School Social Work (SSW) Services

School Social Worker - School Social Worker (ages 0-21) - 7.07 (PDF)

School Social Workers are one of the few resources in schools for addressing personal and social problems that potentially inhibit a student’s ability to learn. There are nearly 10,000 school social workers in the United States today, and approximately 400 in Colorado, who realize that students who are hungry, sick, or worried about their families cannot achieve as well in school as students who do not have these concerns. School social workers, like many Americans, are concerned about the growing social problems affecting our youth – including substance abuse, teen pregnancy, HIV infection, suicide, abuse and neglect, and family violence. As a critical link between the school, the family, and the community, school social workers help make these environments more beneficial to students.

School social workers provide a range of services including:

• Assessment and diagnosis of students for special education services;
• Individual and/or group counseling with students experiencing mental health or social difficulties;
• Setting up student assistance programs and providing supports for all students;
• Crisis intervention;
• Encouraging parent participation through phone contacts and home visits with parents who are overburdened;
• Navigation of systems and accessing resources for students and their families; and,
• Collaborating with teachers.

The School Psychology & Special Education Evaluation Specialist focuses their work on supporting school psychologists and school social workers in schools in Colorado. They can provide support in the areas of special education evaluation and eligibility, Response to Intervention/Multi-Tiered System of Supports, and mental health for students with disabilities. If you have questions regarding licensing, please contact the Colorado Department of Education Licensing Team directly (information below under "Resources"). If you have questions relating to private practice, please contact the Department of Regulatory Agencies (information below under "Resources").

Licensing Information

• Licensing Standards
• Colorado Teacher Endorsement Requirements
• School Social Work - Special Services License Requirements
• Department of Education Licensing Office 
  • Submit Licensing Support Requests Form
  • Call 720-739-3304
    Phone hours: 8:30am to 4:30pm, Monday to Friday
• Please note, this position is not an expert in licensing and if you have specific questions, it is best to contact licensing office.

Department of Regulatory Agencies 

• Department of Regulatory Agencies 
  • Email the Department of Regulatory Agencies.
    • Phone: 303-894-7855 or 1-800-886-7675 (Toll Free outside the Denver metro area)
• Please note, this position does not support school psychologists or social workers in private practice.

CDE Resources

• Mental Health
• School Psychology Services
• School Social Work Services
• Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS)
• Behavior
• Colorado PBIS
• CDE - Professional Development
• Technical Assistance Documents
• Instructional Unit Samples - Comprehensive Health (includes Social and Emotional Wellness)
• Brain Injury in Children/Youth: A Manual for Educators 2013 (PDF)
• Technical Assistance (TA) for the Office of Special Education

Professional Organizations

• Colorado Society of School Psychologists
• National Association of School Psychologists
• Colorado School Social Work Association
• University Training Programs in Colorado:
  • University of Colorado at Denver
  • University of Denver
  • University of Northern Colorado
• Colorado Bilingual School Mental Health Network