H. Res. 1091 

In the House of Representatives, U. S., 

March 9, 2010. 

Whereas the importance of school social work through the inclusion of school social work programs has been recognized 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; 

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; 
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•HRES 1091 EH 

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 in 1999, with the most current data available, the 

Surgeon General’s Report on Mental Health showed that 

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 

Whereas the celebration and of ‘‘School Social Work Week’’ 

during the week of February 28 through March 6, 2010, 

highlights the vital role school social workers play in the 

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

it 

Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 

(1) supports the designation of ‘‘School Social Work 

Week’’; 
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•HRES 1091 EH 

(2) honors and recognizes the contributions of 

school social workers to the successes of students in 

schools across the Nation; and 

(3) encourages the people of the United States to 

observe ‘‘School Social Work Week’’ with appropriate 

ceremonies and activities that promote awareness of the 

vital role of school social workers, in schools and in the 

community as a whole, in helping students prepare for 

their futures as productive citizens. 

Attest: 

Clerk.