There needs to be more emphasis on the fact that social workers are mental health providers . There is a mental health crisis amongst our youth . Mental health resources for students are lacking . Many times the wait time for a mentally ill student to get outpatient appointments takes weeks ! Social workers are equipped to provide short term therapy until students are connected with outside therapist . NASW needs to emphasize that social workers are mental health providers . School districts need to be educated on what social workers do . Many times social workers and guidance counselors are viewed as the same thing . This is a constant struggle for most social workers in a school setting . Social workers and guidance counselors are not the same ! Nor do we have the same training . Guidance counselors are not mental health providers and I think this needs to be emphasized in schools.

In addition to emphasizing the school social worker's role and expertise in providing mental health intervention, these standards of practice should include recommendations on student to social worker ratios in schools. We are completely overwhelmed right now. School social workers are often the first line and, unfortunately, sometimes the only line of support for our students and families as they navigate mental health crisis in a completely overburdened system. We often can't refer out, because there is nowhere to refer. Or we refer out, knowing that the family will wait months to get connected to a provider. (Often an intern, or someone working toward licensure, who leaves the agency within a year.)
I'm regarding to what is already included in the document, I have to say that I disagree that a BSW is qualified to work in the school setting, even with support from and MSW.

I agree with others that there should be recommendations for service ratios. In many states, social workers are not a part of education code and are often expected to service multiple campuses at once.
There also should be specific details on the types of services that social workers can provide for the schools that they serve. For example, instead of just saying mental health services, it should state that social workers can provide individual and group counseling, mental status exams, self-harm assessments, mediation, etc.
Thank you for putting all of the effort into updating our practice standards!

I agree with others that there should be recommendations for service ratios. In many states, social workers are not a part of education code and are often expected to service multiple campuses at once.
There also should be specific details on the types of services that social workers can provide for the schools that they serve. For example, instead of just saying mental health services, it should state that social workers can provide individual and group counseling, mental status exams, self-harm assessments, mediation, etc.
Thank you for putting all of the effort into updating our practice standards!

Please include concrete numbers for caseloads. Speech pathologists have it through ASHA and can tell admin that they only can take X amount of students due to their national caseload limits. We have none. This is why we are so overwhelmed and have been for years. Please help!

It has been recently discovered that SRO'S & SSO'S do not have adequate training as it pertains to Disability Awareness, FERPA understanding, adequate Adolescent Mental health training and Civil & Victims rights understanding and training as it pertains to special needs students etc. In Arizona, we have many different ways our SRO'S & SSO'S are being paid and who is responsible for this training oversight. Many Arizona Districts to include those in Northwest Maricopa County- are cutting School Social Work & Counselor jobs and replacing this funding with overpaid law enforcement officers. Districts are making law enforcement officers responsible for crisis management when they do NOT have the education and training that many of us School Social Workers and School Counselors have! NASW should work with current School Social Workers to create a fierce advocacy stance that encourages and mandates school districts to have BOTH School Social Workers/Counselors & SRO'S working together and in tandem utilizing a Multidisciplinary approach or developed crisis plan. Our Students deserve to have these roles working together!

Pg. 13, line 227-231 under Guiding Principles: I recommend modifying the wording to place the student as the focus of the school social worker's role: "School social workers actively help school systems meet expectations of federal, state, and local mandates...". Perhaps modify it to state "School social workers actively help students navigate the school systems to satisfy expectations set forth by federal, state, and local mandates...". Including the student in that sentence shift the main focus from the school system being the "client" to the student being the "client" for which we need to empower, advocate for, and support.

Mental Health: Ensure that school systems know that Master's level Social Workers can provide individual and group counseling. We are able to provide many services beyond attendance, truancy, and homelessness. Many times, our social worker brains can help schools see the whole child and not just parts.

Pay: Social workers need to be on a schedule apart from teachers. If School Counselors are on their own schedule, we should be provided the same courtesy based on training and expertise.

Ratios: Ensure that ratios are so that social workers are accessible to their schools, students and staff

Again, there needs to be an emphasis that school social workers are not on campus to only focus on attendance. School social workers are mental health professionals to support students' over wellbeing. The role of the school social worker is often dismissed due to misinterpretation or lack of knowledge of our role.

I would recommend including language to support trauma-informed practice as a best practice for school social work professionals to support the social, emotional and mental health needs of children and youth. I would also recommend that clear ratios be established, specific to the inequities often faced for school social workers in rural school systems. As a former school social worker, I served a rural district with more than 2,700 students. I was the only district social worker. In order for children and families to receive comprehensive and effective supportive services, there needs to be a feasible ratio for school social workers. More resources and supportive services are needed to support school social workers who practice in rural communities.

I would recommend that language be added to include the unique skill set that school social workers have in addressing the increased mental health needs of school-age youth through the lens of trauma-informed practice to address issues like, grief & loss, trauma, and additional adverse childhood experiences. Including this language can illustrate the breadth and depth of the skill set of school social workers beyond attendance and truancy matters. In order for youth to receive comprehensive supportive services the narrative surrounding the functions of a school social worker must shift. There continues to be a lack of education surrounding the role and function of school social workers.

An msw should not be the minimum recommended degree level. A bsw has the same number of years of education as an MSW. The only difference between the two is that an LMSW(lcsw in some states) can practice therapy. NASW needs to refocus itself on the base of the profession -- bsw. There are not enough bsw jobs and the profession suffers as a whole.

