Role Integration through the Practice of Social Work with Schools

The current environment for school social work presents great challenges and great opportunities. Amid promising shifts in programs and policies, many school social workers feel marginalized. Despite sustained efforts at definition, the role of the school social worker remains unclear to many outside the field. More important, this role is often characterized as being peripheral to the core beliefs, goals, and practices of schools. To fulfill the promise of efforts toward role definition, school social workers must find ways to integrate their role with the central aims and activities of educational institutions. Whereas in the past school social work has largely been conceptualized as the practice of social work in schools or for schools, these characterizations have limited understanding of the potential contributions of social workers to education. In response, the authors present a conceptual model for the practice of social work with schools. This model calls for increased attention to educational policy and practice, improved skills for consultation and collaboration with educators, and an expansion of the field of educational issues to which school social workers can provide critical expertise.