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The SSWAA Legislative Team—comprised of Executive Director Rebecca Oliver, Associate Executive Director Capella Hauer, and Advocacy and Legislative Action Committee Co-Chairs Rob Lucio and Emilie Souhrada—traveled to Washington, D.C., on March 20-21, 2025, to meet with congressional staff and advocate for school social work and student mental health resources.
During their visit, the team engaged with legislative staff from 12 states whose representatives are members of key committees and caucuses, including:
✅ The Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP)
✅ The House Early Childhood Committee
✅ The Senate Mental Health Caucus
✅ The House Mental Health Caucus
✅ Or, were identified as Social Work Champions in Congress
The states represented in these meetings included Alabama, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Oregon, Louisiana, Utah, Missouri, Connecticut, Michigan, Ohio, New Jersey, and Wyoming.
Strengthening Advocacy Efforts
These meetings were an opportunity to share SSWAA’s Legislative Priorities and Awareness Campaign materials, emphasizing the critical need for school-based mental health services. The team provided both federal and state-specific insights, ensuring that policymakers understood the real-world impact of policy decisions on students, families, and school communities.
Additionally, the Legislative Team met with April Ferguson and Rachel Boyer from the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) to discuss legislative priorities and explore ways to strengthen collaboration between our associations in advancing policies that support school social work and student well-being.
A New Approach to Advocacy
This visit marks a continued evolution in SSWAA’s strategic advocacy efforts. As outlined in our recent Advocacy in Action update, SSWAA has shifted to a targeted, year-round advocacy model, ensuring ongoing engagement with key policymakers and positioning school social workers as go-to resources for legislative staff. Rather than focusing solely on an annual Hill Day, this approach allows for sustained relationship-building and policy influence.
What can you do?
📢 Call, email, and visit your Legislators! Especially if your state is listed above, please reach out to help us continue the conversation.
📢 Your representatives are asking for impact stories FROM YOU! Please share yours here!
📢 Join the movement! Become an Awareness Ambassador today!
📢 Follow us on social media and visit SSWAA.org to stay informed.
SSWAA remains committed to amplifying the voices of school social workers and advocating for the policies and resources needed to support students nationwide. If you’re interested in getting involved in advocacy efforts, please contact the co-chairs Emilie Souhrada (emiliejsouhrada@gmail.com) and Robert Lucio (rlucio@utk.edu). Additionally, consider becoming an SSW Ambassador and help with our National Awareness Campaign efforts!
