About Social Work Services

School social workers are trained mental health professionals who assist with mental health concerns, behavior concerns, and provide social and emotional support to students. Following the Citywide Plan, the goal is for all St. Louis Public Schools to have a school social worker assigned to each school to serve as the link between home, school, and community (some schools have clinical therapists in addition to social workers). School social workers support students’ mental health, academic success, and overall social-emotional development by providing specialized services that address barriers impacting students’ learning inside and outside of the classroom.

School social workers develop intervention strategies to improve attendance, cope with crisis situations, build self-esteem, learn problem-solving and decision-making skills, resolve conflicts without violence, improve interpersonal relationships, collaborate with community agencies and organizations, identify and report suspected child abuse and neglect, and obtain community resources to meet students’ needs. School social workers also provide individual and group sessions on a variety of topics to promote self-confidence, healthy relationships, boundaries and more.

SLPS has six crisis teams, and a team is dispatched to schools in the event of a crisis, as determined and/or needed by the principal. 

Resources:

• 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline: The 988 Lifeline provides 24/7, free and confidential support for people in distress, prevention and crisis resources for you or your loved ones 
• St. Louis Crisis Nursery: The Saint Louis Crisis Nursery provides care 24 hours a day, 365 days a year at five nurseries and support for families at eleven Family Empowerment Centers throughout St. Louis, St. Charles, Southern Illinois and surrounding regions. 
• BHR: Behavioral Health Response provides crisis support, telephone counseling, and mental health resources 24 hours a day, 7 days a week 
• Safe Connections: provide services in prevention education, crisis intervention and counseling for survivors of domestic and sexual violence 
• Annie’s Hope: Providing comprehensive support services for children, teens and their families who are grieving a death. 
• Start Here St. Louis: provides general information, street addresses, phone numbers and websites for dozens of agencies, shelters, employment resources, food pantries and other organizations throughout the St. Louis area