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NEWS ALERT:
READ THIS
NOW!!!
CRITICAL INFORMATION
FOR SCHOOL SOCIAL WORKERS
October 20, 2008
If you are not aware of it, the State Department of
Education was recently charged with writing the
regulations to govern the employment of Marriage and
Family Therapists in schools. This followed several
years of attempts by MFTs to gain access to school
employment. The regulations are currently in the process
of being finalized but the Regulation Review Committee
of the Legislature has sought changes in the regulations
proposed by the State Department of Education. One of
the issues that is in dispute is the requirement for
state licensure (LMFT) prior to employment. At the
present time, there is no requirement for school social
workers to be licensed. There has been discussion about
making licensure a requirement to obtain the
Professional Certificate for school social workers but
this would create issues for other support staff such as
school psychologists and school counselors who are not
required to be licensed.
Recently, an LMFT wrote to the SDE
asking if he could have the 300 clinical hours of
practical experience waived due to his extensive
clinical and educational experience. He was told that he
could not simply apply for a school social worker’s job.
Georgette Nemr, SDE, informed this individual that once
the regulations are approved by the Secretary of State,
school superintendents and directors of special
education facilities will be advised not to create
school positions for MFTs that overlap with other
support personnel’s job descriptions. Additionally, she
stated that the practicum would not be waived for any
applicant. This information reached Senator Thomas
Gaffey, Chairperson of the Education Committee in the
state legislature, who serves several towns in
Connecticut (Middletown, Middlefield, Cheshire and
Meriden). He has written to the SDE stating that the
General Assembly did not convey the authority for SDE
staff to delineate the roles and responsibilities of
support staff in schools (school social workers, MFTs,
school psychologists and school counselors).
We held an emergency board meeting
recently to discuss this matter and we are planning to
set up meetings with Senator Gaffey and also
Representative Fleischmann of West Hartford who is also
on the Education Committee. We need them both to
understand the unique role of school social workers and
the differences in training and orientation between MFTs
and Social Workers. Our jobs are simply not
interchangeable. If you live in either of these
legislators’ constituencies or work in a school in their
constituencies, WE ARE ASKING YOU TO CONTACT US if you
would be willing to be part of such a meeting. If we do
not educate these legislators as to what we do as SSWs,
we stand to lose our jobs and our profession will
quickly lose its identity.
THIS IS A VERY REAL AND CRITICALLY
IMPORTANT MATTER FOR US AS SSWs. WE NEED YOUR SUPPORT
AND WE NEED YOU TO BECOME A MEMBER SO WE CAN FIGHT FOR
OUR SURVIVAL. YOU CAN SIGN UP ON THIS WEBSITE. PLEASE
SEE CASSW’S LETTER TO COMMISSIONER MCQUILLAN REGARDING
OUR SUPPORT OF THE SDE’s POSITION ON THIS MATTER.
The Board of Directors thanks you in
advance for your help.
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