WE NEED YOUR ACTION TO ADVOCATE FOR OUR PROFESSION! Join us! The Washington Association of School Social Workers Legislative Action Committee (LAC) has put together a tool kit for each and every one of you to use to reach out to your Representatives!
This is a critical time in our profession as we re-emerge from the pandemic and school districts have access to funding for providing mental health services in schools. We also face an active legislative session with bills addressing the mental health crisis in schools. NOW is the time to meet with Reps to accomplish three goals:
Build a proactive relationship
Increase visibility of our profession
Partner around upcoming bills during the 2022 session (beginning in January!)
Currently our state funds school social workers at a ratio of 1: 9,523 students (elementary); 1:72,000 (middle school); 1:40,000 (high school) far behind that of our other ESA profession counterparts.
Ask about any upcoming bills they may know of that are related to education and mental health
Ask how you can support and partner with them on upcoming bills?
Send a follow up thank you email including all the links and attachments you described or discussed during your meeting. INCLUDE THEIR LEGISLATIVE ASSISTANT!