
Bringing the Power of Social Work to Schools: Our 9/23 Congressional Briefing

Editor’s Note: On September 23rd, a virtual Congressional Briefing took place with the organizing title, “Bringing the Power of Social Work to Schools.” Organized by the Congressional Institute for Social Work & Policy (CRISP) and NASW, and co-sponsored by SSWN, SSWAA, and ACSSW, it offered an opportunity for Dr. Ron Astor (pictured top row, center), co-PI on our recent survey project, “Opening Schools Safely in the COVID-19 Era: School Social Workers’ Experiences & Recommendations” to offer testimony based on our report and to call for a coordinated national response based on our study’s findings. Dr. Astor wrote this after the Briefing as he sent the link that we feature below: “For those who missed the Congressional Briefing Yesterday, here is the video. Please share widely. We think Social Workers, Nurses, Psychologists, Counselors are now needed in the schools servicing families struggling with basic needs such as food, housing, health, mental health and systemic racism/ violence. I think those in the SSWR-school sig can play a major policy and research role.Most importantly, it brings me great pride that all the major organizations representing school social workers nationally came together to do the national study, policy brief, and now the congressional briefing. This is one of the rare times in my memory we have all collaborated together so effectively, and I want to thank you all. Lets see if we can build on this momentum and start organizing together for a national plan…”

Here’s the link to the recording of the Briefing: