A Decade of Growth: School Social Workers Strengthen Student Support in Kern

Over the last decade, the field of School Social Work has expanded dramatically in Kern County, changing the way schools support students, families, and communities, and marking a significant shift toward whole-child wellbeing. That growth was on full display Monday and Tuesday as Bakersfield College hosted the California Association of School Social Workers (CASSW) Annual Conference for the first time.

“It feels great to be here,” said Luis Garcia, Senior Director of Social Emotional and Academic Support with Kern County Superintendent of Schools (KCSOS), who helped bring the event to life. “Ten years ago, a lot of our local social workers didn’t have the opportunity to be part of this association; now we’re hosting them here for the state conference.”

In 2016, Kern County welcomed its very first School Social Worker by title, when the Kern High School District hired Rebecca Banke. At the time, School Social Work was well established in larger cities across the nation, but largely absent locally. Less than 10 years later, Kern County is now home to more than 150 School Social Workers serving students across the county’s districts.

It’s so awesome to see how tremendous the growth truly has been,” Banke said. “It took time, it took perseverance. It took determination to get into the schools.”

School Social Workers support students through individual and group counseling, help them cope with grief, family changes, and trauma, connect families to food, health, and employment resources, and coordinate access to higher levels of care when needed. They also reduce common barriers to mental health services, such as cost, transportation, language, and stigma.

“When services come from the school, families are much more willing to accept support,” Garcia explained. “School social workers eliminate a lot of obstacles and make sure students don’t feel invisible.”

That work was celebrated during the CASSW Annual Conference. The event brought together School Social Workers from across California for two days of professional learning, collaboration, and networking. The conference theme, Voices for Justice: School Social Work Leading the Way, highlighted the profession’s expanding role in school districts.

The conference featured numerous breakout sessions focused on student mental health, social-emotional learning, restorative justice, mindfulness, attendance and engagement, and supporting the LGBTQIA+ community. Keynote speakers included the CASSW President and KCSOS’s Salvador Arias, who emphasized the importance of School Social Workers in alternative education and leadership. The event also included a performance by Mariachi Los Osos from Arvin, raffle prizes, and a well-attended lunchtime awards ceremony.

During that ceremony, five Kern County School Social Workers were recognized as CASSW School Social Workers of the Year. In previous years, the state would recognize only one social worker who went above and beyond to serve students in their area. This year, CASSW expanded to six categories: Intern, Elementary School, Middle School, High School, District, and Administrative. A social worker from Kern County won in five out of the six categories. 

For many recipients, the recognition came as a surprise.

“Thank you so much for your kind words. This is a pleasant surprise,” said Celia Villarreal, a student intern. “I am very grateful to those who nominated me and to CASSW for selecting me. I am humbled and truly appreciative of the recognition.”

Eric Finch with Centennial High School (KHSD) echoed that sentiment.

“Wow — I don’t even know what to say. I am in shock,” Finch said. “There are so many deserving candidates, and to be chosen for this honor feels truly unbelievable.”

For Garcia, who received the Administrative School Social Worker of the Year award, it was humbling and affirming to be recognized. He remembered back to his early days in social work, when his supervisor told him to prove the value of this work in the community and not just be the ‘flavor of the month.’ Ten years later, local social workers are becoming leaders and getting recognition for their success. 

“It makes my heart happy knowing that we’re not the flavor of the month,” Garcia added. “We are really establishing ourselves as a stronghold for school social work.”

The CASSW Conference featured engaging breakout sessions, keynote speakers, lunch, raffles, awards, and a special performance from Arvin High School’s mariachi band.

School social workers bring a unique and vital skill set to campuses. In addition to holding a master’s degree in social work, they must earn a Pupil Personnel Services credential in school social work. That credential is not available locally and must be obtained outside Kern County. Despite that barrier, the profession has continued to flourish over the past decade. Garcia says they’re hoping to bring a credentialing program to Kern.

“Look at all we’ve done without the program. Imagine what we could do if we grow it more,” Garcia shared. “That speaks to the tenacity of the social workers. Our schools realize there are real mental health needs that our students have, and school social workers can serve those needs.”

As Kern County continues to respond to the lasting social and emotional impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and ongoing community challenges, School Social Workers have become an essential part of education.

“We’ve come a long way,” Garcia said. “Now it’s important to continue to move the work forward, help other social workers coming into the profession, and practice the same quality of care that is needed more so now than ever.”