Insights from the field: An exploration of approaches and trends utilized by Illinois school social workers.

School social workers (SSWers) support students facing adversity by advocating for their social-emotional well-being while navigating academic mandates. SSWers address behavioral and emotional challenges that impede student success, often rooted in trauma, mental health, disabilities, or challenging circumstances. However, less is known about the array of approaches SSWers utilize when working with students. As such, this study aimed to understand the current approaches and trends of SSWers in Illinois when working with youth who face adversity. Researchers utilized a cross-sectional mixed methods approach employing survey research with scaled and open-ended questions. The Illinois School Social Workers Association (IASSW) aided recruitment via their annual conference and email list, supervisor snowball sampling, and social media platforms. The final sample was 228 Illinois SSWers. Survey results suggest a misalignment between practice and established guidelines by the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) that recommended 250-to-one student-to-social worker ratios, with, in reality, an average of only 1.5 SSWs per building with up to 499 students and merely two SSWers per building with approximately 1,000 students. Nearly three-quarters of schools where SSWers practice used restorative approaches, and about half of schools still used exclusionary discipline. The majority of SSWers incorporate individual or group service models into their practice, with an average caseload of 42 students, 63% of whom receive special education services while using a variety of curriculums. Results align with existing literature in suggesting a critical need for regulations in SSWers-to-student ratio, caseload maximums, and increase in pay. Future studies should explore how SSW professional development and higher education programs can better equip them for the multifaceted realities of their roles and leadership tasks in schools. Policy, education, and leadership implications are discussed.