110 HRES 978 EH: Expressing support for the designation of U.S. House of Representatives 2008-02-25 text/xml EN Pursuant to Title 17 Section 105 of the United States Code, this file is not subject to copyright protection and is in the public domain.

IV 110th CONGRESS 2d Session H. RES. 978 In the House of Representatives, U. S., February 25, 2008 RESOLUTION Expressing support for the designation of the week of March 3–7, 2008, as School Social Work Week to promote awareness of the vital role of school social workers in schools, and in the community as a whole, in helping students prepare for their future as productive citizens.

Whereas the School Social Work Association of America declared the week of March 3–7, 2008, School Social Work Week; Whereas the House of Representatives recognized the importance of school social work through the inclusion of school social work programs in the current authorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act; Whereas school social workers serve as vital members of a school’s educational team, playing a central role in creating partnerships between the home, school, and community, to ensure student academic success; Whereas school social workers are especially skilled in providing services to students who face serious challenges to school success, including poverty, disability, discrimination, abuse, addiction, bullying, divorce of parents, loss of a loved one, and other barriers to learning; Whereas there is a growing need for school districts to offer the mental health services that school social workers provide when working with families, teachers, principals, community agencies, and other entities to address the emotional, physical, and environmental needs so that students may achieve behavioral and academic success; Whereas to achieve the goals of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 of help for all children in reaching their optimal potential and achievement, including those with serious emotional disturbances, schools must work to remove the emotional, behavioral, and academic barriers that interfere with student success in school; Whereas fewer than 1 in 5 of the 17,500,000 children in need of mental health services actually receive these services, and the President’s New Freedom Commission on Mental Health indicates that school mental health programs improve educational outcomes by decreasing absences, decreasing discipline referrals, and improving academic achievement; Whereas school mental health programs are critical to early identification of mental health problems and in the provision of appropriate services when needed; Whereas the national average ratio of students to school social workers recommended by the School Social Work Association of America is 400 to 1; and Whereas the celebration of School Social Work Week highlights the awareness of the vital role school social workers play in the lives of students in the United States: Now, therefore, be it

That the House of Representatives— (1)honors and recognizes the contributions of school social workers to the success of students in schools across the Nation; and (2)encourages the people of the United States to observe School Social Work Week with appropriate ceremonies and activities that promote awareness of the vital role of school social workers in schools, and the community as a whole, in helping students prepare for their future as productive citizens.

Lorraine C. Miller, Clerk.