Family Support Specialists - School-Based Social Workers Serve At-Risk Students

About the Program

Category: Children and Youth (Best in Category)

Year: 2020

Cuyahoga County, Ohio is the primary funder of a comprehensive new initiative to place qualified social workers in each school in the Cleveland Metropolitan School District. Family Support Specialists, part of Cleveland’s new Say Yes to Education program, will work with school leadership teams and external providers to align services that help students and families overcome barriers to success. The supports will be designed to keep the students on track to graduation and Say Yes scholarships.Specialists began providing services in the District in the 2019-20 school year, starting with 10 K-8 schools and six high schools. The District will hire one specialist for each school, relying heavily on principals' input and their sense of fit for the school. Each school has a unique approach to student support, and the fit with their culture and their students has been paramount to the selection of the right Specialist for each location.The budget for the program will eventually reach $9.4 million, after a four-year roll-out period after which all 106 Cleveland schools will have a Specialist in place. Cuyahoga County will be responsible for approximately 65% of the total cost, including human service levy and federal reimbursement dollars, with the District providing financial support as well. The majority of Specialists chosen for the first year hold a master’s degree in social work, extensive experience working in an urban setting and bilingual skills where needed.Cuyahoga County has taken the financial lead on this program due to its direct connection to the county's child welfare work. Through data analysis, the county can identify child welfare issues at the individual school level, and Family Support Specialists can directly support children who have already been identified to be at-risk. Both for addressing urgent needs and to support educational progress and eventual post-secondary success, the Family Support Specialist program is a unique opportunity for Cuyahoga County to carry out its human services mission.