In schools across Baltimore County, school social workers provide individual and group counseling, educational workshops for students, parents, and school staff, staff consultations, program development, diagnostic activities, and links to outside services and support.

To continually improve their effectiveness, Baltimore County Public Schools social workers take advantage of numerous professional development activities.

Earlier this year, school social workers and pupil personnel workers came together to discuss dropout prevention. During the morning session, held at St. Vincent’s Center, they met with Dana Demby and Lance Williams from the Office of Special Education to review recent trends in student dropout rates and strategies to prevent students from leaving school. A variety of factors affecting graduation rates were discussed. School social workers and pupil personnel workers formulated specific interventions that could prove to be effective in enhancing graduation rates across Baltimore County.

In January, school social workers attended a training to learn about several social skills curriculums being implemented across the school district. Social workers were trained to help students use specific skills and strategies to enhance competence, self- regulation, and problem-solving in a group setting.

In Baltimore County Public Schools, social workers facilitate student groups in the classroom and in small groups to help support student academic progress. Many social skills curriculums that social workers use with student are evidence-based programs that have proven results to increase social skills and help student resilience in the school setting.

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