School Social Work and Mental Health Funding

Abstract School social workers provide mental health services to millions of students each year. However, few studies focus on how social workers generate funding and other support for school mental health. The purpose of this study is to identify the continuum of school mental health supports and how social workers advocate for and generate these supports. This study examines variation in school social worker experiences across three school types: Chicago neighborhood schools, Chicago charter schools, and Chicago-area suburban schools. This study uses the ecological systems framework to structure the interview guide and inform coding. This study finds three major themes: (1) schools improve student access to mental health services, (2) social workers advocate for mental health supports differently depending on their school type, and (3) schools sideline social workers through inadequate support of their positions. Findings suggest greater support for school social work positions and greater collaboration between administrators and school social workers to fully leverage available resources and meet student mental health needs.