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[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 978 Engrossed in House (EH)]

                In the House of Representatives, U. S.,

                                                     February 25, 2008.
Whereas the School Social Work Association of America declared the week of March 
        3-7, 2008, ``School Social Work Week'';
Whereas the House of Representatives recognized the importance of school social 
        work through the inclusion of school social work programs in the current 
        authorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 and 
        the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act;
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 school districts to offer the mental health 
        services that school social workers provide when working with families, 
        teachers, principals, community agencies, and other entities to address 
        the emotional, physical, and environmental needs so that students may 
        achieve behavioral and academic success;
Whereas to achieve the goals of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 of help for 
        all children in reaching their optimal potential and achievement, 
        including those 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 the President's New 
        Freedom Commission on Mental Health 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 of ``School Social Work Week'' highlights the awareness 
        of 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) honors and recognizes the contributions of school social workers 
        to the success of students in schools across the Nation; and
            (2) 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 the community as a whole, in helping students prepare for their 
        future as productive citizens.
            Attest:

                                                                          Clerk.
```