1. The Role of the Social Worker in a Public School Setting
By Bonnie Hoffman, Maureen Kaskel & Bob Kulanda
Introduction:
Because school social workers are ecologically versed and systems trained, RtI’s problem
solving tiered approach, allows social workers to extend more services to the general
education student, in an effort to prevent or resolve problems, strengthen student skills
and potentially avoid consideration for Special Education .
An essential principle of school social work is the necessity of collaboration, in addressing
systemic and individual needs of all students. All students, their families and school
personnel, benefit from access to the expertise of school social workers, in implementing
systems level, school or district, evidence based programs, as well as early targeted
interventions. This expertise is particularly critical, in working with students who are
struggling with behavioral, emotional, environmental, family system or ecological
challenges, to ensure a truly systemic, comprehensive assessment of student needs. The
licensed school social worker brings enormous knowledge and skills from their profession,
which encompasses many different areas, and is uniquely trained in working with many
different systems, in a multiplicity of areas, with a particular knowledge and
understanding of culture, human behavior and development.
Under RtI:
School social workers provide quality service and expertise on issues ranging from
program design, to assessment and intervention, with individual students. The principles
of RtI are highly consistent with the professional standards of school social workers.
School social workers are trained in collaborative and strength based approaches in three
main areas:
System Design (Tier I):
• Collaborate and assist, in the development of school wide, positive behavioral
interventions and supports.
• Identify and address systemic barriers to learning
Serve as change agents, to bring stakeholders together, in a collaborative effort, to
create an environment that is conducive to effective problem solving and learning.
• Conduct needs assessments & program monitoring
• Develop, implement and evaluate programs that address behavior and emotional
issues that impact a student’s ability to learn, and make adaptations, that promote
positive functional change in student behavior.
• Facilitate the understanding of familial, cultural and community components of
student responses to instruction, learning & academic success.
• Assess and monitor student progress specific to behavioral, emotional and mental
health concerns, and the effects of these issues on student learning & achievement.

2. • Serve as liaison to students, families, the community and other stake holders to
ensure open communication & dialogue.
• Facilitate & coordinate the delivery of mental health & social services, both within
the school & community at large.
Team Collaboration (Tier II & III)
• Serve as liaisons to parents
• Provide education to parents regarding a child's physical, social, and emotional
development, as well as expanding parent knowledge base of RtI practices &
strategies.
• Apply the knowledge base of social, emotional & developmental theory, in the
assessment, implementation & evaluation of interventions.
• Provide education regarding mental health & behavioral concerns of a student,
that needs assistance, and the potential impact & results of the intervention(s),
that were implemented.
• Provide information to educational staff and other disciplines, to facilitate the
understanding of mental health & behavioral concerns of students.
Individual Students (Tier III):
• Provide early intervention with struggling learners, to provide them with
appropriate resources.
• Provide ongoing progress monitoring
• Administer comprehensive formal & informal ecological assessments.
• Collaborate & develop Functional Analysis & Behavioral Intervention Plans
(FBA/BIP).
• Provide short & long term individual and group services specific to a given or
group of students particular needs.
• Support student develop social, personal & academic competencies.
Crisis Intervention:
• Assess & make distinctions between imminent danger to a student, or threat to the
student body, and need for critical services, as well as identify & implement critical
intervention, to ensure student safety.
• Ensure student safety through assessments, consultation & linkage to services, to
manage acute mental health crisis/emergencies.
• Provide direction & education to students, families & staff, around acute crisis, to
minimize or prevent, students from harming themselves or others.
• Provide short-term crisis intervention, to address life trauma (e.g. death, divorce,
homelessness & family violence).