```

[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 182 Engrossed in House (EH)]

H. Res. 182

                In the House of Representatives, U. S.,

                                                        March 24, 2009.
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;
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
Whereas the celebration and of ``School Social Work Week'' during the week of 
        March 1 through March 8, 2009, 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'';
            (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.
```