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The author reflects on the need to support children, families and schools in the U.S. during the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and beyond. Other topics include the increase in the function of educational institutions in the U.S., and the projected effects of the declining number of women in the workforce on gender equality, family economic health, and the labor market.

Multidisciplinary professional literature depicts consultation as a multidimensional method with multiple models and sets of practice tasks. Classical and contemporary school social work task analyses consistently include questions about consultation but rarely define the term. Without a definition, we do not know what the researchers are really asking and what the findings truly mean. To address this issue, a national exploratory survey was conducted to gain a better understanding of current school social work consultation practice tasks. This article presents (a) the development of a researcher-constructed consultation questionnaire, and (b) the findings of a principal component analysis used to refine and revise the items measuring six consultation models. The goal was to establish the reliability and validity of the instrument, enhance data collection on the topic, provide confidence in the interpretation of school social workers' self-report on their current consultation practice, and expand the literature on evidence-based school social work consultation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Implementing scientifically based research is a complex process, especially when trying to match research to schoolwide, classwide, and individual needs consistent with a response to intervention (RtI) practice framework. This article seeks to strengthen school social workers' ability and confidence to fulfill federal priorities to demonstrate accountability for services and provide scientifically based interventions. The first part of the article examines the difference between evidence-based practices and empirically supported interventions by discussing their principles, processes, and procedures. The second part of the article maps out the steps for locating scientifically based programs and practices that address school-based issues and guide change strategies. The results of a literature search organized according to the RtI framework are provided as an exemplar, with the intention of expanding school social workers' understanding of the various pathways to fulfilling federal priorities and developing their own resource list of effective services according to the RtI multitiered framework. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The authors discuss the need to support the implementation of evidence-based practices (EBPs) through consultation in response to the pace of educational reform in the U.S. They highlight the important role that can be played by school social workers and other specialized instructional support personnel as consultants. The authors also elaborate on the definition of consultation.

The authors address the evaluation mandate component of Race to the Top grants to U.S. states and its implications for school social work. They offer a summary of the results under the reporting category "Improving Teacher and Principal Effectiveness Based on Performance." They say that half of the states aimed to start the full implementation phase from 2011 to 2012 after the first year of the grant. Student growth and achievement are determined by change in state test scores.

The article discusses a rationale for the creation of a national school social work model. It cites the increase in the prevalence rates of students who are not deriving maximum benefits from schooling. It describes steps to refine the model using an iterative process. The authors believe that the draft presented in the article is a good starting point to develop such a model.

The article reports on the social work education and certification processes which are required to develop highly qualified school social workers. A discussion of competencies which school social workers must possess in order to be considered highly qualified is presented. The challenges that are associated with creating a national definition in the U.S. of a highly qualified school social worker are discussed.

The 2004 amendments to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act introduced the concept of Response to Intervention (RTI). In part, this is an educational prevention approach to maximize student academic achievement and minimize behaviors that interfere with school success. It consists of assessment and intervention practices on multiple levels, including schoolwide, classwide, and individual services. School social work consultation services are in compliance with this federal perspective; however, they are not typically thought about or described in RTI language. This article presents six different school social work consultation models often used in daily school social work practice and maps out their consistency with the RTI paradigm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presents information on a study that examined individualized family service plan and the presence of a school social worker. Research method; Research findings and discussion; Conclusion.

Concerned about the lack of in formation about clinical social workers and their practices, the authors used data from a larger study to analyze four dimensions of the self-reported clinical practices of a national random sample of experienced clinical social workers having state licensure and certification credentials at the advanced practice level and providing clinical services in public, nonprofit, and for-profit settings. This sample of 2,640 advanced practitioners in clinical social work was predominantly female (69 percent) and white (94 percent) and had a median of 22 years post-MSW practice experience. Multiple regression analyses of factors including number and types of clients in caseload, date of MSW degree, service hours per targeted client system, and restrictive mental health insurance coverage yielded statistically significant correlations and accounted for significant portions of the variance in respondents' use of time-framed practice models. The study profile depicts the respondents' practices as diverse in terms of setting, clients, theoretical frameworks, and practice models and their basic professional orientation as including a person-in-society view of practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]