for Disadvantaged Children, Title II-Professional Development and Title IV-Safe and Drug-Free Schools and Communities.

As part of that effort, four bills which specifically address school social workers and school social work services were introduced during the first session. The bills were designed to eventually be incorporated into the bill reauthorizing ESEA. Two bills were introduced in the Senate and two in the House: the Elementary and Secondary School Counseling Improvement Act (S. 1443) introduced by Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA); the 100,000 New School Counselors Act (H.R. 2567) introduced by social worker Rep. Barbara Lee (D-CA); the Safe Schools Act (S. 1465) introduced by Senator Blanche Lincoln (D-AR); and the bill to Recruit, Hire, and Train 100,000 New School Resource Staff (H.R. 2982) introduced by Rep. Patsy Mink (D-HI). (For more details on the legislation, see below.)

Rather than reauthorizing ESEA as a whole, the House divided consideration of the bill into separate titles and passed two bills during the first session. The Students Results Act (H.R. 2) reauthorizes Title I and the Teacher Empowerment Act (H.R. 1995) reauthorizes Title II. Neither bill recognizes the critical role of school social workers. In the House, the Education Opportunities To Protect and Invest In Our Nation's Students (Education OPTIONS) Act (H.R. 4141) includes the rest of the programs that are part of ESEA. In the Senate, the Educational Opportunities Act (S. 2), includes all of the ESEA reauthorization as a whole.

NASW was successful in including a reauthorization of the Elementary School Counseling Demonstration program and, for the first time, provision of mental health services as an explicitly stated allowable use of funds under the Safe and Drug Free Schools Program in both the House "catch-all" bill (H.R. 4141) and the Senate bill (S. 2).

Status

Both the House bill (H.R. 4141) and Senate bill (S. 2) have been stalled in their respective chambers by partisan bickering and election year grandstanding. With so few legislative days remaining in this session of Congress (due to the election and party conventions) and the crush of must-do legislation (appropriations bills), it becomes increasingly unlikely that a new ESEA bill will be signed into law this year. If ESEA is not reauthorized, NASW's school social work initiatives that are part of the legislation will also die and have to be reintroduced in the next Congress (107^th), which will convene in January 2001. The most likely scenario is that education programs in the bill will be continued as currently authorized and will be funded through the appropriations process.

Bills introduced which specifically address school social workers and school social work services:

• Elementary and Secondary School Counseling Improvement Act (S. 1443). Introduced in the Senate by Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA) on July 27, 1999. S. 1443 would expand the original Elementary School Counseling Demonstration Program by providing grants not only to elementary schools, but also secondary schools. Funds would be awarded to local educational agencies to establish or expand comprehensive school counseling programs staffed by teams of qualified school social workers, school counselors, and school psychologists. These professionals would work with students, teachers, and families to help prevent violence, improve children's mental health, and eliminate barriers to learning and academic achievement. S. 1443 includes a funding authorization of $100 million for fiscal year (FY) 2000 and "such sums as may be necessary" for FYs 2001-2004.
• 100,000 New School Counselors Act (H.R. 2567). Introduced in the House by Representative Barbara Lee (D-CA), a social worker, on July 20, 1999. H.R. 2567 would pool federal, state, and local funding for schools to hire school social workers, school counselors, and school psychologists to meet the American School Health Association’s minimum student-to-mental health professional ratios. The recommended ratios are one school social worker to 800 students, one school psychologist to 1,000 students and one school counselor to 250 students. The Act defines a ‘school social worker’ as "an individual who holds a master’s degree in social work and is licensed or certified by the State in which services are provided or holds a school social work specialist credential." H.R. 2567 includes a funding authorization of $340 million annually for FYs 2000-2004.
• Safe Schools Act (S. 1465). Introduced in the Senate by Senator Blanche Lincoln (D-AR) on July 29, 1999. S. 1465 would provide funding to: (1) hire school social workers, school psychologists, and school counselors on a full-time or consultant basis to work in teams to address the needs of teachers, parents, and students; (2) create a loan forgiveness program to encourage mental health professionals to serve in elementary or secondary schools for five years; (3) provide funding to establish or expand after-school and summer programs; (4) require school report cards to include among other items, mental health services available to students; and (5) require the Secretary of Education to report on successful alternative education settings for disruptive or violent students. S. 1465 includes a funding authorization of $135 million annually for FYs 2000-2004: $100 million for the hiring of mental health professionals; $10 million for the loan forgiveness program; and $25 million for mentoring programs.
• Bill to Recruit, Train, and Hire 100,000 School-based Resource Staff (H.R. 2982). Introduced in the House by Representative Patsy Mink (D-HI) on September 30, 1999. H.R. 2982 would provide grants to states and local educational agencies to recruit, train, and hire 100,000 school-based resource staff. Resource staff would help address the mental, emotional, and developmental needs of students and support other school staff and teachers in identifying students early before problems arise. Among the definitions of "resource staff" is "an individual who has documented competence and training in mental health to be able to provide services to children and adolescents in a school setting and who . . . holds a master’s degree in social work and is licensed or certified by the State in which services are to be provided or holds a school social work specialist credential." H.R. 2982 includes a funding authorization of $3.5 billion for FY 2000, $3.15 billion for FY 2001, and $2.8 billion annually for FYs 2002-2004.