Correction to my earlier comment, a bsw has as many years of education in social work as a non advanced standing msw. If you wish to make msw the minimum, work with cswe to begin requiring non advanced standings to complete 3 years of social work education.

Page 11 line 207, "Public education is essential to promote the total.." remove "public" because some school social workers also work in independent or private schools. I recommend making it general and say, "Education is essential to promote the total". It is the same thing in line 209 on page 11.

Although the standards talk about case load sizes, it doesn’t actually give a recommended case load size. The section in here is very vague in here surrounding case load sizes. In order to provide the best services to students and families, it would be great to have a cap on case loads like other areas of social work.

School Social Workers are needed now more than ever. Times are changing, and the mental health crisis has always been very real but it is even more prevalent post COVID. Many families are struggling to make ends meet working longer hours, 2-3 jobs, lack transportation or find that private practices are too far to drive. Having a Licensed Clinical Social Worker accessible in the school district is a vital link for school officials, families and children who struggle with mental health issues. LCSW's are skilled, knowledgeable and well trained to conduct the necessary therapeutic services these children need to thrive socially, emotionally, mentally and academically. This change is a necessity as today's world is becoming more complex.

We need guidance on caseload max sizes that are realistic and allow us to serve the complex needs of our students that involve consultation and behavior management. Is there a method to rank various factors that would increase the amount of time a student requires beyond direct or even consult minutes? School Social Workers are burning out and teachers are as well without us having enough time to actually help students.

Please include recommended ratios in the standard. The local LEA's look to guidance from professional organizations for recommended ratios. LEA's do not currently adhere to the prior recommendation of 1:250 and many school social workers are serving student populations in excess of 2,000. With the removal of ratio recommendations, SSW's will have no standard to reference when advocating for caseloads that allow for meeting the growing needs of students, families, and schools. In districts where social workers do not hold upper level administrative roles, there may not be an administrator who will advocate for ratios that will maximize efficacy and service to students.

I advocate for implementing a cap on caseloads due to the increasing needs of students and the diminishing time available to meet those needs. In my opinion, a standard caseload should not exceed 25-30 students. Looking at this issue through a mathematical perspective, let's consider that school social workers typically work 35 hours per week. If a school social worker were to have a caseload of 30 students, each requiring 30 minutes of service, that would amount to 15 hours. Additionally, I estimate that an extra 30 minutes per student is spent on tasks such as completing progress notes, preparing individualized lessons, and creating supportive materials, totaling another 15 hours. This leaves only 5 hours per week for essential activities like meetings, evaluations, observations, and communication with parents and teachers. My analysis shows that my time is already fully allocated, without even factoring in the significant time required for developing, monitoring, and reviewing Functional Behavior Assessments and Positive Behavior Support Plans.

To truly make a meaningful impact, school social workers need sufficient time to delve deeply into each case and provide tailored services. However, when time is limited, we are often pressured to merely meet the minimum service requirements or conduct group sessions with multiple students. I believe these approaches do not align with delivering individualized plans or offering meaningful support to students. Therefore, it is imperative to cap caseloads at a manageable level, ideally not exceeding 30 students, to ensure that students receive the attention and support they deserve.

The impact of antisemitism, and its lack of inclusion as a form of hate/discrimination, is not addressed at all. Many students (and often staff) feel physically and emotionally unsafe due to the seeming acceptance of this form of hatred, which has increased exponentially since the October 7th massacre in Israel (over 300% according to the Anti Defamation League). Schools need to be a place where students feel safe, and there needs to be training and resources available to school social workers to provide the needed support.

I appreciate this whole revision! I think it is reflective of our changing culture and role within schools. I especially LOVE lines 648-655 supporting our professional title. States, especially those without education certification for SSWs, feed into a narrative that the term 'social work' is a dirty word. The whole paragraph is fantastic!

Suggestions: although the draft addresses culture competence throughout, I don't see anything specific about English Language Learners. Perhaps adding it to line 206 as a barrier or in Standard 10. In light of increased immigration from many countries, SSWs often advocate on behalf of ELL families for equitable access to education, particularly special education.

I also don't see anything specific to McKinney-Vento. SSWs are often on the front lines advocating for our MKV students to ensure our LEAs are providing these students equal access to all educational entitlements under the law including transportation, technology, extra curricular activities, free meals, etc. Other barriers are mentioned throughout the document, but housing insecurity is not mentioned. Perhaps include it as part of Standard 11.

Again thank you for this very comprehensive and updated document!

Cultural Competence vs Cultural Humility: In social services and mental healthcare, true understanding comes from recognizing what you don't know. Cultural humility is about being open to learning from clients/patients about their experiences and perspectives, while acknowledging your own cultural background and biases.

Instead of aiming for mastery, which can imply an endpoint, cultural humility is an ongoing journey. It involves both personal reflection and open communication with clients/patients. This approach fosters truly person-centered care, where each individual's unique needs and experiences are valued and respected.

Please include information about service ratios. This informs legislation and policy which impacts us directly! Without guidance from the professional orgnaization representing us, overwhelming case loads will remain the same, reducing efficacy and assistance to students and families.

Please include a recommended student/SW ratio. I am already overworked trying to serve 3 schools, two of which are Title 1. I feel like I am putting out fires much of the time, and have close to 1500 students on my caseload. It's nearly impossible for me to provide the 1:1 time that many of my students need.

