SSWAA ACTION ALERT
School Social Workers Improving Student Success Act
BACKGROUND: During School Social Work Week, Congresswoman Gwen Moore (D-WI) and Congresswoman Barbara Lee (D-CA) introduced the School Social Workers Improving Student Success Act (HR 7037), which would create a grant program that would allow schools to hire and retain school social workers. The bill would also provide technical assistance for school social work. In addition to Congressmembers Moore and Lee, the bill currently has 11 cosponsors. In order to get this bill passed, we need to advocate and raise awareness among Members of Congress. We need you to ask your Representatives to show their support for the school social work profession and for the students, we serve by cosponsoring HR 7037.
LINK to Bill Text and Cosponsors List | LINK to Press Release | LINK to Briefing
PROPOSAL HIGHLIGHTS:

• Creates a Department of Education grant program to support elementary and secondary schools in hiring and retaining the minimum ratio of one school social worker for every 250 students and one school social worker for every 50 students for high need areas. 
• Establishes the National Technical Assistance Center for School Social Work, which would be responsible for developing strategies for improving the effectiveness of school social work, identifying areas of improvement for school social work programs, working with federal agencies to disseminate data on best practices, and establishing school social work development programing.
• Defines the role of a graduate-level school social worker in law.
• Puts $120 million in federal funding toward supporting and expanding school social work.

TAKE ACTION: CALL or EMAIL your Representatives. Find your Member of Congress and Senators at www.congress.gov/members/find-your-member. Each office will have a different policy for reaching them that will be on their website. You might be able to email them directly or copy and paste your letter into the form provided. Tell Congress to act!
HERE'S WHAT TO SAY:
[Title and Last Name]: 
I am a school social worker in (city/county/school district) and a constituent. I am reaching out to request your support for HR 7037, the School Social Workers Improving Student Success Act. 
School social workers are specialized mental health professionals who serve as the vital link between the school, home, and community. We play a critical role in addressing students mental, academic, and social wellbeing by providing direct and indirect services and connecting students to community support. This bill would ensure schools have the resources they need to hire and retain school social workers to address student needs. It would also create a technical assistance center to provide resources and development support to our profession.  
[INSERT PERSONAL STORY from your district about why we need funding for the programs listed above, or how it would impact you and your students.]
I encourage you to show your support for school social workers and the children and families we serve by cosponsoring HR 7037 and advocating for its inclusion in the upcoming mental health package. 
Thank you,
[Your Name]

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Rep. Gwen Moore has introduced a bill that SSWAA has been lobbying for, has actively helped develop and is enthusiastically supporting. It provides grants for states to hire school social workers.  Check it out! 

Hear how to make change, and then do it!  Join the NASW Policy Conference February 21st (formerly known as Lobby Day).  Come together with your social work colleagues to influence our lawmakers!  

NASW is presenting a series of events in lieu of an annual conference. Here are the details. The first virtual event is January 28th.

2022 Virtual Symposium, "(Re)centering: Social Work & Abolition—An Abolitionist Take on Social Work"NASW Minnesota(Re)visioning our format

In lieu of our annual fall conference, we have put together a symposium that will feature one session every month between January and April 2022, concluding with our Social Work Summit in May 2022. Symposium content will focus on (re)defining the status quo of our profession. In each session, we will unpack a pressing issue and discuss bold approaches to meet the challenges of tomorrow. We will create space for multiple truths as we challenge ourselves to unlearn, evolve, lead, and follow into the future of social work.

With the ongoing pandemic and our desire to make this event accessible, we have (re)worked our format in a way that we hope will enable everyone who wishes to be a part of these conversations to attend. We invite you to join us and your colleagues from across Minnesota for an aspirational and inspirational event.

Register for (Re)imagining Our Practice—A Fresh Take on Interventions Used to Serve Clients & Communities

Puget Sound ESD is providing an informational meeting about 5030 implementation for all school social workers and school counselors.  Here is the information they shared about the meeting: 
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Our districts are all in different places in developing their plans, some have incorporated their counselors in the process and others are still strategizing. As pockets of workgroups are happening throughout the region, myself and the Student Support Services Director, Minu Ranna-Stewart, would like to offer our December meeting to focus on developing a regional workgroup specifically focused on creating plans for SB 5030. We acknowledge we are not the experts and rather you all who are working directly in our school communities as school counselors and school social workers are the experts and we want to center your voice in this process. We have several district staff from the region who are interested in this collaborative opportunity to work in partnership of creating plans and supporting implementation.

PLEASE NOTE, regional SEL/SSS Directors have also expressed an interest in collaborating and have been invited to this meeting.
SB 5030 overview and planning meeting on Tuesday, December 14th. The new meeting time will be 12:00-1:00.
 
Here is the zoom link for Tuesday's meeting: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87915918037

​WASSW is holding a Town Hall on December 10 from 12 noon to 1 p.m. to talk about how SB 5030 affects the role of school social workers. Please feel free to join us. This will be a time for us to listen to your questions and concerns and tell you what we know so far about this legislation and its implementation.
Topic: WASSW 5030 Town Hall
Time: Dec 10, 2021 12:00 PM Pacific Time (US and Canada)
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/82545023482
Meeting ID: 825 4502 3482

We were energized by our Fall Mini Conference and Membership meeting!  Thank you for those of us who joined us and contributed towards our path for change. 

If you didn't make it, don't hesitate to reach out to let us know what you think would make WASSW a more equity oriented and welcoming organization.  Your thoughts, suggestions and talents are welcome!

Be watching for more to come!
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The WASSW Fall Mini Conference is open for sign up!  Mark November 5th 1-4 pm on your calendar! The event is free and online.  Be part of transforming our organization into one that is intentionally grounded in inclusiveness.  We welcome all interested people-come learn about what WASSW is and help us create a vision for our future--one that aims to make change with its members and make room for all voices.  

The Washington Association of School Social Workers (WASSW) is proud to announce the 2021 Distinguished School Social Worker of the Year Award and the 2021 Distinguished School Social Worker Advocate of the Year Award.

The Distinguished School Social Worker Award is an honor given to those who are outstanding in the field and recognized by their peers and colleagues. WASSW has a long history of giving this award to those past and present members who have made contributions ranging from direct practice to state and national leadership.  Candidate must be a member of WASSW.

The Distinguished School Social Work Advocate is open to any community member who promotes and enhances the mission of school social work.  This award can be given to a politician, school board member, a principal, etc.

*In addition to this form, please send two letters of recommendation (preferably one administrator and one colleague) and the nominee's resume to board@wassw.org.