2024 School Social Work Week!

NASW-NC is proud to recognize the National School Social Work Week designed to honor and recognize the tireless efforts of school social workers, whose commitment to fostering positive school environments directly impacts students, administrators, teachers, educators, parents, and the community at large.

This week, and every week, we honor school social workers for their commitment to North Carolina schools.

School social workers are needed now more than ever, especially in North Carolina. More than one in five North Carolina high school students have seriously considered attempting suicide. Between 18-20 percent of North Carolina students have mental health issues, yet only 1 in 5 receive the necessary services.

In March 2023 the North Carolina Center for Safer Schools made the recommendation to:  "Employ a social worker at each school (elementary, middle and high) to focus on prevention, intervention and referral." 

School social workers are on the front lines supporting North Carolina students' mental health:

• School social workers help students deal with a wide range of challenges such as failing grades, bullying, violence, thoughts of suicide and other mental health issues, chronic absenteeism and difficult home situations.

• School social workers are trained and licensed professionals who provide a link between the home, school and community through support services that positively impact the development of the whole student.

• School social workers, with their crisis management expertise, clinical proficiency and leadership skills, are uniquely positioned to assist all members of the educational community when a crisis occurs.

• School social workers are experts in research-based school discipline policy development that can increase school connectedness and decrease incidents of school violence.

Across North Carolina, there are approximately 405 Bachelor-level school social workers and 890 Master-level school social workers. Master-level school social workers are able to provide specialized services around youth mental health issues like trauma and co-occurring disorders. These services are critical to the mental health of students and well-being of

schools and communities.

Despite the master’s level education and clinical expertise, most school social workers in North Carolina are paid at the bachelor’s level salary - creating a pay equity and parity issue.

Because of this, North Carolina is facing a shortage of school social workers, causing our schools to be unable to meet students’ mental health and developmental needs.

Because masters level school social workers provide specialized services not taught at the bachelor’s level, it is necessary to increase master’s level school social workers compensation to better compete in the open marketplace.

The National Association of Social Workers North Carolina Chapter will continue to advocate for adequate public education funding including restoring Master-Level pay for school social workers to retain the workforce who supports students mental health, enhance school safety, and promote healthy families and communities.

Learn more about the 2024 School Social Work Week theme from the School Social Work Association of America.