I recently retired after working as a school social worker for 22 years. I strongly agree with the many comments related to the fact that SSWs are mental health providers. More specifically, SSWs who are LCSW-Cs are held responsible for using their clinical expertise to address the growing and severe mental health needs of students, families and even school staff. This includes crisis intervention, facilitating emergency petitions, escorts to the ER and trauma support on a daily basis. In addition, SSWs fill the extensive gap of limited community-based mental health services. I would like to highlight that based on an LCSW-Cs clinical training therapy is more often provided than "counseling" services. This sets SSWs apart from other school support staff such as school guidance counselors, school psychologists, behavioral interventionists, and pupil personnel workers. I would like to see NASW be a more explicit advocate for the value and worth of SSWs within the education and mental health fields.

Thank you so much for updating our standards to ensure that they reflect changes within our role, as well as the changing needs of society. It was nice done and very comprehensive!

I agree with the others that there needs to be more emphasis on school social workers as mental health providers. Unfortunately, depending on your state and school district, there is a generalization and marginalization of school social workers. We are often seen as child protection or social services/welfare caseworkers or simply additional building staff. We are unfairly compensated, and our education, training and experience is often questioned. We must shift this paradigm. I believe there should be considerations to changing our title from ‘School Social Worker’ to something more identifiable that represents who we are and what we do.

I have concerns about the following considerations:

580, 581: “In addition, school social 580 workers shall conduct functional behavioral assessments and develop behavior intervention plans…”

Please consider rewording the statement as this appears to be a generalization of responsibilities which provides a certain level of expectation within the education system. Understanding that every state and district is different, this sets an unusual precedent, especially for those who are not primarily responsible for these assessments. Perhaps the statement should read: School Social Workers work within an interdisciplinary team to collaborate on the development of functional behavioral assessments and behavioral intervention plans.

640, 641: “However, should the local education agency employ school social workers whose highest degree is a BSW, an MSW-level social worker should provide supervision for the…”

Given the complexity of the position and the need to provide mental health intervention, services and support, there should be no flexibility with regards to the degree of the school social worker, unless in rural areas. A MSW degree should be the minimum recommended level of education for the position. However, an individual with a BSW degree should be able to serve in the capacity of an intern for practicum experience with the supervision of an MSW-level social worker. Also, consider the fact that only LCSWs in certain states can bill for cost recovery.

654: In addition to outlining misleading titles, is there room to include and operationalize a general list of appropriate and/or inappropriate responsibilities? Often times, these inappropriate responsibilities fall within the “other duties as assigned” category, but are otherwise unreasonable, unethical (at times), and out of the scope and function of social work practice, education and training.

Qualifications and Title

639 However, should the local education agency employ school social workers
640 whose highest degree is a BSW, an MSW-level social worker should
641 provide supervision for them OR A BSW social worker with a master's degree (in a human services-related field) and/or a BSW social worker with at least ten years of social work experience should supervise BSW-level, social workers. (smaller counties need this flexibility in supervision requirements). Social workers or those with a social work/student services/human services/counseling-related background should be completing school social worker evaluations with input from school administrators. School administrators should not be evaluating school social workers as they are trained in education, not social work.

I think that this revision does make efforts to support social workers' roles as mental health providers; this is paramount given the alarming youth mental health crises and inadequate resources available for them. I think if social workers could offer individual therapy or group therapy in the school setting, this would be incredibly beneficial for our youth. This would also help with the barriers that families may experience when trying to get to outpatient services. I think there should be some language to make the distinction between guidance counselors and school social workers.
Cultural competence and social justice are included but there needs to be clear language surrounding the role of the social worker within those contexts. Social workers are called to promote cultural humility and have open communication to ensure person-centered care that values individual experiences. I think there should be more specific language surrounding students who speak English as a second language, LGBTQIA students and students of color overall. Otherwise, I think this is an excellent update to the School Social Work Practice Standards.

I agree with the other comments. We also need to require admin or coordinators who over see social work departments have a social work education and are licensed. Many times school social workers are being pushed into unethical situations by their non-SSW supervisors or fighting to keep their jobs because the department heads/coordinators do NOT understand what school social workers do which results in non-social work supervisors directing school social workers to ignore the NASW standards as they believe it does not apply to school social work/district employees. This practice needs to be stop!

There needs to be a line dividing what MSW School Social Workers can do vs what a LSW or LCSW can do in schools. I have seen more MSW's be moved into positions that need the experience and knowledge of LSW or LCSW but the MSW's have been in the school longer and they lack new knowledge, skills and abilities in which our field has grown by not obtaining CEUs. It also needs to be made clear if MSW's can bill SEMI (Medicaid) for counseling sessions, as MSW's are not Licensed providers.

I also believe that LSW and LCSW should handle more 2 and 3 level tiers.

Lastly, I think there should be mention of drug evidence based practices and the ability for LSW and LCSW to apply knowledge skills and abilities to youth in school using intervention models that will best help our youth. There is an ever growing problem with drugs and our youth sometimes lack the ability to say just say no. As a LSW, soon to be LC, I can say that the youth I worked with, as a mental health counselor in the school as an outside agency, learned through role play how to say no and come up with excuses to others on why they could not do drugs. We examined in detail the pros and cons, used SUD scales, explored various feelings associated with drugs and came up with a plan, I am not sure that many entry level MSW's would be able to achieve what an LSW or LCSW can with some students.

