Can you name all of the responsibilities of a school social worker? Could you name all of the hats they wear in a day? In a day they may juggle ensuring students are able to get to school, provide counseling, help students gain access to food, clothing or other necessities, all while navigating emerging cases and crises.
School social workers (SSW) are trained mental health professionals with degrees in social work. They provide services that support a student’s social, emotional and life adjustment to school and the broader community. School social workers serve as a link between home, school and community, offering direct and indirect support to students, families and staff to promote academic and social success.
Robert LaColla, a school social worker at Dutchess BOCES, recognized the heaviness many of his colleagues carry and decided to take action.
Each month, SSWs from across the county gather at Dutchess BOCES for a roundtable discussion about their highs, lows and everything in between. Some of these SSWs are new professionals, while others have been in their field for decades.
“We started last year and quickly established a consistent group. I think there's a demand in the school social worker community for camaraderie, sharing of processes, resources, and professional growth,” said LaColla. “Districts all offer that to varying degrees depending on size, distance…. We met bimonthly last year but expanded to meet more frequently this year based on feedback.”
Lisa Roth, a SSW at Dutchess BOCES, shared the value of having such a supportive resource for her to utilize right here at her place of work. “It is an invaluable asset that opens us up to other points of view and provides us with resources that we can use on a daily basis.”
After a grounding activity meant to ensure everyone is present and mindful of their thoughts and feelings, they share resources with each other and have a group discussion of a specific case presented by one of the SSWs.
“It has been great to have the roundtable as a source of support. As social workers, we're often the only ones in our building with our perspective,” said Eileen Ploetz, a school social worker in Arlington School District. “It's so important for us to find ways to reconnect with what brought us into the field and why we do what we do, and this roundtable has been a huge source of rejuvenation for me.”
The SSWs set goals in the beginning of the year and discuss how they are managing their self-work alongside their professional lives. Some of these goals reflect a want to take note of the small, positive things day-to-day. Others have an emphasis on carving out windows for self-care or decompression time.
“It can be tough to be the ones constantly fighting against systems, advocating for students and seeing the real-time impacts everything has on the kids we serve,” said Ploetz. “Being around others who may have words of advice, success stories or just understand what we're going through is a form of self-care that is often overlooked and underappreciated. I'm really thankful for the opportunity to connect with my colleagues!”
To take advantage of this opportunity, SSWs can register for the Social Workers Roundtable on Frontline at https://bit.ly/sswroundtable.
