School Social Work Policy & News

There's debate over whether youths’ use of technology and social media on phones and devices is harmful or helpful. Many agree it is both.

And most youth are not addicted to technology. If anything, they are addicted to each other. That speaks to something that's true for every generation: teenagers want to hang out with each other.

"Actions like bullying, threats and figts are all red flags, and they need to be addressed before they elevate and students become a threat to themselves or others," says Libby Nealis, Policy and Advocacy Director at the School Social Work Association of America.

School social workers work to prevent mass killing in schools as well as guide schools in recovery after a crisis has occurred. Today more than ever, there is a growing need for school social workers to help prevent school violence and to support students in moments of crisis.

National Drug and Alcohol Facts Week is designed to counteract the myths about drugs and alcohol that teens often hear from the Internet, TV, movies, music, or friends. Sponsored by the National Institute on Drug Abuse and the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, both part of the National Institutes of Health.

Under the program, states would need to pass anti-bullying laws and invest their own money to qualify for funding, which could be used to hire social workers, psychologists and other professionals.

UCLA released a policy brief titled “ESSA State Consolidated Plans: Rethinking MTSS to Better Address Barriers to Learning.” This brief focuses on the limitations of using a multi-tiered system of support (MTSS) framework to remove barriers to learning.