I agree with others' comments regarding social workers being mental health providers.

I recommend adding much more related to trauma and being trauma-informed. Trauma is a major barrier to education experienced by many, particularly those who have experienced social injustice. Providing an equitable education must include being trauma-informed. In addition to what is mentioned, I would suggest adding that interventions need to be trauma-informed, trauma assessments should be standard, and listing trauma as a consideration when making intervention decisions.

There are many reasons for students' struggles, but I am afraid without making trauma history a primary consideration students whose struggles are trauma-related won't get appropriate, effective help.

Similarly to many of the other comments I have seen, there needs to be a greater emphasis on the role of a social worker within schools. School social workers are mental health providers and are often not treated or referred to as such. There is often a disconnect between what is seen as the immediate needs of the school versus the long term goals of worker with the students. This can stem from a number of places, one being the client ratio that is not detailed for school social worker. This was also mentioned in previous comments. Due to the high volume case loads and often long list of other duties within the schools, school social workers work to condense quality care into the scattered time they have with students. Further outlining student to social worker ratios within schools would provide social workers stronger backing when advocating for more support.
When discussing advocacy in best practice standards, it may be beneficial to include a section regarding self-advocacy for school social workers or this could also be added to the workload management section. In both mental health and school professions we are continuing to see high levels of turnover and burnout. With this comes a growing need for mental health providers in schools that is often not being met. The primary way to avoid burnout is to practice self-care and self advocacy. As a young school social worker adding this to our ethical standards would reinforce, outline, and validate the importance of advocating for support within your role and the importance of self-care in a long-term career.
Despite any additions or recommendations to this new set of standards, it is encouraging to see school social work standards evolving and growing. Having an updated edition also exemplifies the fact that school social workers are working for change and continually striving to use the most effective data and standards in our practice. -AF

Standard 6: Record Keeping: Record all interactions with students, parents, teachers, and other stakeholders accurately and objectively. Include relevant details such as dates, times, participants, and content discussed during sessions or interventions.

Please add a portion on Confidentiality and speak regarding FERFPA and the limits of confidentiality in an educational setting. Maintain strict confidentiality of student records in accordance with laws such as the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) and state regulations. Only share information on a need-to-know basis and with appropriate consent. Note, in public education, all email is considered public record, there is no true way to keep confidentiality, like there is in private practice or traditional mental health clinics ie the shredding of documents and a proper way to discard that information is not provided in school settings

Standard 7: state the recommended student to school social work ratio

Standard 10: move this standard closer to the top and ideally after Standard 1

Standard 13: Line 573- define monitoring schoolwide discipline practices to state SSW are to be more like consultants on best practices regarding trauma informed discipline practices. Current sentence makes it appear as if SSW are delivering the discipline.

Standard 10: Cultural Competence does not reflect the complexity of intersecting diversity issues that school social workers must address in their practice, and it does not reflect CSWE EPAS competency 3 on engaging anti-racism, diversity, equity, and inclusion (ADEI) in practice. This standard is in need of a thoughtful revision if it is going to be of use to practicing school social workers or school administrators developing school social work positions.

Practice standards for school social workers (SSWs) should incorporate information about SSW-to-student ratios and outline the critical role SSWs play in implementing social-emotional learning (SEL) initiatives within schools. Additionally, it's important to consider the composition of the committee responsible for developing these standards, ensuring a balance between practitioners and researchers. My specific input is below.

SSW-to-Student Ratios: Practice standards should address optimal SSW-to-student ratios to ensure that SSWs can effectively meet the diverse needs of students. These ratios may vary depending on factors such as the size of the school, the demographics of the student population, and the level of need within the community. Including guidelines for appropriate caseloads can help ensure that SSWs are able to provide comprehensive support to students without being overwhelmed.

Role in Implementation of Social-Emotional Learning (SEL): With the growing emphasis on SEL in schools, practice standards should clearly articulate the role of SSWs in implementing SEL programs and supporting students' social and emotional well-being. This may include providing direct services such as individual or group counseling, collaborating with teachers and administrators to integrate SEL into the curriculum and school culture, and partnering with families and community resources to holistically address students' social-emotional needs.

Composition of Committee Members: When developing practice standards for SSWs, it's essential to ensure that the committee responsible for drafting these standards includes representation from both practitioners and researchers. Practitioners bring valuable real-world experience and insights into the daily challenges and best practices of SSWs, while researchers contribute evidence-based strategies and data-driven approaches. A diverse committee that includes a mix of practitioners, researchers, educators, and other stakeholders can help ensure that the resulting standards are both practical and grounded in research and best practices.

School social workers need supervision! This should be accessible to all school social workers. There also needs to be more of a link between evidence-informed practices and expectations of school social works in schools. There needs to be allowances for trainings and free or low-cost offerings throughout school years.

In regards to an MSW as a minimum requirement for SSW's is truly going to limit the applicant pool.
Social Worker's with a BSW sometimes end up having more social work experience than MSW. There needs to be flexibility for BSW applicants by exploring their social work experience than just looking at degree experience. For instance, a BSW applicant who has 19 years of social work experience of working with youth and families may be better equipped/qualified to be a SSW than a newly obtained MSW applicant.

