SCHOOL SOCIAL WORKER

TRAININGCooperative Educational Services

February 2015

Sandra M. Fortier, LISW

SCHOOL SOCIAL WORKER ROLE National Association of Social Workers Standards for School

Social Work Services, 2012 “School Social Workers seek to ensure equitable education

opportunities; ensure that students are mentally , physically, and emotionally present in the classroom; and promote respect and dignity for all students.”

Standards include: Adhering to the ethics and values if the profession Meet qualifications of professional practice Conduct assessments with the goal of improving student social, emotional, behavioral,

and academic outcomes Use evidence-informed practices in their interventions Use data to guide service delivery Organize their workload to fulfill their responsibilities Pursue professional development Ensure services are provided with multi-cultural competence Provide leadership in developing a positive school climate Engage in advocacy that seeks to ensure all students have equal access to education

and services

available at: www.socialworkers.org/practice/standards/School_Social_Work.asp

SCHOOL SOCIAL WORKER ROLE, CONTINUED Individuals with Disabilities in Education Act (IDEA)

Sec. 300.34 Related Services

“Counseling Services” mean services provided by qualified social workers, psychologists, guidance counselors, or other qualified personnel. 300.34(c)(2)

“Social Work Services” in schools includes – (i) preparing a social or developmental history on a child with a disability; (ii) group and individual counseling with the child and family; (iii) working in partnership with parents and others on those problems in a

child’s living situation (home, school, and community) that affect the child’s adjustment to school;

(iv) mobilizing school and community resources to enable the child to learn as effectively as possible in his or her educational program; and

(v) assisting in developing positive behavioral intervention strategies.

Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, Prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability in programs that receive federal financial assistance from the US Dept of Education.

504 Plan: Schools must provide “related services,” as necessary, to students who are identified for Section 504.

See: New Mexico Section 504 Training Tip Sheet Related Services under Section 504 available at: http://ped.state.nm.us/ped/RtI_SpecialEdResources.html

SOCIAL WORK ASSESSMENTS FOR IEPS AND 504 PLANS: INITIAL EVALUATIONS AND RE-EVALUATIONS IDEA regulations –

Request for evaluation can come from parent or school.

School must obtain written parental consent to conduct an initial evaluation or re-evaluation (every 3 years), or a REED, (if parent and school agree that a REED is sufficient).

School has 60 days maximum from the date of written consent to provide parents with the results of the evaluation.

An excellent curriculum/training on IDEA is available at : www.parentcenterhub.org/repository/legacy/

SOCIAL WORK ASSESSMENTS FOR IEPS AND 504 PLANS: INITIAL EVALUATIONS AND RE-EVALUATIONS

Psychosocial Assessment – ecological approach Information gathering through:

Staff, parent, & student interviews or report forms File reviews – academic records, discipline records, attendance records,

SAT or IEP records, previous testing and evaluations Formal observations in school setting (sample forms available at ces.org)

Standardized Assessment Tools Get training in assessment tools before use – MSW program, online

training by test producers, in-person training by district or professional Some districts require SWs to use BASC-II or other general screening

tools. DSM 5 – online assessment measures available atwww.psychiatry.org/practice/dsm/dsm5/online-assessment-measures Specific assessment tools for School SWs:http://sspw.dpi.wi.gov/sites/default/files/imce/sspw/pdf/sswpginstrument.pdfwww2.massgeneral.org/schoolpsychiatry/screeningtools_tables.asp

EDT meets to review report and determine if student requires School Social Work as a related service.

ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS OF AN IEP Present Level of Performance

Sets a baseline for the student’s current social, emotional, behavioral functioning

Written into the IEP document

IEP Goal “SMART” – Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, Time-bound See “Guide to Social, Emotional, & Behavioral IEP Goals” (ces.org) Align goals to Common Core Standards (Extended Band Goal

Expectations) or NM Content Standards for “technical subjects” (i.e. Health standards)

New Mexico Common Core State Standards with EBGE and NM Content Standards available at: www.ped.state.nm.us/standards/

Schedule of Services page – Service time per week Setting (pull-out or inclusive) Individual or group Consult or Monitor

Accommodations and Modifications page Quarterly Report on Progress – place in file quarterly and send copy

home. (forms available at ces.org)

OTHER ESSENTIAL DOCUMENTS Caseload list – name, service time, goal,

annual IEP date, re-eval date Service schedule – your work schedule when

you will see students Service log – track each student’s dates and

times of service, note absences, field trips, testing, make up dates, etc.

Psychotherapy notes – keep confidential and private. This is YOUR professional documentation and should not be left at the school. Medicaid billing will allow you to keep your psychotherapy notes on their system.

FUNCTIONAL BEHAVIORAL ASSESSMENTS & BEHAVIOR

INTERVENTION PLANS

Another function of the School Social Worker:

FUNCTIONAL BEHAVIORAL ASSESSMENT & BEHAVIOR INTERVENTION PLANS A problem-solving and information gathering process

that looks beyond behavior and examines the factors associated with the behavior, in order to understand the function or purpose of the behavior. For students who are referred to SAT, have an IEP, or a

504 Plan and demonstrate frequent, persistent, and/or severe behavior problems that do not readily respond to classroom intervention strategies

Required for Special Education students after 10 days of disciplinary change in setting – consecutive or a “pattern of similar behavior”

(Addressing Student Behavior Guide 2010, NM PED, available at http://ped.state.nm.us/RtI_SpecialEdResources.html).

CONDUCTING AN FBA Prior parental written consent is required to gather any new

information. FBA is usually conducted by members of the SAT or IEP team, sometimes

other staff who specialize in behavior or the student’s disability. Gather information to identify a specific target behavior –

teacher report forms observations

Gather information to determine the function of the behavior – teacher, student, parent, interviews and report forms Formal observations by multiple staff

Antecedent, Behavior, Consequence Scatterplots

Culminates in the FBA Report Form Formulate a hypothesis about the function of the behavior and the

existence of a skill or performance deficit. Team meets to decide whether to proceed to developing a Behavior

Intervention Plan.

Sample forms for FBA process are available at: http://ped.state.nm.us/RtI_SpecialEdResources.html

BEHAVIOR INTERVENTION PLAN An intervention plan that emphasizes skills a student

needs in order to behave in more appropriate ways, or provides motivation to meet the desired behavioral outcome.

Identifies the function of the behavior. Is the behavior a skill or performance deficit? Identifies positive interventions, supports, and

consequences to alleviate behavioral issues. Provides a system of tracking outcomes and sets dates for

review.

Sample BIP Forms are available at:http://ped.state.nm.us/Rtl_SpecialEdResources.htmlMore Info:www.pbisworld.com/tier-2/behavior-intervention-plan-bip/And www.pbis.org/school/pbis-and-the-law

MISCELLANEOUS INFORMATION Confidentiality – limited in nature

See:http://socialworkers.org/practice/school/confidentiality.pdf

Authorization for Release of Information form (ces.org)

Mandated Reporting Crisis Situations (risk assessments, traumatic

events) & services to Regular Education students Clarify policy with School Admin & CES Ancillary

Director about non-IEP services Obtain Informed Consent and HIPAA for on-going Intervene per professional ethics in crisis situations

“The School Social Worker in Crisis Situations” NASW, Spring 2013 available at ces.org

PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATIONS NASW – School Social Work Practice

Section – www.socialworkers.orgProvides support and guidance for legal and

ethical issues School Social Work Association of

America - www.sswaa.org

QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS