March 2nd, 2020

We invite you to join us in celebrating Social Work Week in the Waterloo Region District School Board (WRDSB). Social Work Week is celebrated annually across Canada during the month of March. In Ontario, the first week of March marks the start of Social Work Week.

In the WRDSB, we have 28 Social Work Staff who are designated to our Elementary and Secondary Schools, as well as additional Social Workers who are currently in management positions. Together, we support WRDSB students, families and caregivers by addressing specific areas of concern that impact students’ academic success and wellbeing. Our School Social Workers provide screening and assessments followed by interventions and referrals to community services to boost overall well-being and daily functioning.

Examples of the School Social Worker Role:

  • Conducting suicide and self-injury risk assessments and accessing supports
  • Making referrals and providing ongoing communication with our community mental health service partners
  • Addressing school attendance and avoidance issues
  • Supporting student or family crisis
  • Providing general mental health supports to students in need
  • Providing mental health consultation to school teams
  • Providing professional development resources and sessions for staff and students on mental health and resilience.

This demonstrates the complex and valuable work of our School Social Workers.

We invite you to watch this brief video created by our Social Work Team that highlights their work.

We further invite you to reach out to your School Social Worker to recognize and celebrate their critical work in education and within our school board!

Questions or Comments?

Barbara Ward – Mental Health Lead (ext. 4558)
Scott Miller – Superintendent of Well-being and Achievement
Cindy Benedetti – System Administrator
Erin Scott – Critical Events Response Administrator

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