School Social Workers Responding to the COVID-19 Pandemic: Experiences in Traditional, Charter, and Agency-Based Community School Agency Settings

Sedillo-Hamann, Dayna; Chock-Goldman, Jessica; Badillo, Marina A.

As demonstrated during past historical events such as the September 11th terrorist attacks and Hurricane Katrina, school social workers play a vital role in serving their communities by supporting students and their families during times of crisis. School social workers also engage in social justice work and advocate for the needs of their clients. The COVID-19 pandemic has shed light on a plethora of systemic inequities and challenges that impact the lives of young people and their families, particularly as they relate to schools and education. During the COVID-19 pandemic, schools have relied on the expertise, leadership, and skills of social workers to address multiple issues such as access to technology, food insecurity, services for students with disabilities, mental health support, and crisis intervention. This chapter describes the experiences of three school social workers in different high school settings: a public school, a charter school, and a school-based non-profit program. Macro-, mezzo-, and micro-level factors will be examined as they relate to school-based interventions in response to a national health crisis. Recommendations for clinical interventions in different school organizational systems in a time of crisis will also be discussed.