Standing Together: How School Social Workers Can Support Each Other During Job Losses

School social workers across the country face job uncertainty due to grant expirations, discontinuations of grants, shifting district priorities, and other funding cuts. These losses affect not only school social workers and their families but also the thousands of students who rely on our services. In times like these, solidarity matters. We must come together—as colleagues, as a profession, and as state and national associations—to support one another and safeguard the future of school social work.

What Individual School Social Workers Can Do to Support One Another

• Start or Join Local Peer Circles: Organize monthly virtual or in-person gatherings where school social workers can share job leads, strategies, and emotional support.

• Create a Job Loss Resource Kit: Collaborate on a shared document or Google Drive folder with templates for resumes, cover letters, interview tips, and links to current job boards in education.

• Write Public Letters of Support: Write letters of recommendation for colleagues who were laid off. Endorse each other on LinkedIn. Be generous in elevating the professional value of others.

• Invite Displaced SSWs to Guest Speak or Train: Bring former colleagues into your school or district PD days to lead workshops or speak about specialized topics—giving them visibility and paid opportunities.

• Map Career Alternatives Together: Form small teams to explore parallel roles in school districts—then report back to the group.

• Develop State-Level Advocacy Groups: Collaborate with your state school social work association and education unions to advocate for sustainable funding for school social work positions. Consider becoming part of SSWAA’s Awareness Campaign by signing up to be an Ambassador to raise awareness about school social work.

  
  

  

  
  

What State School Social Work Associations Can Do To Support Their Members

State-level school social work associations play a critical bridging role between national advocacy and local action. They are uniquely positioned to respond quickly, build community, and influence local policy. Here are some ideas on how they can lead in this moment:

• Track and Publicize Layoff Trends in Their State:  Create a centralized, confidential mechanism for members to report layoffs. Use the aggregated data to brief legislators, school boards, and the media on the scale and impact of the issue. Share the data with SSWAA so that they can track national trends.

• Create Regional Peer Support Networks:  Facilitate regional “support pods” where members can connect for emotional support, job search tips, and advocacy collaboration.

• Offer Member-to-Member Coaching:  Pair veteran social workers or retirees with those who have been laid off to provide career coaching, networking, or even mock interviews.

• Partner with State Departments of Education: Advocate for inclusion in school mental health task forces, funding decisions, and recovery plans. Push for line-item funding for SSW positions instead of relying solely on grants and less stable sources of funding.

• Recognize and Celebrate Displaced Workers: Publish stories about the work of those who have lost their positions. Honoring their contributions maintains morale, reinforces value, and keeps them visible to potential employers.

• Coordinate with Local Media for Awareness: Issue joint press releases or op-eds with school administrators, parents, and mental health partners to raise visibility of the funding crisis and the consequences of losing SSW roles.

  
  

  

  
  

What SSWAA Is Doing to Support Members Facing Job Loss

• Launched a National Awareness Campaign: To promote the value that school social workers bring to students, their families, and the school. SSWAA's National Awareness Campaign was launched to increase an understanding of and raise appreciation for the profession of School Social Work while addressing key workforce challenges.

• Published a National Census: Initiated to address inconsistencies in certification and educational standards, the findings from the census aim to inform policy decisions and advocacy efforts within the profession. By highlighting the need for accurate data, the report empowers school social workers to advocate for their roles and secure the resources necessary to support students, families, and communities effectively.

• Hosting Virtual Town Halls: SSWAA’s Regional Representatives on the Board are creating spaces for shared grieving, storytelling, and planning in an effort to continuously gather members’ lived experiences. Watch the e-bell for details.

  
  

The challenges we face as a profession are daunting but they are not insurmountable. Together—through national leadership, state leadership, and individual compassion—we can protect the future of school social work, not just by advocating to preserve jobs, but by transforming how our value is recognized and sustained. To help us continue to monitor the situation, SSWAA has created a form for school social workers to share their lived experiences with the SSWAA staff and the Board. We are a profession rooted in care, systems thinking, and resilience. Let us demonstrate the power of collective action and mutual aid both within our school walls and beyond them.