The mission of the Long County Schools Social Work Department is to provide services to students, families and schools with the primary focus of removing barriers to academic success. These services seek to assure all student are emotionally and mentally  fit, safe, secure, and  drug free in their educational settings, and attending school regularly.

Listed below are some, but certainly not all, of the routine responsibilities charged to your school social worker:

Education

• Educate school staff and community on issues of cultural diversity

• Facilitate support groups for the development of social skills, positive decision making

• Help students achieve maximum academic success

• Assist parents in understanding and supporting their children's education

• Encourage and monitor regular school attendance and punctuality of students

• Initiate referrals to Juvenile Court

Advocacy

• Serve as a voice for students struggling to communicate their needs and opinions

• Guide families in pursuit of needs, goods and services in the community

• Serve as liaison between student/family/school in conflict situations

• Report concerns of child abuse, neglect to appropriate agencies

• Assist parents in better understanding children's social/emotional needs

• Represent school position and needs in crisis situations and court interventions

• Provide counseling to students and families and consultations to school staff

• Initiate parent conferences and make home visits to assess environmental factors affecting students education and social/emotional well being

Community

• Seek out and establish relationships with representatives of local agencies

• Establish community resource directory

• Establish relationships with local faith-based organizations and church outreach personnel/volunteers

• Encourage community, church and business leaders to participate in school activities

• Serve as community outreach organizations and input ideas on development of policy

• Maintain visible presence in the community as a volunteer in various organizations advocating for the welfare of children and youth