What do social workers do?
School Social Workers provide a wide range of services to support student well-being and academic success, including:
- Helping students navigate challenges such as low self-esteem, learning difficulties, and interpersonal conflicts
- Offering targeted individual counseling, support, and intervention
- Advocating for student rights and equitable access to educational opportunities and resources
- Connecting families with community services to support students’ academic and emotional growth
- Facilitating communication between school staff and families to keep caregivers engaged and informed
- Leading group interventions tailored to student needs
- Conducting home visits to better understand family needs and provide appropriate support
- Taking leadership roles in mental health services, crisis response, and school-wide support initiatives
- Participating in the Multi-Tiered System of Support (MTSS) Team, with a particular focus on Tiers 2 and 3.
School Social Workers follow the Social Work Code of Ethics and adhere to all applicable school policies as well as state and federal laws.
School-Based Behavioral Health
The School District of Lancaster partners with local community agencies to provide traditional outpatient therapeutic counseling services within each school building. Provided services are billed through medical insurance.
Providing access to these services during the school day offers key benefits:
- Reduces barriers such as transportation or scheduling conflicts that may otherwise limit access to care
- Minimizes instructional time lost, as students can receive services without needing to leave school
