Schools have an important role to play in adolescent suicide prevention. This article describes universal screenings for depression and suicidality as one component of the Signs of Suicide (SOS) program in middle and high schools following the suicide death of a student in the past few years. Of the students screened (N = 7,429), 11.0 percent of…

Urban policymakers, city officials, and community residents utilize neighborhood revitalization initiatives to establish safe and empowered neighborhoods. In 2016, leaders in Columbus, Ohio, launched a neighborhood revitalization effort designed to improve safety, access to opportunities, and economic development in the historically underserved…

Adolescent health and well-being are abysmal due to low and declining physical activity rates, increasing mental health problems such as anxiety and depression, and minimal opportunities to engage in meaningful social experiences. Adolescents who live in communities that are underserved face greater risks for experiencing health disparities…

Guided by the National Association of Social Workers' Code of Ethics and measures of competence provided by the Council on Social Work Education, the social work field serves as a model for strategies that promote collaboration across difference, strengths-based advocacy with communities, and education through engagement. These values and…

Poverty continues to be a significant public health crisis across the United States, and its impact is particularly prevalent among school-aged youth and their families. Many K-12 educators do not fully understand the realities associated with living in poverty. Such a lack of understanding impacts teachers' ability to meet the unique educational…

Since the COVID-19 outbreak, children and families in rural communities have been experiencing unprecedented long-term social isolation and insufficient access to mental health services. Prior to the pandemic, access to mental healthcare in rural communities was already inadequate, leading rural populations to be routinely underserved when facing…

Universities have the potential to bring significant assets to community school development, and community school models align with emerging priorities in higher education, including shifts toward community engagement. University-assisted community schools (UACS) present an ideal place for these mutual interests to be met, although barriers to…

Schools provide spaces for academic knowledge while also addressing children's social and emotional developmental needs. Because of the holistic development occurring within the education system, it is important to have an awareness of students' experiences and challenges both inside and outside of the classroom. Students with refugee backgrounds…

The research on students who do not graduate from high school has traditionally focused on students who drop out before their expected graduation date. This ignores the experiences of "persisters" or "persisting students"--those who remain enrolled in high school on or beyond their expected graduation date, but have yet to earn…

During the beginning stages of COVID-19, school social workers in New York City (NYC) were at the forefront of managing the mental health of youth and families. There were multiple barriers that interfered with the level of care that school social workers wanted and needed to provide to both students and their families. This article is an NYC…

Restorative justice (RJ) is both a philosophy and a set of practices meant to repair harm and maintain connection in the face of wrongdoing. While RJ is becoming increasingly popular among K-12 educators and in schools, emphasis is typically on its social justice applications, including its use as an alternative to zero-tolerance discipline…

Equity in education begins with creating structures that support students inclusive of their social-emotional needs. Students exposed to trauma perform best in schools that adopt trauma-sensitive practices. Many of these trauma-sensitive practices naturally prepare students to learn social-emotional skills, as the trauma-informed staff also models…

Social and emotional learning (SEL) and equity issues have each been complicated by the COVID-19 pandemic for students of color. This brief seeks to call to action school social workers who can identify social and emotional barriers to learning that students of color experience in schools through a critical race theory (CRT) lens. School social…

The role and duties of a school social worker can differ greatly by state. The National School Social Work Practice Model and the National Association of Social Workers' school social work standards describe practice approaches and behaviors endorsed by the School Social Work Association of America (SSWAA). The National Evaluation Framework for…

The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted the natural rhythm of the school year, affecting the way services are rendered. This shift has implications for the termination of services and the guidance of school social work interns through the termination process. This article provides lessons learned from the rapid transition from face-to-face practice to…