School Social Workers

School social workers, through their unique training and practice, provide a variety of professional services which foster students’ physical, social, emotional, and academic growth. They promote and support the educational process by meeting the individual needs of students and families within the community. These services include providing crisis intervention and counseling, strengthening and supporting parent and family involvement, planning and developing school-based interventions with educators, engaging community resources, and assessing the need for special services. School social workers are often involved in helping students and their families with learning, behavior, and/or attendance concerns while strengthening home, school, and community partnerships.

School Social Work Services: Phone: (813) 273-7090 Office Fax: (813) 273-7341 Ken Gaughan, Supervisor Ken.Gaughan@sdhc.k12.fl.us
Dawne Gullatt, Coordinator Dawne.Gullatt@sdhc.k12.fl.us	Flossie Parsley, Coordinator Flossie.Parsley@sdhc.k12.fl.us
Myrna Hogue, Coordinator on Special Assignment Myrna.Hogue@sdhc.k12.fl.us	Conchita Canty-Jones, Coordinator of Full Service Schools Conchita.Canty-Jones@sdhc.k12.fl.us

Leadership Projects and Assignments Include:
Central Files Child Welfare Liaison District Exceptional Education Committees EDB Case Management EdVenture Program	Expulsion/Change of Placement Committee Full Service Schools Homeless Program IEP Counseling Services Neighborhood of Promise Liaison	New Staff Orientation Parent and Community Involvement Place Based Liaison Staff Development SWIFT and Technology Truancy Court

There are 165 school social workers in the district who serve early childhood through adult education in all of the district's elementary, middle, and high schools on an itinerant basis. Social workers are leaders in several special programs which include attendance remediation and drop-out prevention, bi-lingual team, alternative education, homeless services, kinship care, migrant services, mental health counseling for identified students, and graduate internship programs. Full-time services are available at select Title 1 schools.

School social workers have Master's degrees in social work and many are licensed as mental health professionals. School social workers in the district bring experience working in various agency settings. They are trained to utilize a strength-based perspective and are experts in navigating the systems that influence students and families.