The revision aims to stay relevant to the changing cultural and social needs of our students. School social workers are described as the critical link between schools, communities, and families. Ensuring students face no barriers, school social workers must use a collaborative process to bridge that gap. This holistic approach is different from the school counselor. There needs to be a more clear definition that social workers are mental health providers and can help with the challenges our youth face today. Perhaps mention the trauma-informed training that social workers are trained in. Many are not knowledgeable on the role of a school social worker.

Cultural competence should be changed to cultural humility. One cannot be competent on another’s cultural experience, therefore, social workers practice humility. It is important for the school social worker to engage in opportunities for professional development. The school’s support and encouragement to provide such opportunities will help better serve students and their families (i.e. trainings in restorative practices). The student to social worker ratio should reflect the needs of the student body. The needs are significant as social workers are often split between multiple schools. Finally, social workers need supervision whenever possible.

We are the mental health experts in schools. The language in the best practice standards should reflect that. We also need clearly defined roles to avoid being confused with counselors. Regarding ratios, we need additional guidance about not ratios but results from assessments that determine our caseload/ratio. Wording, such as family, families, family members, etc., should be changed to educational advocates, guardians, etc, to have more inclusive language for those who do not have the standard "family" in their home. School social work associations should be able to look and approve this guidance before it is published since those associations hold school-specific social workers instead of an array of social workers such as NASW.

In reviewing the updated NASW and a current child welfare caseworker, I believe there needs to be more of an emphasis on social workers collaborating effectively with the Department of Human Services child welfare divisions. I say this because, in my experience, school social workers are not always at the table when it comes to IEPs, MTSS, 504 plans, and/or behavioral plans. Most of it has been left up to the teachers and/or principals. I believe it is vitally important to add in the portion of decision making and practice evaluation (standard 5). Adding in this will allow for children to be better served in the school. It will allow the school social worker to be a part of the plans so, there is not only extra support, but we are meeting the needs of the child who are experiencing a dependency and neglect case.

In reviewing of the updated NASW, I am pleased to see the update of workload management. Specifically, in working with children and families, it can be difficult to navigate those challenges with a high caseload. It is promising to see that there is an understanding from the all the creators that burnout can be directly correlated with high caseloads. I would like to add that it would be beneficial to add in mandatory self-care throughout the week for school social workers not including federal lunch breaks and federal general breaks. Self-care and mental health are more important today than it has been before. Too many social workers are burning out and unable to serve the children in school leaving an unfortunate deficit to children who need the assistance.

Thank you for your thorough and thoughtful work on this document. I agree with those who have already articulated the need for guidance around student to ssw ratios and the acknowledgment of ssw's as mental health providers. In the section titled "The Evolving Context of Education" I would like it acknowledged that our public education system is incredibly strained and in many communities schools are under attack for providing basic services like SEL and reading racially diverse books, which is contributing to a student and educator mental health crisis. School social workers are increasingly spending their time on constant crisis management, leaving little capacity for the preventative tier 1 and 2 interventions that many of us would like to be focusing on. School social workers are also increasingly asked to serve more students with less time, leaving little room for seeking out much needed consultation with other social work colleagues.

I have three concerns with this document:

As at least one commenter noted, School Social Workers often do not have SSW supervision. If districts can not hire SSW supervisors or contract for outside supervision, School Social Workers without supervision need to receive training regarding how to operate when supervision is not available. There was even a textbook chapter years ago that urged SSWs who were the only ones in a district to consider themselves a stand alone social service agency. While some SSWs are comfortable operating that way, the good of the profession requires that NASW give voice to this scenario and provide support for SSWs working in this way. While the document makes recommendations that supervision be available at the district and state level, practice standards for this common situation should also be included.

As a School Social Worker who has had a colleague held at gunpoint on a home visit, the silence from the leadership in School Social Work practice is deafening. Districts often do not have safety policies and procedures. Yes, NASW has a document with guidelines for safety. It is not tailored to School Social Work. Home visiting safety procedures for child welfare differ from those for School Social Work home visits. While the document details how School Social Workers can contribute to the safety of students and staff in school and assist with support during emergencies, practice standards for the safety of the practitioner should be included in this document.

As several commenters have stated, School Social Workers are extremely overwhelmed. We are in the midst of a nationwide mental health provider shortage. Even when districts want to hire more School Social Workers, there are very few applicants. School Social Workers must practice self-care AND organizations must create and maintain conditions for School Social Worker well-being. For many years, the entire burden of practitioner wellness has been framed in terms of self-care and the responsibility placed solely on the School Social Worker's shoulders. This is unsustainable. Academic literature addressing Social Worker well-being and the few articles that specifically address School Social Work practice identify several challenges to practitioner well-being and strategies that both practitioners and organizations can implement in order to promote wellness. While it has been repeatedly stated that individuals must identify and implement self-care methods tailored to their own specific situation, those methods alone can only do so much to prevent burnout, compassion fatigue, and vicarious and secondary trauma. Role clarity, supervision, and safety are three challenges to wellness that only organizations in partnership with practitioners can address. Practice standards to promote practitioner wellness from both the individual School Social Worker and organization perspectives need to be included in this document.

Accessibility/Communication Standards: It's crucial to underscore the necessity of having interpreters, translator interpreters, and other forms of accessibility readily available to meet the diverse communication needs of deaf and hard of hearing students. This includes ensuring that sign language interpreters are proficient in both American Sign Language (ASL) and the educational context, so they can accurately convey information in classroom settings. Additionally, providing access to captioning services for video content and utilizing assistive technologies can further enhance communication accessibility and support the academic success of students.

