In addition to direct support to families and work within the school, Social Workers have strong collaborative connections with community agencies. We must stay up to date on community agencies and services so we are able to make effective referrals. Once families are connected to these agencies, we become the link between these agencies, the family, and the school.

Social Workers make referrals to and collaborate with a wide array of agencies in the community including: Department of Social Services, Juvenile Justice, various mental health agencies, Unlimited Success, Orange County Health Department, UNC Healthcare, area food banks and pantries, foundations providing grants, Family Resource Centers, District Court, Police Crisis Unit, Child Support Enforcement, Women’s Center, Blue Ribbon Mentor Advocate, Big Brothers/Big Sisters, Boomerang, SKJAJA, Scholars Latino Initiative, Dispute Settlement Center, Pace Academy and Christmas House. Social Workers sit on a variety of school, district, and community committees and boards, and hold positions of leadership. The collaboration between community agencies, families, and schools is imperative to effectively meet student and family needs, thereby increasing their ability to focus on school and maximize their academic achievement and success.

The above description provides a very broad and, by no means, exhaustive list of duties and responsibilities performed by our district’s School Social Workers. It outlines the types of intervention we provide and the direct link between these interventions and student achievement. Through our distinct expertise in service provision, Social Workers are an integral part of the school team. Social Workers in each school provide specialized intervention tailored to the unique characteristics and needs of their school population. Regardless of our varied responsibilities, Social Workers play a critical role by removing barriers to learning and academic success through support to students, families, and school staff with the goal of increasing student achievement.