119-hres196

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 196 Introduced in House

    (IH) ]

<DOC>

119th CONGRESS
 1st Session
H. RES. 196

 Expressing support for the designation of the week beginning March 2, 
 2025, as ``School Social Work Week''.

_______________________________________________________________________

 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

 March 5, 2025

 Ms. Moore of Wisconsin (for herself, Ms. Scholten, and Ms. Garcia of 
 Texas) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the 
 Committee on Education and Workforce

_______________________________________________________________________

 RESOLUTION

 Expressing support for the designation of the week beginning March 2, 
 2025, as ``School Social Work Week''.

 Whereas the importance of school social work is recognized in 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.) 
 through the inclusion of school social work programs and services in 
 such Acts;
Whereas school social workers are especially skilled in providing services to 
 students who face serious challenges to school success, including 
 disability, poverty, discrimination, abuse, neglect, mental illness, 
 homelessness, bullying, familial stressors, and other barriers to 
 learning;
Whereas school social workers are more necessary now than at any time in recent 
 memory, as more students are struggling with mental and behavioral 
 health disorders, with nearly 1 in 6 children from 2 to 8 years old 
 (17.4 percent) having a diagnosed mental, behavioral, or developmental 
 disorder;
Whereas individuals who wish to access community mental health services often 
 find such services unavailable, inaccessible, or inadequate;
Whereas school social workers, being licensed mental health professionals in 
 schools in the United States, provide necessary assessment, 
 interventions, counseling, family outreach, and community referrals;
Whereas school mental health programs are critical to early identification and 
 intervention of mental health problems and in the provision of 
 appropriate mental health services when needed;
Whereas school social workers maintain knowledge of school culture and school 
 climate, which are necessary for responsible school safety planning;
Whereas fewer than 1 in 5 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, dropout 
 rates, and discipline referrals, while improving academic achievement;
Whereas school social workers serve as vital members of a school's education 
 team, playing a central role in creating partnerships between the home, 
 school, and community to ensure student academic success; and
Whereas the celebration of ``School Social Work Week'' during the week beginning 
 March 2, 2025, 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.
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