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by Rebecca Oliver, SSWAA Executive Director
The Olympic Games have always been a powerful display of unity and determination, with athletes from all over the world coming together, striving for greatness from the opening ceremony to the closing moments. What stands out most is how new sports, like breakdancing, skateboarding, and surfing, have recently entered the Olympic stage—breaking boundaries, much like our own profession is poised to do.
Surfing is a captivating sport, full of colorful slang that tells its own story. You might know "hang 10" or "wipeout," but other terms like “barney” or “into the soup” may not be as familiar. In surfing, to "catch a wave" means finding the perfect moment to leap into action and ride with skill. Similarly, in life, “catching a wave” is about recognizing an opportunity and grabbing it before it passes.
School social workers—this is your moment to catch the wave.
SSWAA has been hard at work behind the scenes to create opportunities for you to ride this wave of progress and transformation. New initiatives are on the horizon that will help promote our profession, strengthen our practices, and amplify our impact in schools nationwide. These are waves we cannot afford to miss.
National Census: Amplify Your Voice
In 2023, SSWAA secured a grant to conduct the National Census of the School Social Work profession. This monumental effort culminated in April 2024, providing us with valuable data about the state of school social work across the country. We’ve collected the voices of our profession—the hopes, challenges, and realities—and now, we're shaping these insights into impactful documents, talking points, and social media resources. The goal? To raise awareness and elevate our field.
Your role: Stay tuned as these resources roll out in the coming weeks. Think about where your voice can make the greatest impact—whether it’s engaging with local school boards, using the talking points to inform your colleagues, or advocating for change in your community.
National Model 2.0: Transform Your Practice
Another powerful initiative is the SSWAA National School Social Work Model 2.0, which was approved in December 2023 and will be fully launched by early 2025. This revamped model is designed to elevate our practice to the next level, offering a roadmap to align our work with best practices and meet the evolving needs of our schools.
SSWAA will be offering four webinars this fall to help you integrate this model into your daily practice. This is your opportunity to refine your skills, stay ahead of the curve, and become a leader in the implementation of this groundbreaking model.
Your role: Make sure to register for these webinars, reflect on how your current practice aligns with the updated model, and start thinking about how you can be a champion for this transformation in your district.
National Awareness Campaign: Elevate the Profession
It's clear that our profession has an awareness problem. Too often, school administrators and stakeholders don't fully understand the depth of what we do. But we know the truth—school social workers are critical to the well-being of students, staff, and the entire school community. In response, SSWAA is launching a National Awareness Campaign to educate stakeholders and highlight the essential role we play in schools.
This campaign is more than just a media blitz—it’s a call to action for every practitioner to get involved, spread the word, and be proud advocates for our profession.
Your role: Start thinking about how you can engage with this campaign. Whether it’s through hosting informational sessions at your school, leveraging social media, or working with your local professional community, there’s a way for everyone to get involved.
Catch the Wave: Be Part of the Movement
The waves are forming, and the tide is rising. SSWAA’s initiatives are an open invitation to every school social worker to seize the moment, to advocate for the future of our profession, and to ensure that our role is fully understood and valued.
Action Items to Catch the Wave:
Engage with the National Census materials: Once available, use the data and talking points to raise awareness in your community and advocate for change.
Attend the webinars on National Model 2.0: Set aside time this fall to deepen your understanding of the model and align your practice with it.
Join the National Awareness Campaign: Start conversations in your district, collaborate with local stakeholders, and use social media to amplify the role of school social workers.
Get involved with SSWAA: Be a member, stay connected, share your experiences, and join the wave of progress as our profession continues to evolve.
Rebecca K. Oliver, LMSW is the Executive Director of the School Social Work Association of America. Prior to her current role, Mrs. Oliver served on the SSWAA Board of Directors and has over 20 years of experience working as a school social worker. In addition to her social work training, Rebecca has a Graduate Certificate of Nonprofit Management and Leadership. In her current role with SSWAA, Rebecca is able to support school social workers across the nation and advocate for the profession about which she is so passionate. When not working, Rebecca enjoys traveling with her husband Jon, singing, running, reading, doing home improvements, and being outdoors, including taking walks with her dog Buddy.