Expressing support for the designation of the week beginning March 5, 2023, as "School Social Work Week".

IV 118TH CONGRESS 1ST SESSION H. RES. 203 Expressing support for the designation of the week beginning March 5, 2023, as ‘‘School Social Work Week’’. IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES MARCH 7, 2023 Ms. MOORE of Wisconsin (for herself and Ms. LEE of California) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Edu- cation and the Workforce RESOLUTION Expressing support for the designation of the week beginning March 5, 2023, as ‘‘School Social Work Week’’. Whereas the importance of school social work through the in- clusion of school social work programs and services has been recognized in the Elementary and Secondary Edu- cation Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6301 et seq.) and the In- dividuals with Disabilities Education Act (20 U.S.C. 1400 et seq.); Whereas school social workers are especially skilled in pro- viding services to students who face serious challenges to school success, including disability, poverty, discrimina- tion, abuse, neglect, mental illness, homelessness, bul- lying, familial stressors, and other barriers to learning; VerDate Sep 11 2014 01:11 Mar 08, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\HR203.IH HR203 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 2 •HRES 203 IH Whereas school social workers are needed more now than at any time in recent memory, as more students are strug- gling with mental and behavioral health disorders, with nearly 1 in 6 children from 2 to 8 years old (17.4 per- cent) having a diagnosed mental, behavioral, or develop- mental disorder; Whereas individuals who wish to access community mental health services often find such services unavailable, inac- cessible, or inadequate; Whereas school-based mental health programs are critical to early identification of and early intervention for mental health problems; Whereas school social workers, being licensed mental health professionals in schools in the United States, provide nec- essary assessment, interventions, counseling, family out- reach, and community referrals; Whereas school mental health programs are critical to early identification of mental health problems and in the provi- sion of appropriate services when needed; Whereas school social workers maintain knowledge of school culture and school climate which are necessary for re- sponsible school safety planning; Whereas fewer than 1 in 5 children in need of mental health services actually receive these services, and research indi- cates that school mental health programs improve edu- cational outcomes by decreasing absences, dropout rates, and discipline referrals, while improving academic achievement; Whereas school social workers serve as vital members of a school’s education team, playing a central role in creating VerDate Sep 11 2014 01:11 Mar 08, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\HR203.IH HR203 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 3 •HRES 203 IH partnerships between the home, school, and community to ensure student academic success; and Whereas the celebration of ‘‘School Social Work Week’’ dur- ing the week beginning March 5, 2023, highlights the vital role school social workers play in the lives of stu- dents in the United States: Now, therefore, be it Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 1 (1) supports the designation of ‘‘School Social 2 Work Week’’; 3 (2) honors and recognizes the contributions of 4 school social workers to the successes of students in 5 schools across the Nation; and 6 (3) encourages the people of the United States 7 to observe ‘‘School Social Work Week’’ with appro- 8 priate ceremonies and activities that promote aware- 9 ness of the vital role of school social workers, in 10 schools and in the community as a whole, in helping 11 students prepare for their futures as productive citi- 12 zens. 13 Æ VerDate Sep 11 2014 01:11 Mar 08, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6301 E:\BILLS\HR203.IH HR203 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS