Gwinnett County Public Schools: National School Social Worker Week: Social Workers Essential To School Success

Press release from Gwinnett County Public Schools:

03.08.21

This week— March 7-13— is National School Social Worker Week! We salute the district’s 22 school social workers who work to enhance the social and emotional growth and academic outcomes of all students. Especially as students and their families are faced with challenges related to the COVID-19 pandemic, our school social workers are essential to school success and student well-being.

“School social workers are an essential part of the support system for students,” says Dr. Tinisha Parker, executive director for Student Services. “They draw upon their expertise to provide valuable insight and connect students to important resources during challenging times.”

School social workers play a unique role in our schools as the liaison between the school, family, and community—emphasizing the whole child, collaborating with other local school and central office staff to remove barriers, and linking students and their families with needed services and community resources.

These highly trained mental health professionals can assist with mental health concerns, behavioral concerns, positive behavioral support, academic and classroom support, consultation with teachers, parents and administrators (Many of our school social workers are licensed by state officials to treat mental, emotional, and behavioral issues). So far this school year, our social workers have responded to nearly 17,000 consultations and had more than 4,700 conferences with students, families, and schools.

For more information on school social workers, please contact the Office of Health and Social Services at 678-301-7270.

This press release was produced by Gwinnett County Public Schools. The views expressed here are the author’s own.