The changing role of the school social worker: What's stressing kids, and how can we help? |
On Board Online • January 12, 2026
By Alan Wechsler
Special Correspondent
Jacqueline Pardy, a social worker at Rockland BOCES, notices behavior - is that elementary school student always spending time alone on the playground? Is that high schooler consistently spending lunch time in the library, perhaps because they are uncomfortable in a crowded cafeteria?
She also runs a private practice. One of the first questions she asks her young clients is, "Do you have friends?" Sometimes, the answer is, "no."
It's the role of the school social worker to interact with such students and try to help them. But that first step can sometimes be more challenging than one might expect.
"To be able to sit down and have a conversation with kids is extremely different," Pardy said. "They're not able to have that back-and-forth banter. They're not able to engage appropriately." Even eye contact can be a challenge.
According to U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, four in 10 U.S. high school students report feeling sad or hopeless. It's part of a constellation of mental health issues that has prompted one social psychologist to call today's youth "the anxious generation".
How are school social workers helping students cope with their myriad challenges, which can include family stress, feelings of isolation, identity issues, substance abuse and more? Interviews with school social workers across the state suggests their roles are evolving.
Still recovering from the disruptions of COVID
It's hard to overstate the ways that the COVID pandemic damaged the mental health of students; the lingering effects of the pandemic on the ability of students to socialize and relate to others were mentioned by every social worker interviewed for this article. One shared that her own son had trouble developing an understanding of facial expressions because people's faces were hidden by masks for so long.
Kelly DeCaprio, a social worker at the Queensbury Union Free School District, has been in the field for two decades. She says the challenges of the job changed profoundly since COVID first hit in 2020. Along with the increase of social anxiety, she has seen more eating disorders, depression and students acting out, even at the elementary school level.
It has changed the way social workers approach their jobs. It involves a lot more than being a good listener for students. Often, it means facing huge social problems, such as poverty, parental neglect or online predation.
"We're trying to address very global needs," DeCaprio said. "More has fallen on the schools. All those factors outside school impacts how a student does."
Like many professionals in public education, her work is not limited to the school day. She keeps in contact with students and parents through an app that lets them leave messages after hours without invading her privacy.
Some students have private therapists or treatment providers, and DeCaprio stays in touch with them, too.
"There's more communication and coordination," DeCaprio said. "The exchange of information is much better."
Hopeful Futures Campaign
The National PTA, the National Association of Secondary School Principals and National Center for School Mental Health are among the sponsors of The Hopeful Futures Campaign, which issues a national School Mental Health Report Card and advocates for legislation at the state and national level to improve the mental health of young people. It recommends that there be a school social worker for every 250 PK-12 students, although no state is close to that.
New York is relatively strong at a ratio of one social worker per 773 students, according to the School Social Work Association of America. In Massachusetts, the ratio is 1 per 1,522 students; California, 1 per 6,132; and Texas, 1 per 13,604.
Part of the credit goes to small school districts in New York State that have recognized the need for social workers. For instance, the rural Greenville Central School District (student population: 1,000) created its first social worker position in 2021.
"The addition of a social worker was something our Pupil Personnel Services team talked about for years because of the increase in mental health concerns across age levels," said spokeswoman Sierra Pizzola.
The district wanted a liaison between the district, families, students in need of additional services, and community service providers. The position was originally funded by grant money and is now part of the district's regular budget.
That new position was filled in 2022 by Carolyn Elacqua, a veteran art teacher. She had recently gone back to school for a social worker graduate degree before moving to the new position in Greenville.
"There was not a job description," Elacqua said. "We sat down and we discussed how social workers can support students, faculty, families, staff ."
Elacqua often stands in the hallway between periods to be visible and approachable. She also encourages office visits; each day, an average of five or six students stop in to talk about anything bothering them.
Her strategies often involve helping the student get better at recognizing and regulating their own emotions. She often recommends they relax by doing something they enjoy: listening to music or creating art, or by concentrating on breathing. The idea is to help students identify how they are feeling and recognize that there are steps they can take to control those feelings. "I try to make a connection with something the student has a fondness for," she said.
