Your school social worker has a Master of Social Work (MSW) degree and is dually licensed by the Indiana Department of Education and the Indiana Professional Licensing Agency (IPLA). School Social Workers are school-based professionals skilled in helping to resolve your student's problems so they can come to school ready to learn. MSW professional standards are high. Your school social worker is trained to work with children and their families in many different areas. More specifically, your school social worker can help with...

• Personal and family problems that can affect a child's performance at school
• School issues, such as how to cope with peer pressure and friendships
• Academics, including ways to improve study skills
• Plans for the future - because a child's future begins with the plans that are made today
• Referrals to outside resources for additional help

You can learn more about the role and services offered from your school social worker by visiting the Indiana School Social Work Association (INSSWA).

We provide assistance with the following areas:

• ATTENDANCE
  Learning from the student and parent why attendance is a problem and brainstorming ways to maximize the days a student is in the classroom
• BUILDING EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE
  Teaching students to conceptualize their emotions as this skill allows the student to ultimately manage their emotions and behavior
• ECONOMIC ASSISTANCE
  The School Assistance Fund, funded by United Way, helps provide some needed support. Limited financial assistance may be provided for: Bradford Woods trips, school clothing, vision exams and eyeglasses, emergency dental exams
• CONFLICT MEDIATION/Bullying Prevention and Intervention
  Helping to resolve disputes among peers among the classroom, playgrounds, hallways, and community
• CRISIS INTERVENTION
  Professional assessment and optimal intervention in student emergencies involving personal, school, and or family concerns
• DRUG/ALCOHOL ABUSE
  Referral to community assessment, education and treatment agencies, or therapists who work in a team effort with the schools
• MENTAL HEALTH
  Referral to community mental health professionals who can work with the school as team to help with any concerns
• CLASSROOM PRESENTATIONS Personal safety, problem solving, positive social skills, good hygiene, sexual abuse prevention

Students are usually referred to the school social worker in one of the following ways:

• Student Self-Referral
• School Personnel Referral
• Parents Referral
• Community Agency Referral
• Referral by Other Students