Expressing support for designation of the week of March 1 through March 8, 2009, as "School Social Work Week".

Mr. Speaker, I would like to commend the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Woolsey), and I rise today in support of House Resolution 182, supporting the School Social Work Week.

I introduced this resolution in order to recognize and support the critical, unsung work performed by school social workers in and across this country. School social workers bring unique knowledge and skills to schools and to the student services team all across this country. They work together to achieve the goals as a Nation that every child needs in order to succeed in school.

Each day across this country, school social workers can be found assisting educators to understand family, cultural and community factors affecting students as well as meet the demands of providing quality education for students of diverse backgrounds.

Each day, they can be found working with administrators to design and implement effective prevention programs and policies that address school attendance, teen pregnancy, school violence, and school safety issues, as well as child abuse and neglect, special education and more.

Each day, school social workers can be found working with parents so that they may effectively participate in their child's education as well as improve parenting skills, understand special education services as well as access school and community services related to their child's needs.

In health care, we must treat the whole person, and in education, we must do the same, so that is where school social workers recognize the need to connect the school and home in order to relate to the needs of the children. It is a shame that fewer than 1 in 5 of the 17 million children in need of mental health services actually receives them. Improved and expanded school mental health programs would help provide these services, the kinds of services that so many students desperately need and that are precisely the kind 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 becomes magnified. When you think about the fact that we are fighting a war overseas and an economic war here at home, you think about the fact that our schools are our bases. We would not think twice about making sure that our military is provided with the latest of armaments and with the best of training. Then why would we not think of providing the same for our teachers and our school social workers? They are the ones who are making sure that our students are not left behind in the field of battle.

Unfortunately, Mr. Speaker, too many of our children are left behind in the field of battle--in the field of battle of illiteracy, in the field of battle of mental health, in the field of battle of addiction, and in the field of battle of violence. These are the kids in our inner cities who are being held hostage to a different enemy, not the global war on terror, but to the enemy that is causing 35-40 percent of the students in our inner cities to not graduate from high school. That is an abomination, Mr. Speaker.

If we do not have more school social workers to make sure that they graduate, then our schools in this country are not going to be worth the teachers that we have in them, because they are not going to have the school social workers to do the job to help those teachers make sure that their students graduate. That is why we need school social workers: to make sure that those students graduate. It is an important complement to our education system. We need emotional and social development just as much as we need literacy and numeracy development. That is why we need social workers in our schools.

Now more than ever, while the economic pressure is on those families and social pressures are on those families and the burden is on those families, we need to reach out where we can, and that is through the schools. The school is where we reach those children and reach those families in dire need. That is where we need our social workers, and that is why we need to pass House Resolution 182. I ask for its consideration.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 182) expressing support for designation of the week of March 1 through March 8, 2009, as ``School Social Work Week''.

Mr. Speaker, I request 5 legislative days during which Members may revise and extend their remarks and insert extraneous material on H. Res. 182 into the Record.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H. Res. 182, a resolution to recognize the week of March 1 through March 8, 2009, as National School Social Work Week.

School social workers, Mr. Speaker, have long played a critical role in schools and the community as a whole. They are professionals who work with children to address their emotional, mental, social and developmental needs.

School social workers help students build their confidence as learners, which is particularly important for elementary students who are just starting out on their academic careers.

During middle school, students face what is often a difficult transition from childhood to adolescence. For these students, school social workers help engage teachers, administrators, parents and students in the delivery of programs and services to help those students navigate these challenges and achieve success.

In high school, students begin exploring and defining their independence. These students face additional challenges along the way, including pressure to participate in risky behavior. School social workers help them with navigating these difficult 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 Southern California wildfires, such as Hurricane Katrina or 9/ 11.

There is a growing need for school districts to expand their support services in schools. Less than one in five of the 17.5 million children in need of mental health services actually receive them. Many students go underserved, primarily because the national average ratio of students to school social workers is far beneath the 400 to 1 ratio recommended by the School Social Work Association of America.

Mr. Speaker, this resolution serves to recognize the importance of the school social worker and acknowledge the priceless role that they play in guiding our students' success in the ever changing world of the 21st century.

I urge my colleagues to pass this resolution.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to recognize for 5 minutes the gentleman from Rhode Island (Mr. Kennedy).

I am ready to close, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support Congressman Kennedy's absolutely important legislation, H. Res. 182, that recognizes the week of March 1 through 8 as National School Social Work Week.

I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to support this bill and yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of House Resolution 182, expressing support for the designation of the week of March 1 as School Social Work Week to promote awareness of the vital role that school social workers play in schools and in the community as a whole and in helping students to prepare for their future as productive citizens.

From time to time, students face certain challenges in achieving academic success. Emotional, social and behavioral problems can be serious impediments to learning and can have a harmful effect not just on the individual student but others in the school setting. Schools, families and communities must work collaboratively to assist students with achieving positive academic and behavioral outcomes. School social work services provide a comprehensive approach to meeting the needs of students through early identification, through prevention, intervention, counseling, as well as support.

School social workers are trained, qualified professionals who meet State requirements to practice social work specifically in a school setting. They provide direct services to students who experience academic and social difficulties while developing relationships that will help to bolster self-esteem and reward positive behavior. School social workers support teachers by offering options for addressing students' needs and by participating on the student support team. They also work with students and their families and communities to coordinate services.

According to statistics by the National Mental Health Association, 17.5 million children are in need of some kind of mental health services, and these workers address those needs. School social workers help students who otherwise might not receive services due to inaccessibility or lack of availability of services. I commend these dedicated professionals for the

service they provide in our school setting, and I ask my colleagues to support this resolution.

I reserve the balance of my time.

For some inexplicable reason, I have no one else here who is requesting time.

May I inquire of the gentlewoman if she is ready to close.

In that case, I urge support of this resolution, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I want to state for the record that today, March 24th, I was detained in my district and therefore missed the three rollcall votes of the day. Had I been present I would have voted ``yea'' on rollcall vote No. 147 on the Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass H.R. 1617--Department of Homeland Security Component Privacy Act of 2009. Had I been present I would have also voted ``yea'' on rollcall vote No. 148 on the Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass H.R. 730--Nuclear Forensics and Attribution Act. Lastly, had I been present I would have voted ``yea'' on rollcall vote No. 149 on the Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass H. Res. 182--Expressing support for designation of the week of March 1 through March 8, 2009, as School Social Work Week.