Mission

The mission of the School Social Work Services office is to promote school social work best practices that enhance the delivery and quality of social work services to all students and/or their families.  The School Social Work Services program provides programmatic supervision and technical support for all M-DCPS school social workers.  This support extends to staff assigned to District, Region Centers, Health Connect in Our Schools (HCiOS), Alternative Education, Special Education (SPED) and/or other specialized programs.

Method

The School Social Work Services program participates in ongoing collaboration with District, Region Center, and school administration as well as with its School Social Work Services chairpersons to derive policy, monitor procedures and measure the delivery and quality of social work service delivery.  Program information is shared with school social worker staff via regularly scheduled meetings and ongoing communication (via phone and/or e-mail).  Professional development workshops are also provided to all school social worker staff on a continual basis with an emphasis on mental health or social service topics.

Objectives

• Improve attendance / reduce truancy
• Increase graduation rates
• Reduce drop-out rates
• Increase school safety
• Improve student participation in the classroom
• Increase parental involvement
• Improve student academic performance
• Promote student wellness

Vision

• Promote best practice standards
• Encourage a systemic approach to the delivery of prevention/intervention services
• Link students and families to needed community resources
• Encourage collaborative relationships between parents and teachers
• Advocate for student’s rights
• Promote cultural diversity