School Social Workers
Overview:
School Social Workers provide direct and indirect services to students, families, and school personnel to promote and support students' academic and social successes. The primary goal of Danville Public Schools’ Social Workers is to inspire all students and families to develop meaningful collaboration regarding students’ intellectual, mental, physical, and social-emotional growth.
Roles and Responsibilities (Scope of Services):
School Social Workers work collaboratively with each school in our district to ensure that all of our students and their families’ needs are not only supported but met. Competencies and cultural diversity are embraced, practiced, and understood by each social worker in the department. Our social workers strive to make our families and students feel accepted, acknowledged, and appreciated in order to help each student reach their full potential.
School Social Workers are highly educated (professionally certified) individuals who help students obtain academic success. Some of the responsibilities (and scope of services) are listed below:
Services to Students:
- Assist families during school-based meetings to ensure that the family fully understands any concerns that are being addressed.
- Each Social Worker keeps track of students that accumulate both chronic and unexcused absences. While doing so, the Social Worker assists each school within the district put preventative interventions in place.
Services to Families:
- Assist and/or recommend community resources for families to assist with their miscellaneous needs.
- Coordinate and manage multi-agency services such as Behavioral Health, Best Interest Determination (BID) Meetings, and Children’s Services Act (CSA) Meetings.
- Provide counseling, family education, and miscellaneous support in areas such as child behavioral health, development, and mental health.
Services to School Personnel:
- Assist in the development of policies, programs, and resources to support specific populations which includes but not limit to: English Language Learners, LGBT community, and teen pregnancy families
- The McKinney-Vento Liaison ensures that homeless youth have equal access to free public education (including preschools) as other students.
- The Foster Care Liaison serves as a resource to ensure students' educational stability, policies, and procedures are followed.
Licensure and/or Training:
Per Virginia Department of Education, "School Social Work is a specialized area of practice within the broad field of the social work profession. Per Virginia regulations (8VAC20-23-700), school social workers must have a master’s of social work degree and/or must obtain a Virginia Board of Education (VDOE) Pupil Personnel Services License."
Professional Standards:
School Social Workers are highly educated, professionally certified individuals who help students build on both individual and family strengths to help them achieve positive goals and improve their well-being.
Professional Organizations:
-
National Alliance of Specialized Instructional Support Personnel (NASISP)
- National Association of Social Workers (NASW)
- School Social Work Association of America (SSWAA)
Forms & Resources:
Form B-17 Best Interest Determination
Form C-17 Immediate Enrollment
Form D-17 Residential Treatment Input
Homeless Student(s) Worksheet Packet
Student Residency Questionnaire
Sheree Walker
Mitchella Glass
(434) 799-6434 ext 402
Chandra Grasty
(434) 799-6434 ext 400
Nadia Ragin
(434) 799-6434 ext 401
Jeffrey Williams Jr
(434) 799-6434 ext 403