Cultural Competency: Regular cultural competency training is essential for all staff members, both annually and for new staff throughout the year. Specifically, training should focus on understanding deaf culture, language, and the unique challenges faced by deaf and hard of hearing individuals in educational settings. By increasing awareness and sensitivity to these issues, staff can better support the social, emotional, and academic needs of deaf students and foster a more inclusive school environment.

Importance of Teamwork: Collaboration with other professionals in the school, such as behavior specialists, school psychologists, and school counselors, is vital for developing tailored support plans and conducting comprehensive assessments for deaf and hard of hearing students. This collaborative approach not only ensures that students receive the holistic support they need but also helps to alleviate the burden of high caseloads and reduce burnout among school social workers. Prioritizing teamwork and mutual support among staff members is essential for maintaining overall well-being and providing effective services to students.

I agree with most of the comments stated regarding mental health in our youth today. They require more than just the bare minimum. There is a crisis among our youth today and most people are not equipped to engage them. There should be the same expectations as there are in other clinics and facilities where an MSW is required and an LMSW is expected in turn they should be supervised by an LCSW to gain hours for the LMSW seeking LCSW. There should be more of a mental health focus for our youth today to encourage them to thrive. They need validation and the training we receive to begin to see changes. Most of the "green" folks are thrown into poverty stricken areas and require the right supervision to guide these children. It does a disservice to the community. Our youth should be set up for success and not failure so social workers need to be acknowledged for the work we do.

Seconded to a feedback on Feb. 24 2024 at 6:19 PM!

One thing may be worth considering about; goals from Individualized Educational Plan and 504 Plan for students with variety needs, ensure schools are following through, advocate for students' needs if needed, and etc.

I look forward seeing how this turned out after collecting feedbacks from others!

After reading the new 2024 proposed standards, I do think it was a great idea to revamp the previous version from 2012 of NASW standards for School Social Work Services. The Evolving Context of Education section thoroughly explained that education has evolved and is continuously changing, thus school social workers are needed more than ever! “School social work’s ecological perspective and call for coherency in programs and resources that align with community and school needs form a needed voice that can counteract the vast fragmentation currently evident in the field “. This is a powerful statement, the one issue I had throughout reading the first few sections prior to the standards is there were no examples of how to carry out this mission with research and/or examples of articles where schools had been successful with specific programs. I would have liked access to resources to help social workers construct these programs.

The guiding principles section is what I feel more work needs to be done to make it more comprehensive and more guided to specific ideas of what could or ought to be done.
The standards section was by far my favorite, I like that the standard was mentioned and then there was a clear interpretation of what that should look like, I think there were a couple standards where more interpretation as far as guidelines would have been useful. However, overall, the standards were my favorite read.

Moreover, the introduction was powerful, inspirational, and meaningful. I believe it provides the needed mission statement and core values that school socials should embody.
“School social workers aspire to eliminate systemic racism and build permanent opportunity structures in schools that currently have few. School social workers function under the assumption that interventions need to be empowering, culturally appropriate, data driven, and catered to the needs and ideas of each local community. “Overall thought this was a great idea and just improvement of the Guiding Principles section.

In reading the NASW best Practices for Social Workers draft document, I found mostly thoughtful content, including some history on special education law and the changing school landscape. However, what I did not walk away with, is a surety of commitment that some of the concepts and populations close to my heart are protected and served under this set of best practices. We are in times that require a pro-active approach to justice. Some thoughts:

Indigenous: While it is important to know that we have now moved into a school landscape that now includes: "expansion of charter schools, vouchers, private schools...", I think that we also need to acknowledge that, within the last 50 years, indigenous (Navajo) populations near Gallup, New Mexico, have been removed from their parents and sent to boarding schools. Some of the students we are working with may have parents, aunts, uncles, and grandparents who have experienced this. While it is true that our landscape has changed, our "school system" in this country is a part of our legacy of generational trauma.

LGBTQIA2+: Meanwhile, and especially in isolated rural areas, we have a population of young people that social workers can really help- that is our youth population in need of affirmation in not fitting into gender and sex "boxes" that have been so rigidly defined in our current system. In rural and frontier populations there is a great need for support. When affirmation does not happen, we see higher linkages to suicidality and substance misuse and addiction.

Addiction: This country has experienced a massive Opioid Epidemic. When schools once had first aid kits, they now house NarCan, the anti-overdose drug. How are we preparing social workers to help in this landscape that has devastated regions and communities of this country. Again, another area hit especially hard, is rural/frontier areas that are impoverished.

The document mentions systemic racism near the beginning. How are we preparing and holding social workers to best standard practice that not only acknowledges this past, but acknowledges how hurtful and challenging the current day repercussions are? We must, not only, acknowledge systemic racism. We must play an active role in dismantling this system that our country has an interwoven history with.

Lastly, although I have only touched on a few of the "lens" that impact social work... how can our best practices come in from an angle that is explicitly trauma informed. The document mentions equity many times. Equity, to me, is not that everyone gets the same thing, but that everyone gets what they need. As someone currently working in special education in the southern California schools, who has worked in special education in frontier American schools, and a native of a high poverty area of Colorado, I can assure you, there is a long way to go. I hope the final draft of this document, will more accurately represent what we are dealing with in this country. Many of our students and teachers are facing daily realities that are not reflected in this document.

