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The History of School Social Workers

School social workers play an important role in the well-being of students and families. According to the Office of School Social Work Service, the role of this professional centers on to addressing such areas as violence, substance abuse, psychological conditions, parent education, sexual abuse, rape, sexual assault, suicide prevention, drop-out prevention, homelessness and other social conditions that affect a student's ability to learn.

  1. Emergence of School Social Workers

    • Social work emerged in the early 20th century in individual school systems located in Boston, New York City, Chicago and Hartford during the 1906–'07 school year. According to the Public Schools of North Carolina, schools incorporated social work systems to assist students with social needs and to strengthen the communication between students, teachers and parents. A Rochester, New York, board of education initiated the first budgetary increase to fund the first social work program for students.

    1920s through 1960s

    • In 1927, the Visiting Teachers Association of Michigan designated the first social worker to enter schools and provide services to delinquent boys. This service continued until the 1940s, when the Michigan schools began to make use of funds directly provided for the visiting teacher program and more school social workers. Services under this program expanded to address personality problems, learning difficulties and adverse home conditions. According to the Office of School Social Workers Service, the program increased its need assessments to boys and girls during that time.

      In the 1960s the Public Act 343 passed to include private school systems in the program as well as the public schools. The act increased the need for more professionals to assist in the program's goals. Treatment goals changed in the 1960s to include group therapies and community involvement, as well as individual services.

    1970s through 1980s

    • The 1970s service provisions for school social workers focused on preventative skills to create more optimal initiation of services. The change in focus proved beneficial until the 1980s, when the federal government made budget cuts to the programs, which in turn led to staffing cuts. The program continued to operate until budgetary concerns improved. According to the Office of School Social Worker Service, the social services program began to perform autism assessments to address children with this special need.

    1990s

    • The school social worker position converted into a much-needed resource in the school systems by the 1990s because of problems such as family dysfunction, unemployment, violence and drug use. Crisis and intervention programs transformed into a normal process for social worker programs to implement in order to assist the greater needs of the children.

    School Social Work in the 21st Century

    • The school social worker system in the early 21st century constantly began to transform in order to address the changing American culture. Services specifically aimed at students of a variety of ethnicities and backgrounds that present difficulties merging into school systems that teach in the English language became more prominent. The social worker continues to battle the same issues that arose in the 1990s such as ever-changing family structures and drug use, including the use of prescription drugs by children.

      The school social worker continues to serve school systems as a crucial part of the overall well-being of students and their families.

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