What is a School Social Worker? Fivay High School 2014-2105 Dawn Daniels Hahn, LCSW

1. Text What is a School Social Worker? Fivay High School 2014-2105 Dawn Daniels Hahn, LCSW School Social Worker

2. AGENDA • Who is the School Social Worker? • School & community resources available to AHS students and their families. • FHS, District & State attendance policies /statutes • Attendance & driver’s license privilege

3. School Social Worker • The first School Social Workers - called visiting teachers - began in three US cities in 1906. • The first School Social Worker in Pasco County began in 1973. Today, there is at least one School Social Worker for every three schools in the District. • All Pasco County School Social Workers have earned a Master of Social Work degree. • All Pasco County School Social Workers have earned a teaching certificate. • More than half of Pasco County’s School Social Workers are Licensed Clinical Social Workers (LCSW). These licensed professionals have the ability to provide private therapy and to initiate mental health assessments under the Baker Act procedures. • Licensed Clinical Social Workers (LCSW) have acquired a minimum of two years of post-graduate clinical experience, 3000 hours of clinical experience and passed a rigorous state examination. • DID YOU KNOW? Over half of the counseling services in the United States are performed by professional Social Workers? Professional Social Workers are employed by hospitals, mental health agencies, social service organizations and school systems.

4. School Social Worker • School Social Workers assist in removing the social, emotional, mental and environmental barriers that interfere with a student’s overall success at school. The services may include but are not limited to: • Counseling - individual, family & group. • Crisis Intervention • Chronic non-attendance/truancy remediation • Home visits • Liaison with community agencies including generating referrals to agencies • Facilitating trainings including child abuse, bullying & suicide • Teacher consultations • Collaborating with multi-disciplinary teams to assess student needs

5. Social Work resources • COUNSELING: • Lifespan Services, Inc. (individual & groups) • The Counseling Center of Gulf Coast (psychiatric, medication management) • SequelCare of Florida (includes psychiatric/medication management) • Baycare (previously The Harbor - includes psychiatric/medication management) • Youth and Family Alternatives (YFA) - (individual & family) • Gulfside Hospice (grief) • Suncoast Kid’s Place (grief) • Premier Community HealthCare Group, Inc. (medical)

6. Social Work resources • SCHOOL SOCIAL WORKERS CAN ALSO ASSIST WITH RESOURCES INCLUDING: • ACCESS (food stamps, TANF, Medicaid) & Florida KidCare • Employment & GED options • Local food banks, utility assistance and clothes • Domestic violence & shelters; sexual abuse agencies/contacts. • HOTLINES: suicide, child abuse, runaway, pregnancy & AIDS. • Navigating through systems including Department of Children and Families (DCF), Social Security & Child Support Enforcement.

7. Social Work resources • Students in Transition - homelessness • “Assist, Believe & Care” (ABC) -basic needs • TOOLS program - substance use/possession on campus • PACE Center for Girls, Inc - (females only) • Youth and Family Alternatives (YFA) - truancy petitions & “ungovernable” petitions • Cyesis - teen pregnancy • Migrant Services • Early Learning including PreK & Head Start

8. Truancy statistics • Patterns of non-attendance and truancy are identified as early warning signs of academic failure. Students with high truancy rates are found to have the lowest academic achievement - which puts them at greater risk for dropping out. • High School dropouts earn an average of: $7,000 less than High School Graduates, $14,000 less than Associate’s degree and $27,000 less than Bachelor’s degree. • 75% of state prison inmates are dropouts. • Dropping out increases odds of arrest - during a lifetime - by over 350% • Florida graduation rate (2014) - 75% • Daily - in the United States - approximately 2400 students drop out of school. • The State of Florida sent out the first letters suspending teen driving privileges on February 16, 1999. Since then the DMV has sent letters to 353,580 Florida teens.The majority of those teenagers (262,948) were non-licensed minors – meaning that based on their age they were eligible to drive but did not have a learner permit or drivers license. And because of poor school attendance would not be permitted to get any drivers license until they started attending school.

9. FHS attendance policies • It is important to remind students that regular school attendance – attending every period of the school day – is very important. • Being on time to every class is equally as important. After school detentions will be assigned for those students chronically late to class/school. • If your child is absent please submit a note to Student Services within three days of the absence. Excused notes will not be accepted after that time. • Please see The Code of Student Conduct 2014-2015 for more information.

10. District & AHS attendance policies • If a student has: • 1. unexcused absences in three (3) or more periods a day in five (5) or more days OR • 2. five (5) unexcused absences in any one course within a quarter OR • 3. ten (10) unexcused absences in any one course in a semester • ...a student may receive one or all of the following consequences for unexcused absences: • 1. lose the privilege of participating in extracurricular activities; • 2. lose the privilege to drive to campus; • 3. have their name submitted to the DMV.

11. Florida - attendance statutes • Florida Law (Section 1003.21, Florida Statutes) states that all children who are either six years of age, who will be six years old by February 1 of any school year, or who are older than six years of age but who have not attained the age of 16 years, must attend school regularly during the entire school term. A student who attains the age of 16 years during the school year is not subject to compulsory attendance beyond the date of which the student attains that age if he/she files a formal declaration of intent to terminate school enrollment with the school district.

12. Florida - attendance statutes • Florida Law 1003.26(1) states that if a student has at least five (5) unexcused absences or absences for which the reasons are unknown, within a calendar month OR ten (10) unexcused absences for which the absences are unknown, within a 90 calendar day period, the school must take action. The school may require documented medical and legal excuses for a pattern of non-attendance. • High School students under the age of 16 - that do not attend regularly/break the statute- can be referred to YFA. The process will consist of regular counseling with YFA, two case staffings; and a possible truancy petition that can result in going before a judge and the child being placed into temporary shelter for 31 days.

13. Florida - attendance & driver’s license privileges • The Florida Legislature enacted FS 322.091(1) and requires that schools report to the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (DHSMV/DMV) the names, birth dates, gender, and social security numbers of minors who attain the age of 14 and accumulate 15 unexcused absences in a period of 90 calendar days. The legislation further provides that those students who fail to satisfy attendance requirements will be ineligible to maintain or obtain driving privileges.

14. Florida - attendance & driver’s license privileges • Students that have missed 15 days - unexcused - out of 90 days will have their names submitted to the DMV. • The DMV will send the student a “Letter of Intent” - explaining that their license privileges will be suspended in 20 days. • If the student’s attendance has not improved - the DMV will then send a “Letter of Suspension”. • In order for a student to receive their license privileges reinstated - the student must be in attendance for 30 consecutive school days. • The School Social Worker can assist in setting a 30 day attendance goal as well as submitting the necessary paperwork to reinstate driving privileges. • Please be mindful: once a student has obtained their driving privileges ... their attendance continues to be monitored and can be revoked for a second time.

15. Thank Youfor joining us this evening!Please reach out to us if you or someone you know needs our assistance.We are looking forward to a great school year!