[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 34 (Thursday, February 26, 2009)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2573-S2574]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




SENATE RESOLUTION 58--DESIGNATING THE WEEK OF MARCH 1 THROUGH MARCH 8, 
                  2009, AS ``SCHOOL SOCIAL WORK WEEK''

  Mr. WHITEHOUSE (for himself, Mr. Cochran, Mr. Kerry, Ms. Landrieu, 
Mr. Brown, Mr. Lautenberg, Mrs. Murray, Mrs. Lincoln, Mr. Kennedy, and 
Mr. Feingold) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to 
the Committee on the Judiciary:

                               S. Res. 58

       Whereas the Senate has recognized the importance of school 
     social work through the inclusion of school social work 
     programs in the current authorizations of the Elementary and 
     Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6301 et seq.) and 
     the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (20 U.S.C. 
     1400 et seq.);
       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 local educational 
     agencies to offer the mental health services that school 
     social workers provide when working with families, teachers, 
     principals, community agencies, and other entities to address 
     students' emotional, physical, and environmental needs so 
     that students may achieve behavioral and academic success;
       Whereas to achieve the goal of the No Child Left Behind Act 
     of 2001 (Public Law 107-110) of helping all children reach 
     their optimal levels of potential and achievement, including 
     children 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 research 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 vital role school social workers play in the 
     lives of students in the United States: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) designates March 1 through March 8, 2009, as ``School 
     Social Work Week'';
       (2) honors and recognizes the contributions of school 
     social workers to the successes of students in schools across 
     the Nation; and
       (3) 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 in the community as a whole, 
     in helping students prepare for their futures as productive 
     citizens.

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