Centralizing School Social Work Knowledge to Improve Resource Scarcity in Schools

Background and Purpose: Significant portions of southeastern states are designated as Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSA) for mental health care. With the devastating impact of the Covid-19 pandemic and increasing experiences of trauma among racial and ethnic minority groups, school social workers in these areas have experienced increasing strain in meeting the mental health needs of the students they serve. To determine the extent that the needs and daily work practices have on caseload size and employment setting, a state-wide needs assessment was conducted utilizing a mixed methods study to inform areas of need and support in social work training in both urban and non-urban settings.

Methods: A 57-item survey was developed and distributed to the population of school social workers in a southeastern state. Descriptive statistics were used to identify the pressing needs and common practice approaches among school social workers, as well as perceived areas of strength and improvement for school environments. A total of 237 school social workers (37%) employed in school districts across the state completed the survey. Thirty district administrators were randomly selected from all school districts in the state and interviewed about their perspective on their school mental health workforce, needs and practices in adequately addressing student mental health, and the overall state of student mental health in their school. Constructivist grounded theory methods were used to analyze the interviews to construct concepts based on the perspectives of the school administrators, noting consistent themes that were important.

Results: Findings from the study suggest there is great need to increase education on trauma-informed approaches and reducing punitive approaches in the school environment. Additionally, there is significant need for more resources for students and families of all races in rural areas. While most school social workers feel valued by administration, those that did not cited high caseloads and low support as contributing factors. Most social workers in areas containing rural schools perceived that the work they do influences positive school climate. Interviews indicated a disconnect in what administrators perceive as the roles and responsibilities of school mental health personnel; the support mental health personnel receive; systems in place for MTSS, professional development; race and equity; and services provided by mental health professionals in their district.

Conclusions and Implications: This study revealed the daily practices and challenges of school social workers, highlighting resource scarcity and discrepancies between school social worker and administrator perspectives of school mental health. The discrepancies between school social worker and administrator perspectives captured an overlooked aspect of school social work practice. Administrators typically work collaboratively with the social workers in their schools, yet they do not always know the focus of school social work or the extent of social work impact on the work being done with and for students. Since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, mental health concerns are increasing in frequency making administrator response necessary. This research reveals the direction that school social work leaders can take to assist school administrators in understanding and supporting their work.