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Social Workers

Heather Koontz
Heather Koontz, MSW, LISW-S
Social Worker
HS Social Worker
Email:  koontzh@alleneastschool.org
Office Phone:  419-648-3333 ext. 2004

 

Miss Biese

Kelly Biese, LISW, LICDC
MS Social Worker
Email:  biesek@alleneastschool.org
Office Phone:  419-648-3333 ext. 1012
 
Mrs. Clouse
Amy Clouse, LISW
Elementary Social Worker
Email:  clousea@alleneastschool.org
Office Phone:  419-648-3333 ext. 1006
 
 

What is a School Social Worker?

School Social Workers are trained mental health professionals with a Master’s degree in Social Work and a state license. They provide services to enhance and promote the educational, emotional, and social needs of students and families in order of them to make use of the resources available to them to achieve their full potential within their home, school, and community by helping youth overcome barriers to educational progress.

 

What do Social Workers do?

Our school social workers provide supportive counseling and/ or mental health skill building to individual students, groups of students, and parents, in order to promote optimal learning by addressing mental health and interpersonal skills. Using their understanding of family and community systems, school social workers link students and families to services that are essential for student success.

 

In addition, they work with students who are facing a variety of challenges, such as depression, social anxiety, self-harm, aggressive behaviors, bullying, substance abuse problems and sexual identity issues. Our school social workers also work with students to address immediate concerns, such as coping with stress, parental divorce, school avoidance, and grief and loss issues. School social workers provide crisis intervention, supportive counseling and/or therapeutic services to students. School social workers use their expertise to enhance classroom and school climate, promote optimal learning, improve interpersonal skills, alleviate barriers to positive adjustment, and address attendance and dropout issues. Our school social workers collaborate with administrators, teachers and families to promote and reinforce regular school attendance, serving as a liaison between the school and community agencies to promote the overall well-being of students and families.