School of Graduate Studies

A social working is talking with a family at their home.

School Social Worker

Supporting students' social, emotional, developmental, and behavioral needs that may get in the way of learning to improve emotional well-being and academic performance.

Developing, teaching, and performing intervention strategies to help students achieve academic goals, including 1:1 support and groups
Conduct home visits to provide additional support to the student and others in the living environment
Master's degree in social work, field education in school settings, and required courses. School social work licensure required through the Department of Public Instruction in Wisconsin
National recommended ratio: one school social worker per 250 students for the general population, on school social worker per 50 students for students with more intensive needs

Reference: School Social Work Association of America. (2022, June 4). Role of school social worker.

For more information or to schedule an appointment, please contact grad@uww.edu.

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Examples of Interventions

Work with family members and others in a child's living situation to help support their adjustment, learning, and development
Perform home visits for truant students
Provide crisis intervention services for students and families and connect them to community resources

A graph of the multi-tiered systems of support.

Comprehensive school mental health teams work to address the social/emotional, academic and mental wellbeing of students via culturally-responsive services throughout a continuum of tiers.