Expressing support for designation of the week of February 28 through March 7, 2010, as "School Social Work Week".

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 1091) expressing support for designation of the week of February 28 through March 7, 2010, as ``School Social Work Week'', as amended.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and insert extraneous material on H. Res. 1091 into the Record.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H. Res. 1091, a resolution to recognize the week of February 28 through March 6, 2010, as National School Social Worker Week.

School social workers have long played a critical role in schools and in the community as a whole. They are professionals with training in social support and mental health intervention who work with youth to address their emotional, social, and developmental needs. For example, students in elementary school are just beginning to develop their academic skills and their feelings of competence. School social workers help students build their confidence as learners.

In middle school, many new challenges arise. During this passage from childhood to adolescence, students are characterized by a need to explore a variety of interests, connecting their learning in the classroom to its practical application in life. In middle schools, school social workers provide leadership to engage all stakeholders in the delivery of programs and services to help students navigate the challenges of early adolescence to achieve academic, social, and behavioral success.

And in high school, students begin separating from parents to explore their independence and define their individuality. They face increased pressures to engage in risky behaviors involving sex, alcohol, and drugs, and many students seek support in choosing acceptable behavior and establishing mature, meaningful relationships. School social workers help them

make thoughtful and appropriate decisions.

On top of this, school social workers must be responsive to the range of challenges that young people face every day such as poverty, disability, discrimination, abuse, addiction, bullying, divorce of parents, loss of a loved one, and other barriers to learning.

School social workers are also on the front lines when disaster strikes, such as the suicide plane attack in Austin, Texas, that killed a number of people last month, Hurricane Katrina, as well as our traumatic events such as 9/11 or school violence incidents like Columbine.

There is documentation of the growing need for school districts to expand mental health and student support services in schools. The numbers indicate that less than 1 in 5 of the 17.5 million children in need of mental health services actually receive any support from qualified professionals. Many students go underserved primarily because the national average ratio of students to school social workers is far higher than the 400 to 1 ratio recommended by the School Social Work Association of America.

Mr. Speaker, this resolution serves to recognize the tremendous importance of school social workers and acknowledge the valuable role that they play in guiding our students' success. I want to thank Congressman Kennedy for bringing this resolution forward. I urge my colleagues to resoundingly pass this resolution.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this resolution recognizing National School Social Work Week.

I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H. Res. 1091, which expresses support for designation of the week of February 28 through March 7, 2010, as ``School Social Work Week''.

Mr. Speaker, there is a mounting need for local educational institutions to provide the mental health services social workers offer when working with students' emotional, physical, and environmental needs. When students are coupled with sincere and understanding social worker, they are more likely to succeed and achieve behavioral and academic success. This legislation will affirm that social workers are life lines to children, schools, families and communities and those we fully are committed to any and all initiatives that promote the need for such crucial workers.

Mr. Speaker, 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. It is imperative that more social workers are properly trained and deployed into these various school systems to assist students in reaching their most favorable level of potential and achievement, especially children with serious emotional barriers. The observation of `School Social Work Week' during the week of February 28 through March 7, 2010, calls attention to the fundamental role school social workers play in the lives of students in the United States.

As many may know during the first years in the aftermath of hurricane Katrina, the Houston school system, mainly Houston Independent School District, was flooded with children from the affected area school systems. After being through such a horrific ordeal, students were expected to continue with their studies as normal. It took the dedicated work of school social workers which assessed what was already in place to help the students, conclude what was missing and formulate a plan to build the student's aptitude to bounce back from adversity. Now many of these students have gone on to succeed academically and socially.

So in conclusion, I support H. Res. 1091 and I encourage my colleagues to join me. In these uncertain times, where natural and unnatural disasters are on every hand and have caused traumatic experiences for this nation, let us not forget our youth.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of House Resolution 1091, supporting ``School Social Work Week.'' I introduced this resolution in order to recognize and support the critical, often thankless work performed by social workers in schools across our country. School social workers bring valuable skills and expertise to schools and student services teams to ensure that every child has an opportunity for success.

On a daily basis, school social workers help educators, administrators, and parents address students' emotional, physical, and environmental needs. School social workers help educators to understand cultural, family, and community factors affecting students.

Everyday, they work with administrators to design and implement prevention programs and policies that address school attendance, bullying, sexual harassment, teen pregnancy, child abuse and neglect, special education, and more. Issues like cyber bullying and harassment are extremely underreported and on the rise in schools across the country. Adult intervention at school is necessary to effectively curb these trends.

School social workers also work as liaisons between parents and schools. They work with parents so that they may participate in their child's education, understand special education services, and access other services related to their child's needs.

In healthcare we must treat the whole person and in education we must do the same. School social workers recognize the importance of connecting emotional, behavioral, and academic services in order to maximize children's opportunities for success.

Too many children do not receive the mental health services they need. Improved and expanded school mental health programs would help to close this discrepancy. The kinds of services that so many students desperately need are precisely the type of services that school social workers can provide. As our economy continues to struggle, and families all over the country are losing their homes and jobs; the need for school social workers only multiples.

That is why I am proud to be the sponsor of this resolution. I would like to thank the Chairman and Ranking Member of the House Education and Labor Committee for allowing this resolution to come to the floor, and I urge all of my colleagues to support it.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the resolution before us, House Resolution 1091, expressing support for designation of the week now passed of February 28 through March 6, 2010, as ``School Social Work Week.''

School social work is a specialized area of practice within the broad field of the social work profession. School social workers bring unique knowledge and skills to the school system and the student services team. School social workers are instrumental in furthering the purposes of education, which is to provide a setting for teaching, learning, and for the attainment of competence and confidence. School social workers are hired by school districts to enhance the district's ability to meet its academic mission.

Within the school setting, school social workers are a link between the student, the student's family, the school, and the community. The efficacy of this link is considerably dependent upon professional relationships developed with the student and the student's family, as well as with other school personnel. School social workers are concerned with the student's education as well as their emotional and mental well-being.

School social workers play an important part in the academic and emotional development of students in schools. They provide services to students who face challenges that might be a barrier to learning, such as poverty, disability, abuse, loss of a loved one, or divorce. School social workers are critical to the identification of mental health problems and the provision of services when needed.

Today, we honor and recognize the contributions of school social workers to the success of students in the schools throughout our Nation. I ask my colleagues to support this resolution.

Having no requests for time, I yield back the balance of my time.