Like many, Elacqua blames at least part of this rise on the prevalence of cell phones and social media in children's lives.
"Students don't have the opportunity to get a break from interacting with peers and the world around them," she said. "It's constant. They're being over-inundated with information and social situations, and ways that people believe they should be living. I think that's causing them more anxiety."
In that regard, the new statewide cellphone ban in schools has been helpful, she said. In Greenville's case, the district issues plastic packets where students seal their phones for the day. She says it's going well.
"I've noticed a difference in my students articulating amongst themselves and teachers," she said. "They're more engaged."
Addressing issues related to poverty
"Poverty is associated with substandard housing, hunger, homelessness, inadequate childcare, unsafe neighborhoods and under-resourced schools," notes an article on the website of the American Psychological Association. "In addition, low-income children are at greater risk than higher-income children for a range of cognitive, emotional, and health-related problems, including detrimental effects on executive functioning, below average academic achievement, poor social emotional functioning, developmental delays, behavioral problems, asthma, inadequate nutrition, low birth weight, and higher rates of pneumonia."
The Herculean task of attempting to counteract the effects of poverty falls on all school personnel, and school social workers often take the lead in district or regional efforts.
At the Niagara Wheatfield Central School District, social worker Kara Kirk is coordinator of the Family Support Center, a dedicated office that provides free food and materials and acts as a "one-stop shop" for people in need.
Niagara Wheatfield is a rural district of 3,300 students, about a third of whom meet poverty guidelines. Kirk is one of four social workers in the district.
"There have always been families who needed help," she said. "But it's more common (today) for families to need help, and to accept help. Everyone recognizes how expensive things are and how families are just really struggling. Families that don't have high incomes can be set back very quickly."
Another important facet of the center is the Helping Hands room, a place where any student or their families can go for free groceries, clothing, hygiene products or other materials. It offers products donated by the local Tops grocery store, Feedmore Western New York, school staff and local organizations. The classroom-sized space includes an industrial-sized refrigerator and freezer and is maintained by students with disabilities and retired teachers.
Programs like these indicate how far districts have come in serving students with extra needs, said the veteran social worker with nearly three decades of experience.
"There is definitely a better understanding of mental health issues," she said. "There's more acceptance, not as much stigma. It's nothing to be ashamed of."
For students with more severe needs, Kirk will link a student with a private therapist and make sure their insurance is accepted. The district has partnered with local agencies that provide therapists who come to the schools to meet students, making it easier for the families. She can also put students and families in touch with providers of housing, substance abuse treatment, disability services and other needs.
The idea is to do the legwork for families with little experience with bureaucracy.
"It can be overwhelming and kind of stressful to figure out how to help your child," she said.
Forming partnerships with county agencies and sharing information
At Rockland BOCES, Pardy serves about 50,000 potential student clients who attend the BOCES or any of the eight school districts in the county.
When a student is referred to her, it could be anything. An abusive parent. An undiagnosed disorder. Depression. Neglect.
An important part of Pardy's job involves connecting students in need with appropriate services available in Rockland County. Maybe it's a food pantry. Maybe it's a private therapist with specialized expertise.
She is lead counselor with the Partnership for Safe and Healthy Youth, which was created by BOCES and partner agencies in 2015 with the help of a $4 million U.S. Department of Justice grant. The program shares information between such county offices as Mental Health, Social Services, Probation and the District Attorney's Office, and it enables clients to access help immediately.
Originally inspired by the Columbine school shooting, the program also seeks to ensure that any warning signs of potential violence are not missed. The program's creation was spearheaded by Thomas Zugibe, formerly district attorney for Rockland County and currently a state Supreme Court judge. He is also the husband of Peggy Zugibe, a former president of NYSSBA.
"The vision was partnership, working together to assist families to get services and make sure people are communicating with other service providers," Pardy said.
"Participation of children, youth and families with the Partnership for Safe & Healthy Youth Center may lead to higher academic achievement," according to a Rockland BOCES fact sheet. The Partnership is also credited with improving school attendance and less involvement with substance abuse and crime. "Involvement with the Center may also increase a youths' social competence and motivation," according to the fact sheet.
For more information, go to www.rocklandboces.org/resources .