SOCIAL WORK SERVICES
The school social worker's primary function is to support the educational mission of Falls Church City Public Schools by assessing, addressing and working towards reducing barriers to learning and result in improvements in student learning, social/emotional functioning and behavior. The role of the school social worker is to use a strengths-based approach to provide services that strengthen school, home and community partnerships to aid the student's overall academic, social, emotional and behavioral development. The school social worker helps to identify the impact of family, community and cultural factors on student academic performance.
Specific FCCPS Services Social Workers Provide:
Individual, Group and Family Counseling
Short-term counseling in general education settings for adjustment issues, such as:
Underachievement
Social Skills
Grief and Loss
Divorce, Separation and Family Issues
Emotional Issues
At-risk Behaviors
Anxiety/School Avoidance
Parenting Issues
Foster Care & Court Support
Special Education Counseling
Ongoing counseling for school-based special education students and 504 eligible students for chronic issues, such as:
Emotional Disorders (depressive disorder, anxiety disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, bipolar disorder, and others)
Limited Social Skills (high functioning autism, non-verbal learning disability, and others)
Attention Issues
Student Support Groups
Court-Ordered Counseling
Specialized counseling for students involved with the Juvenile Justice system
Special Education Evaluations
Participate in school-based team meetings
Conduct home visits to perform social history evaluations
Conduct home visits to evaluate social/adaptive behaviors (Vineland)
Participate in the pre-triennial meetings
Serve on the eligibility committees
Provide written counseling reports for eligibility meetings
Assessment, Referral and Case Management
School social workers provide referrals to parents for community services (and emergency services) in the areas of:
Basic needs
Housing
Financial benefits
Health care
Daycare
Mental health services
Home visits
Re-enrollment services for students returning to the community after incarceration
Child abuse and neglect referral and monitoring
Comprehensive Services Act referrals and case management- School social workers are the school contact/representative for parents interested in accessing services through CSA.
Family Assistance Fund-? The school social workers established, manage and take referrals for the use of this fund to help families in need.
Holiday Assistance
Consultation to Administrators, Teachers, and Parents
Behavior issues
Parenting education
Social issues
Resources for families of children with disabilities
Resources for families of children with mental health and substance abuse problems
Suspicions of child abuse and neglect
Attendance issues
Student classroom observations
Crisis Intervention Services
Suicide prevention and assessment services
Crisis intervention counseling
Threat assessment and response (as part of the school crisis team)
Family, School and Community Collaboration and Advocacy
Foster Care Support and Coordination as needed
Comprehensive Services Act referral and case management
Serve on Alliance for Youth, Student Health Advisory Board, Community Mentoring Committee, Family Assessment, and Planning Team, Gateway, School-based teams, Comprehensive Services Act teams
Collaborate with Juvenile Court Interdisciplinary Team (CHINS, attendance/truancy)
Reintegration services for students following hospitalizations for chronic illness, mental health or return from residential care
Homeless Liaison representative and case management
Coordinate with outside therapists, psychiatrists, and physicians to assist staff and parents
Community Services & Resources:
Our Team:
Robin Borum, MSW, LCSW
borumr@fccps.org
Sarah Coughter
coughters@fccps.org
Robin Fenwick, MSW, LCSW
fenwickr@fccps.org
Colleen Hoover, MSW
hooverc@fccps.org