In Ontario, the first week of March marks the start of Social Work Week. Students, their families and educators value school social worker’s contributions to the school system. Each year a theme is selected to celebrate the ideals and values social workers bring to their jobs every day.
This year’s provincial theme is “You are not alone. Social Workers: Real Experts for Real Life” OCSB school social workers focus on the whole child by collaborating with other professionals and linking students and families with needed services.
The profession is recognized in Canada and worldwide for its social justice principles. It is a profession that advocates for social fairness and equal access and distribution of resources and opportunities. Social Work is collaborative. Together these professionals connect systems and people to empower positive change.
Social Work Week is from March 1-7. Our OCSB Social Workers possess expertise in social-emotional and mental health issues, focusing on the importance of emotional well-being. They make valuable contributions to our OCSB community every single day.
Here are a few ways they accomplish this:
- In addition to offering mental health supports and interventions to students, they support parents in the various struggles they might face.
- They offer insightful, clinical consultation to school staff as well as the whole school system.
- They build capacity with parents, school staff and the whole system through professional development as well as consultation and collaboration
- They address the various barriers that both students and families are facing, magnified by the pandemic
- They adopt a trauma-informed lens in the work that they do.
Our OCSB Social Workers are incredibly committed individuals. Please reach out and let them know how appreciated they are for the invaluable work that they do.