I counsel students, provide community referals, arrange groups, do lunch duty, chair meetings, resolve conflicts, chair trips, set up onsite health visits.
...School Social Worker Career Profiles
There are a variety of specialties within the social work field, and approximately five percent of the social workers in the U.S. work in a school setting. School social workers have the responsibility of addressing factors that teachers lack the time and expertise to handle.
Each student has a unique story. Unfortunately, many of them also face challenges and issues that can impact their ability to perform well in school. School social workers are professionally trained to provide counseling and special programs to help students overcome the social and psychological issues they may be experiencing, including family troubles, poverty, abuse, or neglect.
Aside from the issues students experience at home, school social workers also handle academic, social, and behavioral problems. These can include learning disabilities, poor grades, bullying, peer pressure, fighting, and substance abuse. By trying to catch these issues early on and tackling the issues head on, school social workers have the opportunity to truly enhance the lives of their students.
In order to become a school social worker, the first step is to earn a bachelor’s degree in social work or another relevant field. The vast majority of states and institutions will also require individuals in this position to have a master’s degree and to be licensed.
For more information on the career path of a school social worker, take a look at the real world career profiles below. We interviewed actual professionals to help you get a better understanding of what they do on a regular basis and what they have to say about their career.