The School Social Work Toolkit, 2nd Edition

Wildly popular since the publication of the first edition, The School Social Work Toolkit is the go-to guide for social workers, counselors, and mental health professionals in primary and secondary education. The new second edition provides real-world resources that social workers can implement on the first day of school and beyond, featuring hands-on activities that are easily reproducible, templates and forms to reduce paperwork time, and thoughtful advice to help school social workers excel at their job.

The authors offer guidance on defining the role of the school social worker; bridging together students and the systems that serve them; and collaborating with teachers, administrators, parents, and guardians to ensure student success. The book provides detailed instruction on how to conduct individual counseling, run small groups, and implement schoolwide programs that meet students where they are and address crises head on.

Issue-specific groups are discussed, including those for grief and loss, anger management, bullying intervention, healthy masculinity, and healthy relationships. Addressing student trauma—whether in school or at home—is a central theme throughout. Creative and engaging interventions are detailed, including affective education, experiential therapy, peer mediation, and restorative justice practices.

Additionally, the authors make recommendations for establishing healthy boundaries, creating work–life balance, avoiding burnout, and building a self-care routine. Fundamentally, the book strives to empower school social workers to create a safe and healthy environment for everyone at school and to support students in getting the most out of their education.