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Important Update
We are excited to share an important update about how SSWAA will approach advocacy efforts. SSWAA is shifting advocacy efforts internally instead of partnering with a lobbying firm as part of this initiative. This approach reflects our commitment to keeping the voices of school social work practitioners at the center of these critical conversations. The SSWAA Legislative Team includes Executive Director Rebecca Oliver, Associate Executive Director Capella Hauer, and Rob Lucio and Emilie Souhrada, the Legislative and Advocacy Committee Co-chairs.
Bringing this work in-house will increase our impact on Capitol Hill and within coalitions and partnerships nationally. It will allow us to amplify school social work perspectives and expertise while continuing to promote advocacy efforts that represent our profession's needs and contributions.
We are confident that this new direction will strengthen our collective voice and solidify SSWAA’s role in shaping policies that benefit students, families, and communities. Thank you for your continued support and dedication as we embark on this exciting endeavor together.
As we prepare for the upcoming presidential administration, staying informed about potential shifts in education funding and policy is crucial. We are committed to addressing key issues impacting school social work, students, families, and communities. Whether education funding continues to be managed at the federal level or transitions to state control, we will monitor these changes to ensure that the needs of school social workers and our educational communities are met.
SSWAA Legislative Priorities
While there certainly have been challenges this past year, we are energized by the momentum we are seeing in the awareness of the impact school social workers have on student well-being and academic outcomes, the prioritization of school mental health, and the advancement of key legislation such as the School Social Workers Supporting Student Success Act.
The Advocacy and Legislative Action Committee and SSWAA’s Legislative Team are working to ensure that school social work is front and center on the national education scene. This year, our legislative priorities include increasing the following:
School-Based Mental Health Services
Workforce Diversity and Development
Recognition for the School Social Work Profession
Federal Funding for Education
Support Student and Family Well-being
Coalitions and Partnerships
In addition to our legislative priorities and actions, SSWAA has also worked to advocate for the SSW profession by participating in 23 different Coalitions and Partnerships, some of which include the following:
National Alliance of Specialized Instructional Support Personnel (NASISP)
Child and Adolescent Mental Health Coalition
Mental Health Liaison Group
Education Big Table
Leading with SEL Coalition
Last year, SSWAA endorsed 28 sign-on letters and bills that supported our legislative priorities in school mental health, professional advocacy, recognition of the SSW profession, marginalized groups, school-based mental health services, student and family well-being, and social justice advocacy.
Join us
Are you interested in being on the front line of SSW advocacy? Consider joining the Advocacy and Legislative Action Committee during our monthly meetings (the fourth Monday of each month at 8:00 PM EST). We welcome your input and involvement in advocating for school social work and the students, families, schools, and communities we serve.
Contact
For more information, please contact the co-chairs Emilie Souhrada (emiliejsouhrada@gmail.com) and Robert Lucio (rlucio@utk.edu).
