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Stephanie Thomas, LSCSW selected as 2012 KS School Social Worker of the Year
Stephanie is employed with the USD #383 Manhattan School district. Stephanie's district accomplishments include developing an Interpersonal Skills Class at Manhattan High School, participating in the BackSnack meal program, Project Hope T-shirts, Flint Hills Breadbasket 2010 Project Manhattan Outstanding Creative contributor Award & Flint Hills Breadbasket's Spirit of the Mayor's holiday Lighted Parade four-time place recipient for the Best Youth Entry, Best Costume(twice) and Best Use of Canned Goods.
She has obtained grants for the purchase and maintenance of two therapy dogs for Northview Elementary School, a Learn and Service America Grant for the Interpersonal Skills class, and a Helping Hands Grant.
Stephanie has been involved with several student driven awards for birthday books, Project T-Shirts, Prevention posters, buddy bags, welcome to Northview School T-shirts, bathroom murals, and Red Ribbon Week.
Her contributions to the profession include memberships in KSSWA and NEA (National Education Association, supervising clinical social work candidates, serving on the USD 383 Drug & Alcohol Advisory committee, serving on the Olweus Bully Prevention committee, being a co-facilitator of the annual district wide leadership training for 100 youth and a participant in the KU two year research project evaluating social skills interventions for autistic students.
Her community contributions have included the founding President of the Manhattan Affiliate of Habitat for Humanity, Girl Scout Leader, Cub Scout Leader and served on the board for the Manhattan Marlins' Swim Team Board.
Nominate Your 2012-2013 School Social Worker of the Year
Now it's your turn, complete the Nomination Form for Your KSSWA 2013
School Social Worker of the Year. Completed forms should be emailed to
nla1@cox.net.
Welcome KSSWA Members!
We are very excited to show you our new web design and to share with you what our Board has been doing to further the needs of our profession. We want you to know that we value your feedback and consider it in every decision that we make. Please email us with your ideas and any questions or concerns that we can address.
From the President
Greetings and Welcome to Kansas School Social Work Association!
We are only as strong as our members. Our purpose is to promote excellence among school social workers and enhance social and human services in the educational system. Becoming a member or renewing your membership is one way to ensure that KSSWA will continually strive to develop and maintain communication among school social work practitioners within our state, disseminate information, methods and materials relating to our practice, educating the public, legislators and other professionals who work in education about the role of school social work in supporting our students, families, and communities, and our continued liaison with other national organizations whose purpose is to enhance the social work services in schools.
Your KSSWA Board is made of School Social Workers (SSW) elected by members to represent your interests as licensed qualified mental health professionals working in many different capacities within the school system whether the school is urban, suburban, or rural. We collaborate with fellow educators, families, and community agencies to determine how to best meet the needs of our students. We educate the public, legislators, and other professionals about the role of School Social Work and what we, as professionals, do to contribute to reauthorization of Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), formerly the No Child Left Behind Act of 2002 and what our role is in the different tiers of the Multiple Tier Support System as well as our role in the Response to Intervention (RTI) process.
School Social Workers are recognized and licensed by the Kansas Behavioral Science Regulatory Board (BSRB) as mental health professionals who are accomplished in the following skill sets:
- Conducting comprehensive assessments of biological, psychological and sociological variables that affect the development and behavior of individuals and systems of all sizes.
- Articulating diagnostic impressions with a range of client systems and problems.
- Developing and implementing intervention plans based on assessments.
- Culturally appropriate practice and consideration of client strengths.
- Analyzing the impact of social policies on client systems, workers, and agencies, particularly as they relate to inhibiting or advancing social and economic justice.
- Engaging in practice within organizations and service delivery systems and participating in necessary organizational and system change.
- Evaluating the effectiveness of their clinical practice interventions by applying evaluation strategies to client outcomes, and subsequently using the feedback from those strategies to modify case plans on an ongoing basis.
We continue to work with our national organizations in determining "best practice" for defining what a School Social Worker's role should be within the educational system, what determines "highly qualified" and how do we contribute to students succeeding under the MTSS process so that No Child is Left Behind.
Again welcome to the KSSWA Organization. We look forward to working with you and for you. Please free to share information, ask questions, and participate in the organization.
