Social Work Resources

  • The Whaley School community strives to promote an environment of respect and dignity for all children.  By embracing individual differences we create a supportive atmosphere in which we teach, model and practice acceptance.  Whaley School provides a caring and nurturing educational placement that stresses safety, compassion and a healthy development of self-concept.

     

    For over a hundred years, school social workers have been providing a critical link between school, home, and community. The school social work profession has consistently focused on coordinating the efforts of schools, families, and communities toward helping students improve their academic achievement and social, emotional, and behavioral competence by using its unique perspective of viewing the person in his or her environment. School social workers seek to ensure equitable education opportunities; ensure that students are mentally, physically, and emotionally present in the classroom; and promote respect and dignity for all students.

     

    TYPICAL SOCIAL WORK INTERVENTIONS IN OUR SCHOOL

     

    1. Anger Management 1:1/Group counseling sessions for skill building. 
    2. Problem-solving 1:1 counseling sessions for difficult interpersonal relationships.
    3. Mediation contracts and counseling.
    4. Substance abuse intervention and prevention work.
    5. 1:1 Counseling (issues include family relations, teen pregnancy, domestic violence, loss/grief, career/future planning, etc.).
    6.  Ê®·ÖÁùºÏ²Ê, family liaison and outreach work ((referrals include: homelessness,  teen pregnancy, counseling, anger-management, wrap-around support services, health issues, etc.).
    7. Family/Parent liaison to community and government agencies (Hope Ê®·ÖÁùºÏ²Ê Resources, ARC, Denali Family Services, Food bank of Anchorage, Crisis Hotline, Big Brothers/Sisters Program, AK Children and Family, Senior Services/DD, ATAP, AHFC, etc.).
    8. Design and implement Behavioral Contracts.
    9. Ê®·ÖÁùºÏ²Ê Service Referrals, Assist students and families to navigate  government agencies such as SSI, ATAP, Alaska Housing, and Energy Assistance.
    10. Participate in Orientation staffing’s.
    11. Provide Transition services to students returning to their home school.
    12. Staff education on community resources, programs, and social issues in the Anchorage area.
    13. Resource for educators regarding behavioral intervention.
    14. Participate on Care Team (multi-disciplinary case staffing and assignments) PBIS Positive Behavioral Intervention Services.
    15. Suicide prevention and intervention work with students and participating agencies.
    16. Case consultation, assessments, and appropriate referral work.
    17. Provide District in-servicing on Special Education issues and student needs (FÊ®·ÖÁùºÏ²Ê, Autism, Emotional Disturbance, etc).
    18. Provide assistance in any situation that presents itself in the school setting that inhibits a student’s ability to participate in the learning process.