Every school should have one

     
     In reference to your editorial of April 24, please note: School social workers have had a presence in public schools since the early 1900s, and schools in Nevada employed social workers through the 1970s. Currently, there are no social workers in Southern Nevada schools, although federal mandates require that school social services be provided to specific vulnerable populations.
      Your paper reports the problems children and their families face every day. We were puzzled by the Review-Journal's editorial opposition to Assembly Bill 398, which involves a pilot program for school social work. The April 24 editorial acknowledged the problems of "gangs, teen pregnancy, child abuse and neglect, adolescent suicide, domestic violence and dropping out of school." These issues are clearly the domain of social work.
      Please publish the list of the "dozens of public or quasi-public agencies" that deal with these problems. We will certainly refer our children and families to these agencies. We are aware of public and private agencies that are underfunded and understaffed, with long waiting lists for limited services, that are currently unable to meet the needs requested of them.
      School-age children bring family problems to school. These problems interfere with the child's ability to learn and the teacher's ability to teach them. Often schools know that a child needs help, but do not have the resources and personnel to provide that support. School personnel see the symptoms but cannot determine the causes. School social workers are trained to go beyond the symptoms and deal with the causes of the problems. School social workers provide a link between home, school and the community for these children.
      AB398 is an attempt to provide intervention for the problems discussed in the previous paragraphs. Currently, the majority of students are penalized for these problems -- problems that may be the result of child abuse and neglect. School truancy, for instance, can be a function of parental problems or impairments, such as parental depression, inadequate income, or parental alcohol or drug abuse. School social workers can assist in identifying these problems and determining what actions need to be taken, which for some children will prevent problems from escalating.
      School social workers make home visits, assess family problems, inform and refer. They provide case management and follow-up, crisis intervention, resolve conflict without violence, coordinate, advocate and collaborate. It is time to take positive action in dealing with the causes of problems for our school-aged youth by enacting legislation to put social workers in Nevada schools.
     
     Esther Langston is president and Rosalie Clark Montoya executive director of the National Association of Social Workers, Nevada Chapter. The Review-Journal welcomes local commentary submissions. Send to the Las Vegas Review-Journal, Commentary Page, 1111 W. Bonanza Rd., Las Vegas, NV 89106.