Schools have reluctantly become the new community centers as neighborhoods and family structures have changed, especially over the last generation.  Young people are bringing a number of complex and highly stressful issues to the school setting that can be overwhelming to guidance counselors and teachers increasingly expected to meet rigid academic standards.  Clinical social workers can offer relief to these students and their families as well as staff members who are not trained as extensively to evaluate and intervene with emotionally unstable students.

According to a 2005 youth risk behavior survey, 6% of teenagers skipped school in the past 30 days because they felt unsafe there, and almost 8% had been threatened or injured with a weapon.  What’s perhaps more alarming is that 29% of the students surveyed reported feeling sad or hopeless for at least two weeks, and a full 13% had actually planned suicide in the past year.  These numbers are likely much higher in urban schools.  Many of these young people do not feel comfortable talking with school staff and subsequently get caught up in the school discipline cycle and on a path to dropping out.

Unfortunately most schools now employ a zero tolerance policy which often has a significant negative impact especially on young people with mental health difficulties.  The American Psychological Association has given a failing grade to zero tolerance policies, finding in its research that it actually increases bad behavior and dropout rates.  The research also found that minority and disabled students seem to be punished more frequently which severely exacerbates the cycle of shame, failure and isolation for these students.  There are no easy answers to resolving this dilemma but having social workers available as an alternative to discipline is an excellent start.

Good school social work builds rapport with students and their families with emphasis on their overall environment.  Social workers can also act as advocates at meetings that can be intimidating to families as well as work with teachers to provide psychological education and strategies to deal with how mental health symptoms might manifest in the classroom setting.  Collaborative, open minded efforts among all staff are often necessary for students to be successful.

New York State is recognizing that these types of collaborations need to occur and in 2006 established a Children’s Mental Health Act that will have The Office of Mental Health and Department of Education working together to improve social and emotional development practices in our schools.  Examples of this might include small groups of young people pondering the ethical dilemmas of the playground – who’s been included or excluded, who makes the rules, what’s fair and what’s unfair.  This might include some role playing to encourage empathy.

Older children or adolescents might take on more complex issues, but again in an attempt to put themselves in the shoes of another and get students to think about suffering, abuse of power and injustice, much like the young people in the movie Freedom Writers.  The idea is to help young people eventually face up to their own prejudices, intolerant beliefs, and potential for immoral acts.  In schools where these programs are active, academic achievement is rising and school discipline declining.  Social workers are already trained in these areas and are well positioned to incorporate them into school curriculum.

Social and emotional learning programs are not to be confused with character education as they are much more rigorous.  Character education programs tend to be celebratory and prescriptive.  By contrast, social and emotional learning programs emphasize a basic skills approach which posits that perspective – taking is as teachable as multiplication with the right exercise and commitment.  A course in becoming a better human being seems like an easy sell.

From a social work perspective, schools are one of the best places to engage young people in counseling.  First of all, they tend to show up for appointments and if they don’t, home visits are an important part of interacting with families.  Having the opportunity to observe kids in a more natural environment also helps to build rapport and break down barriers.

If my co-workers and I could share some of the painful stories our young people are experiencing, most people would be shocked and/or outraged.  Academic success is difficult if your concentration and focus are poor due to stress or untreated emotional illness.  The school based mental health program Partners for Children utilized by Family Services of the Chautauqua Region believes strongly that emotionally healthy young people leads to academic success.  Unfortunately, less than half the schools in our county employ a social worker even on a part-time basis.  Anybody who does will tell you what an invaluable service it is but administrations and school boards can be detached from the reality of their students’ situations. If you would like to hear more about school social work, please feel free to contact Jim McElrath at Family Service of the Chautauqua Region, 716-488-1971.