[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 26 (Friday, February 26, 2010)]
[Senate]
[Pages S823-S824]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         SUBMITTED RESOLUTIONS

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  SENATE RESOLUTION 426--DESIGNATING THE WEEK OF FEBRUARY 28 THROUGH 
             MARCH 7, 2010, AS ``SCHOOL SOCIAL WORK WEEK''

  Mr. WHITEHOUSE (for himself, Mr. Cochran, Mr. Lautenberg, Mrs. 
Lincoln, Mr. Begich, Mr. Menendez, and Mr. Feingold) submitted the 
following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on the 
Judiciary:

                              S. Res. 426

       Whereas the importance of school social work through the 
     inclusion of school social work programs has been recognized 
     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 educational team, playing a central role in creating a 
     positive school climate and vital 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;

[[Page S824]]

       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 
     emotional, physical, and environmental needs of students 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 the week of February 28 through March 1, 
     2010, as ``School Social Work Week'';
       (2) honors and recognizes the contributions of school 
     social workers to the success of students in schools across 
     the Nation; and
       (3) encourages the people of the United States to observe 
     ``School Social Work Week'' with the 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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