Social work is a practice-based profession and an academic discipline that promotes social change and development, social cohesion, and the empowerment and liberation of people (AASW, 2014).
School social workers have unique access to and ability to work with individuals, groups and communities at the interface between the student, school organisation and curriculum, peers, family, neighbourhood and wider society (AASW, 2011).
At Calamvale Community College the social worker will work holistically with the family to minimise the impacts of personal, familial and school difficulties and, where possible, remove the barriers to learning. They will work collaboratively with the school support team including administration, teachers, Guidance Officers, Youth Support Workers, Chaplains and the School-based Youth Health Nurse.
The school Social Worker has specialist knowledge in relation to working with children, young people and families, and is able to provide the following services within the school environment:
- Provide support and education to parents/carers/families via regular seminars, individual meetings and case management.
- Provide brief interventions to overcome specific issues affecting students and their families.
- Explore all aspects of student and family life – school, accommodation, family relationships, mental wellbeing, social connections, grief and loss, substance use, legal issues; and how these impact on a person's overall quality of life.
- Assist teachers and administrators with behavioural and attitude issues by communicating with students and families to find the causes of their distress.
- Provide referrals to external support services when necessary to help families with economic, emotional, or physical issues.
- Support parents/carers to engage other services in the community.
- Identify barriers in a student's living situation that affect their adjustment in school and help identify and alleviate family stress through conducting home visits and referrals to community support services.
- Develop connections and support networks within school and outside in the community to ensure individuals feel as though they belong and are cared about.
- Essentially the school social worker is the bridge between school and home.
- Referrals can be made via the wellbeing team. Contact your student’s teacher or Student Services.
Our school social worker is onsite every day and appointments can be here, at a café or somewhere closer to home.
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