School Social Worker

Dear Parents,

A School Social Worker is available for students, parents, faculty and staff by appointment. Please call (772-567-6600 Ext 1125), stop by the front office, or e-mail ([email protected]) to schedule an appointment.

 How does a student receive counseling at school? Students may be referred to the School Social Worker for individual and/or small group counseling by their parents/guardians, school faculty, a concerned friend, or they may refer themselves. Once a referral is made the social worker sets up a meeting with the referred student. 

Who provides the counseling at school? Counseling is provided by a Licensed Clinical Social Worker. Counseling with the social worker focuses on social/emotional development and mental well-being.

Is counseling required? It is your choice to give consent for your child to receive school-based short-term counseling. 

What will counseling for your child involve? Counseling may include small group or individual sessions. Counseling is to provide students with short term interventions. Referrals to outpatient mental health agencies may be given if social worker feels the student could benefit from additional support. During the sessions, your child and a social worker will work together to understand the problem, develop goals for change, and a plan of action for change. Social worker can help student’s problem solve, set goals and increase motivation, manage difficult emotions, and develop positive coping skills. Social worker utilizes motivational interviewing, solution-focused and cognitive behavioral therapeutic techniques when meeting with students for individual sessions. Social worker can complete mental health assessments, suicide/self-harm assessments, and crisis intervention.

How is information shared? Trust is the basis for effective counseling. The ethical guidelines of the American School Counselor Association emphasize the importance of confidentiality between school counselors and students at the same time recognizing the rights of parents. Your child must know and trust that what is shared with the social worker will stay with the social worker unless he or she gives permission to share information or if the social worker suspects the child is in danger of being hurt by others, hurting himself, or hurting others. 

Confidentiality: Counseling records do not become a part of the permanent record of the student except as required by school safety policy. A record may indicate that a student was seen by the School social worker; however, the topics discussed are not included unless required by the school board safety policy. The requirements of the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) are enforced—information will not be released to anyone outside our school without your written permission. The social worker may talk with the classroom teacher about how he or she can help your child in the classroom; however, specific information will not be shared.

Possible outcomes: Through counseling, your child may be taught strategies to help him or her make more effective and healthier decisions, increase the ability to set and reach goals, build better relationships with others, and be more successful in school. We all must realize that changes take time; his or her problem did not develop overnight, nor will it disappear overnight. Counseling will be successful when students, school counselors, teachers, and family members work together. 

Cost: There is no cost to you for any of the counseling your child receives in school.

 Please contact me if you want more information or have ideas about how we can better help your child. 

Emily Lersch, LCSW

School Social Worker

772-567-6600 ext 1125

[email protected]