Title
Authorizing the Committee on Children and Youth and the Committee on Education to hold hearings reviewing the current state and role of social workers in Philadelphia schools and examining best practices for integrating schoolwide social workers to create safer and more supportive educational environments.
Body
WHEREAS, School social workers provide crucial supports for vulnerable students by connecting young people to the resources necessary to function and learn in safe, nurturing school environments despite emotional and behavioral barriers; and
WHEREAS, School social workers are trained and certified in risk assessment and intervention as well as clinical strategies that can support the emotional and mental health needs of students, and especially those at high risk for truancy and dropping out of school; and
WHEREAS, Although school social workers predominantly work with individual students, they also spearhead collaborative efforts such as the development of behavioral plans and the training of other school staff to be able to effectively communicate with and further support at-risk students. Through thorough assessments of students and collaboration with key community and school partners, school social workers can provide essential information and comprehensive plans that can assist children, their families, and their communities; and
WHEREAS, A social worker that works within a single school can support administrators, teachers, and other school staff to recognize and navigate the effects of specific challenges facing students such trauma and food insecurity, and can promote positive behavioral approaches to classroom management and discipline; and
WHEREAS, School social workers play a pivotal role in working with students who have Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs), thus providing schools with the capacity to support students who are exposed to violence, emotional and physical abuse, domestic violence, familial incarceration, ...
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