Bill Text: NY K00894 | 2023-2024 | General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Memorializing Governor Kathy Hochul to proclaim March 3-9, 2024, as School Social Worker Week in the State of New York

Spectrum: Bipartisan Bill

Status: (Passed) 2024-03-04 - adopted [K00894 Detail]

Download: New_York-2023-K00894-Introduced.html

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Assembly Resolution No. 894

BY: M. of A. Barrett

        MEMORIALIZING  Governor  Kathy  Hochul to proclaim
        March 3-9, 2024, as School Social Worker Week in the
        State of New York

  WHEREAS, School social workers serve as vital members of a  school's
education  team, playing a central role in creating partnerships between
the home, school, and community to ensure student academic success; and

  WHEREAS, School social workers are especially skilled  in  providing
services  to  students  who  face  serious challenges to school success,
including disability, poverty, discrimination,  abuse,  neglect,  mental
illness,  homelessness, bullying, familial stressors, and other barriers
to learning; and

  WHEREAS, School social workers are more necessary now than any  time
in  recent  memory,  as  more  students  are  struggling with mental and
behavioral health disorders, with nearly one in five children  having  a
diagnosed mental, behavioral, or developmental disorder; and

  WHEREAS,  Those  who wish to access community mental health services
often find them unavailable, inaccessible, or inadequate; and

  WHEREAS,  School  mental  health  programs  are  critical  to  early
identification of and early intervention for mental health problems; and

  WHEREAS,   School  social  workers,  being  licensed  mental  health
professionals   in   our   schools,   provide   necessary    assessment,
interventions, counseling, family outreach, and community referrals; and

  WHEREAS,  School  social workers are part of the New York State Safe
Schools Task Force because their knowledge of school culture and  school
climate are necessary for responsible school safety planning; and

  WHEREAS,  School  social workers contribute to increasing graduation
rates in  New  York,  including  an  eighty-three  percent  high  school
graduation rate in 2020, and a dropout rate of just six percent; and

  WHEREAS,  Research  indicates  that  school  mental  health programs
improve educational outcomes by decreasing absences, dropout  rates  and
discipline referrals, while improving academic achievement; and

  WHEREAS, The celebration of School Social Worker Week highlights the
vital  role  school  social workers play in the lives of students in New
York State; now, therefore, be it

  RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its  deliberations  to
memorialize Governor Kathy Hochul to proclaim March 3-9, 2024, as School
Social  Worker Week in the State of New York, and to honor and recognize
the contributions of school social workers to the success of students in
schools across the State, as well as encourage the people  of  New  York
State  to  observe School Social Worker Week with appropriate activities
that promote awareness of the vital role of school  social  workers,  in

schools  and in the community helping students prepare for their futures
as productive, engaged citizens; and be it further

  RESOLVED,  That  a  copy  of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be
transmitted to The Honorable Kathy Hochul, Governor of the State of  New
York.