Social Workers

We provide support to students and families who are struggling with social-emotional needs, behavioral issues, or environmental issues in the family, school and/or community. Our overall goal is to reduce and/or eliminate any barriers to students’ capacity for learning and help them to develop the skills to become resilient, healthy lifelong learners.

We provide individual and group counseling support services, crisis intervention, behavior support, and connections to community resources. We also provide Homeless Assistance Program services to students and families who are struggling with homelessness or lack of fixed, regular, and adequate housing.

School social workers use a wide range of evidence-based strategies to ensure that students are in the classroom physically and mentally ready to learn. They utilize a strengths-based approach that views students and organizations as parts of systems. The functioning of and relationships within and between systems are enhanced to improve student learning. School social workers understand how to engage families and community organizations to create better outcomes for students (e.g., increased academic achievement, safety, attendance, and social-emotional behavioral functioning).

Please see the attached document for the roles and responsibilities of the social worker.

School social workers receive specialized advanced graduate school preparation that includes coursework and field experience in a school setting. School social workers typically complete a graduate level program which includes a yearlong supervised internship of 640 hours or more in a school setting. They are required to be licensed through the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction. They may also hold additional licenses through the Wisconsin Department of Professional Regulation as Licensed Clinical Social Workers or Advanced Practice Social Workers.

Many students face many barriers that prevent them from being able to access their learning either physically or social-emotionally. Students and their families may be experiencing poverty, homelessness, family change, mental health concerns, substance abuse, trauma, violence, or many other challenges that impact a student’s ability to learn.

School social workers are mental health professionals who provide a variety of direct and indirect services to students and families. We provide individual and group counseling support services, crisis intervention, behavior support, and connections to community resources.

Every school in our district has access to school social work services.  Our school social workers currently serve more than one school, and their schedules may vary based on student and family needs. Their contact information is included on this page and also on their personal pages.