Thank you for the opportunity to comment. -Collene Walsh

As a graduate student in social work and an intern, I have carefully read through this article and would like to suggest that the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) should consider adding more details regarding the clear differences and comparisons of the type of mental health providers that are available in schools. Although this article mainly focuses on school social workers, it is essential to recognize all the mental health providers and their clearly defined roles and responsibilities. We all have different roles, and often times, the roles of social workers are not clearly understood or defined by others. It is quite saddening that many people do not even realize that social workers are mental health providers.
While reading this article, I noticed that the word "mental health" was briefly mentioned throughout. I believe that the services provided could be explained further to help people understand the roles of mental health providers in schools better. Additionally, crisis intervention could also be explained more in detail. The article briefly covers it in the tier section, but I think it is important to create a separate section that provides a more detailed explanation of how mental health providers, specifically school social workers, can respond to a crisis. For instance, there could be an example of a crisis, and the article could explain how a school social worker would respond and be involved during that crisis.
In conclusion, thank you for putting all the effort into updating our practice standards! I hope my suggestions will be taken into consideration to help improve the understanding of mental health providers' roles and responsibilities in schools.

Overall the document is well written. I am grateful that NASW supports MSW as the required degree for a School Social Work position. I do believe that the recommended ratio that is supported by SSWAA of 1:250 should be written into this document, so that all states know what we are striving for as an ideal caseload. I also believe that a little more emphasis on us being mental health experts should be stated in the document. As we know, social workers are the number one mental health providers in the country. To not put much emphasis that we have that skill as well does us a huge disservice. Often, School Psychologists are looked to for the mental health guidance as they have "psychologist" in their title. There are districts which believe School Counselors are the mental health experts. We wind up fighting for a seat at the table. I would also encourage you to remind School Social Workers that advocacy also includes advocating for the profession within the district. I do understand that by advocating for the need of the student and family, you would imply a School Social Worker is needed in each school. However, I find that many need it in black and white these days. Many of us are becoming choices. Another area which is always difficult is that our emails are never encrypted or password protected. There is a lack of confidentiality via email. How do we address this as a SSW and the Code of Ethics? Many districts use Google or Microsoft Teams

I am grateful that the document supports having someone specifically to guide and advocate for SSWs at the state level in the Dept of Ed. and also what a supervisor should have in regards to qualifications at the district level.

Thank you for all of your work.

Regarding cultural competence there needs to be a bigger emphasis on cultural humility as well. There needs to be some kind of verbiage on a willingness to learn from the students, parents, and community we are working in. This is an ongoing process that all social workers should be engaged in through their professional partnerships with their clients. There should be acknowledgement to the culture of the communities that social workers are in as well.

Definition as to what a reasonable workload should be provided as it leaves room for drastic interpretation. I have heard various caseload sizes from school districts across the country. In some cases it is one social worker for an entire district or school and they are overworked and missing kids who could benefit from the help. Simply stating a need for adequacy without defining what that looks like while aligning with the NASW code of ethics could be beneficial.

I sincerely believe that schools should be consistently remined as to the value that Licensed School Social Workers bring to the table and to their schools. Social Workers not only work on behalf of the students, but we work on behalf of students' families as well.

Additionally, School Social Workers typically place the needs of clients before their own needs. Staff and faculty members, parents, grand parents, foster parents, siblings and outside agencies; reach out to Social Workers when in crisis and in need of assistance.

Finally, Social Workers genuinely offer advocacy, interventions, group therapy, resources, advice; but most of all we offer hope to our clients. The bottom line: "Social Workers Make A Difference."

Respectfully,

Shelia B. Thompson, Ed.D LMSW

Some school systems may not want to identify schools as a clinical setting however providing at-risk services to students, behavioral interventions and individual sessions by a LMSW should mean that we are provided with clinical supervision. We should be able to obtain clinical hours in our setting. Many parents may be open to in school counseling but cannot or choose not to enroll their child in outside services, leaving school to be the only place of support for the student. If there is a qualified LMSW in the school, we should not be overlooking a Clinical Supervisor. Many of us should not have to work full time in a school (receive 0 LCSW hours) for a 35+ hour work week and then have to work part time just to do the same thing we've been doing all day but now receiving our hours and have a Supervisor to guide us.

However, should the local education agency employ school social workers whose highest degree is a BSW, an MSW-level social worker should provide supervision for them. This statement needs to be clarified a bit more. I do not agree that a BSW should work alone in a school setting if this is what this statement is referencing. There is an agency in Tuscaloosa that contracts with a local education agency that employs BSW which also allows the BSW to supervise MSW students, which is a violation of our Code of Ethics.

Standard 7. Workload Management
"School social workers shall organize their workloads to fulfill their responsibilities and clarify their critical roles within the educational mission of the school or district in which they work."
"Priorities shall be based on assessing social, emotional, academic, and behavioral needs of all students and establishing a flexible, multitiered service delivery model best suited to meeting these evolving needs. This model should be selected using evidence-based research, availability of resources, and time management."
This is all a great concept in "theory" but in reality if you read the entire document it fully lays out the excessive work load that is placed on School social workers. In addition the "interpretation" that states: listing the priority shall be... is clearly not being upheld when districts are frequently making School Social Workers sub as teachers in the classroom or cover the building administrator when they are out of the building.
There are bigger issues at play that are honestly more essential to resolve than updating "Best Practice Standards"

I second all of the posted comments: cap on caseloads specifically stated, a SW to student ratio within schools or school district.
Additionally, too often social workers are blurred/lumped within either teachers or not distinguished at all; what about a union for social workers or a type of supportive response for social workers. It is discussed school social workers as the support for the entire school body, but what exists for a crisis response/conflict resolution for social workers. Lastly, anything possible for social work compensation reflecting case loads or excess of.

