III 

111TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. RES. 58 

Designating the week of March 1 through March 8, 2009, as ‘‘School Social 

Work Week’’. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

FEBRUARY 26, 2009 

Mr. WHITEHOUSE (for himself, Mr. COCHRAN, Mr. KERRY, Ms. LANDRIEU, 

Mr. BROWN, Mr. LAUTENBERG, Mrs. MURRAY, Mrs. LINCOLN, Mr. KENNEDY, and Mr. FEINGOLD) submitted the following resolution; which was 

referred to the Committee on the Judiciary 

FEBRUARY 27, 2009 

Committee discharged; considered and agreed to 

RESOLUTION 

Designating the week of March 1 through March 8, 2009, 

as ‘‘School Social Work Week’’. 

Whereas the Senate has recognized the importance of school 

social work through the inclusion of school social work 

programs in the current authorizations of the Elementary 

and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6301 

et seq.) and the Individuals with Disabilities Education 

Act (20 U.S.C. 1400 et seq.); 

Whereas school social workers serve as vital members of a 

school’s educational team, playing a central role in creating partnerships between the home, school, and community to ensure student academic success; 


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•SRES 58 ATS 

Whereas school social workers are especially skilled in providing services to students who face serious challenges to 

school success, including poverty, disability, discrimination, abuse, addiction, bullying, divorce of parents, loss of 

a loved one, and other barriers to learning; 

Whereas there is a growing need for local educational agencies to offer the mental health services that school social 

workers provide when working with families, teachers, 

principals, community agencies, and other entities to address students’ emotional, physical, and environmental 

needs so that students may achieve behavioral and academic success; 

Whereas to achieve the goal of the No Child Left Behind Act 

of 2001 (Public Law 107–110) of helping all children 

reach their optimal levels of potential and achievement, 

including children with serious emotional disturbances, 

schools must work to remove the emotional, behavioral, 

and academic barriers that interfere with student success 

in school; 

Whereas fewer than 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; 

Whereas school mental health programs are critical to early 

identification of mental health problems and in the provision of appropriate services when needed; 

Whereas the national average ratio of students to school social workers recommended by the School Social Work Association of America is 400 to 1; and 


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•SRES 58 ATS 

Whereas the celebration of ‘‘School Social Work Week’’ highlights the vital role school social workers play in the lives 

of students in the United States: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the Senate— 

2 (1) designates March 1 through March 8, 2009, 

3 as ‘‘School Social Work Week’’; 

4 (2) honors and recognizes the contributions of 

5 school social workers to the successes of students in 

6 schools across the Nation; and 

7 (3) encourages the people of the United States 

8 to observe ‘‘School Social Work Week’’ with appro9 priate ceremonies and activities that promote aware10 ness of the vital role of school social workers, in 

11 schools and in the community as a whole, in helping 

12 students prepare for their futures as productive citi13 zens. 

Æ 


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