Opinion: Does my child really need a social worker at school?

For many years, mental health has been treated as if it were made up. However, the emotional and mental scars left on children in difficult situations can leave a child feeling emotions like anxiety, depression, guilt, abandonment and more. The combination of little sleep and intense emotions can lead to behavior challenges in the classroom. Children don’t know how to recognize or process emotions yet; this is a skill that humans continue learning throughout their lives. Learning how to recognize, understand, label and explain emotions is a difficult task, especially for a child.
Everybody faces challenges throughout life. What’s important is how individuals respond to those challenges, which is learned throughout childhood. According to a Utah State Legislature resolution on mental health support in schools, “learning and development are directly linked to the physical and mental health of children.”
There isn’t a specific class that teaches you exactly what to do when your parents are yelling at each other and somebody ends up hurt. However, schools can provide a supportive learning environment by having positions for mental health professionals. To have open positions for mental health professionals within schools, those in leadership roles need to understand what it is these professionals can offer. Mental health professionals consist of school psychologists, school social workers, school nurses and school counselors. Their importance revolves around the critical role they play in teaching students the social and emotional aspects of human development.
Having access to mental health professionals within schools allows for social and emotional learning, which is essential for human development. If a child doesn’t have access to learn those necessary skills, it can result in behavior challenges in schools and interfere with their ability to have healthy relationships and hold a job when they become adults.
“Children and youth learn best when they are healthy, supported and receive an education that meets their individual needs,” according to the Utah State Legislature resolution. The lack of open positions for school-based mental health professionals like social workers exists because many people do not understand what a social worker is and what services they offer. It is necessary to realize that open positions for school-based mental health professionals, such as social workers, rely upon the public’s previous perceptions, prior knowledge and experience.
Parents, caretakers, guardians and individuals in leadership positions need to be aware of the crucial role that school-based mental health professionals provide for their children’s care. Consider a school social worker. According to Agents of Change, “school social workers serve as the backbone of support for students navigating the complex interplay of academic pressures and social challenges.” The position of school social worker can be described as someone who “addresses any barriers that prevent students from being ‘present,’ both physically and emotionally,” per Social Work Today. It is difficult to show the progress of individuals that are being helped by a social worker. This is because a school social worker doesn’t help with the academic side of things — they work with nonacademic barriers like food, clothing, housing and attendance. Because of how broad the description of a social worker is, it can be confusing as to what exactly a school social worker does. This is when school social workers need to be able to promote themselves.
To enhance caregivers’ knowledge on school-based mental health professionals, schools can provide a basic outline posted on their website listing what services the social worker provides for their school. The professional could write a brief biography as an introduction to why they are in their current position and how they assist students, families and communities. As for individuals from different cultures, means for reading and communicating through their language would include school districts providing translation free of charge. This will allow for members of minority groups to recognize the diversity, inclusion and protection they are meant to feel within society. By social workers and other mental health professionals doing this, caregivers and leadership holders will be able to understand the importance of these positions and promote advocates for these individuals.
Macie Burnett is an MSW program at Our Lady of the Lake University. She resides in Farmington, Utah.