Thank you for thoughtfully taking the time to take on this initiative. Some thoughts related to the portion that states, "should the local education agency employ school social workers whose highest degree is a BSW, an MSW-level social worker should provide supervision for them." I appreciate that you are acknowledging that an MSW is the recommended entry level degree for school social work. As you know most with a BSW have a generalist view and it is within our graduate programs that we hone in on skills and take specialized coursework to meet the needs of our students. The verbiage needs to be clarified further to reflect this. I disagree that a BSW should be the sole social worker in a building and it should be considered that if a BSW is in a school there should also be an MSW who acts as the lead within the building. As we all know social workers in schools are at the front line of response in crisis situations. We assist with multiple assessments and are often one of the main centers of support for the mental health needs of our students. To effectively do this a social worker with an MSW is necessary as they have the clinical expertise and training to facilitate risk and threat assessments, as well as provide the ongoing support needed to support those involved.

I think it would be very beneficial to add in the records keeping section about how school social workers should handle records requests. In an agency setting, there is a set way this is done. However, in the school setting, what school personnel are advised to do, is vastly different than what social workers are advised to do under our code of ethics. I recently had a records request from a parent and this past week from a student and there are no clear guidelines on how this should be handled. It took my state licensing board a week to get back to me and in the meantime, I had contacted my district's legal representation. My legal rep said that my notes are sole possession records, so the parent would have no rights to them under FERPA and advised me not to release them. I knew my code of ethics say differently, but I could not get a timely response from my licensing board to help me advocate for myself as a social worker. When I finally did speak to someone at the board, she laughed at me when I shared what I had been advised to do by my district's legal team. This situation was incredibly stressful, as I wanted to ensure I upheld my ethical obligations, but the lack of direction or timely response from my licensing board made things even more stressful. It would be beneficial to know what the process for releasing records should look like in a school setting.

I also think it would be helpful to have listed out what the guidelines for a release of information and informed consent forms should look like/should contain. This is again something that is spelled out in an agency setting, but for school social workers, there is often little to no direction on what these should look like in the school setting. My district has their own ROI's and consent forms, but naturally these do not have the kind of information and language in them to be able to be used by myself as a social worker. I am the first and only school social worker in my district and the only one in my county, so I have to build everything myself. Other school social workers in the area do not have consistent viewpoints on these documents and what they have in them, so I have not been able to receive clear guidance on this issue. This could go under the confidentiality section.

Thank you for giving us the opportunity to provide feedback and for all your work on this!!

Advocating for students in the school setting is appropriate but stating that school social workers are also responsible for advocating for families in the community is expanding our roles outside of the school setting. School social workers take into consideration the needs of families, their available resources, and consider the resources in the community to make referrals every day. We cannot expand our role to entire communities as it is not realistic. In large school districts, school social workers are not always privy to decisions that are made at the district level regarding policy and safety and action plans. School social workers can offer and request to be a part of those teams making decisions, but that participation is ultimately decided by the district administration. We cannot be responsible for the safety concerns of students, families, and educators when we are not part of the policy making decisions. We also are not consulted when districts and boards develop safety plans and coordinating, leading, or collaborating threat assessment teams at the school or district level. We have the skills to do such tasks, but in larger districts we may not be consulted. School Social workers cannot possibly be responsible for providing direct and indirect mental health services to all students, families, and educators because with caseloads of 1/1800 we have to prioritize the legal obligations of social work minutes and other responsibilities. The expectation of providing mental health services to parents/caregivers/educators presents ethical issues with dual relationships and unrealistic workload/caseload. In order to maintain our professionalism, avoid burnout, and be effective we cannot be a service provider for all people who are in contact, work at , or contribute to the school environment. It is not realistic or appropriate.

There needs to be a push on legal limits for workload. This includes caseload numbers. This may vary across states and districts but to my knowledge there are no limits to caseload numbers. School social workers have a lot of responsiblity to students, families and the school environment. We are mental health providers and we need to highlight our own needs. The work has the possibility of losing focus from our priorities to advocate while also working with students. This is coming from the work I do in Special Education.

Best Practices needs to include guidance on ratios, like other professionals within the schools. Provide clarity on the difference between school counselor, school psychologist (or any other similar title such as LPCC) and school social work positions so that role confusion can be limited and human resource mapping can be enhanced. Thank you for developing and editing this necessary document. I am glad to see that the multi-tiered system of supports is called out in school social work.

When the tiers are described, it is important to include the need to work on improving the systems' functioning around the individual student, to improve the goodness of fit for the person in environment. The tiered structure description feels too individual focused, assuming the issues are all within the individual.
Instead of students with challenging behavior, use "students with behaviors that challenge adults".
Standard 1 should acknowledge the student as the primary client.
Line 417 - some states do not have a board of education and instead have a department of education.
I would like to see more in here on the promotion of student voice. I would even make that a standard in itself. We should prioritize student-led and person-centered work. We should be the go-to leads in the school to ensure students are leading, involved, included, and are being taught the skills to self-advocate, feel empowered, and honored as essential to the goal setting and planning process.