Creating Access for Students: A Collaborative Effort

Introduction

In order to address the array of social and emotional needs of students in their in-school and out-of-school lives, the development of the whole child must be the focus. Accomplishing this goal requires collaborations “that span the boundaries of professions and agencies” (Walsh & Galassi, 2002, p. 680). Often school workers and school counselors work in isolation without full knowledge of the other’s training or abilities. Research in recent years has revealed students often have limited access to mental health care, prompting schools to provide services within the educational setting in attempts to eliminate barriers to access (Swick & Powers, 2018). School shootings have garnered national attention in regards to the safety of schools, but federal safety data indicates school violence not as the core problem, but rather a result of failure to address the mental health needs of students (American Civil Liberties Union, 2019). A report by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU, 2019) revealed 1.7 million students had no school counselor in their school and 10 million students had no school social worker. These same students did, however, have a police officer at school.

Professional standards recommend a minimum of one school counselor for every 250 students, yet 90% of students in public schools do not have access to a school counselor at a recommended ratio (American Civil Liberties Union, 2019). The National Association of Social Work [NASW] Standards for School Social Work recommends the same ratio for school social workers, with a reduced ratio of one school social worker for every 50 students with intensive needs (NASW, 2012). Marginalized students often attend schools with fewer resources and supports as well as less qualified teachers. These schools frequently lack school social workers and school counselors and leave mental health to be addressed by police officers untrained in mental health or cultural humility, resulting in more referrals to juvenile court for marginalized students. In fact, minority students and students with disabilities are more likely to be referred to the criminal system (American Civil Liberties Union, 2019).

Although school social workers and school counselors share similar training, common values, and ethics (social and economic justice, dignity and worth of a person, integrity, confidentiality, advocacy, racial equity, inclusion, etc.) in their respective professions, they often have no knowledge of each other’s abilities. School social workers have a professional standard for interdisciplinary leadership and collaboration with school counselors, school personnel, and student families. This standard of collaboration is strategic to the successful implementation of school-based and school-linked programs that show positive student outcomes (NASW, 2012). School counselors also have professional (American School Counselor Association [ASCA], 2019) and ethical standards (ASCA, 2016) regarding responsibilities to colleagues and professional associates. These standards are in place to promote working relationships that better advantage students. The need for a variety of services to meet student population needs will require collaborative partnerships between school social workers and school counselors to have successful implementation of programs (Brown et al., 2006).

Interdisciplinary teams are a catalyst for promoting systemic change in schools. This teaming approach allows all members to understand each other’s professional skill set and explore new ideas. Although school professionals have worked together in the past to implement the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, the joint collaboration was often not fluid and was only initiated by necessity to comply with state and federal legislation (Ziomek-Daigle, 2016). School social workers and counselors can no longer work in isolation nor can the profession become engaged in turf wars over their job responsibilities. Each profession needs a clear and concise understanding of the other’s role, how roles overlap, and how to work together to maximize student outcomes (Agresta, 2004).