title: Meeting the social and behavioral health needs of students: rethinking the relationship between teachers and school social workers.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  While school-based mental health professionals obviously must provide mental health services to students directly, the literature is increasingly identifying an empowerment role for these professionals, whereby they support teachers as primary service providers. The purpose of this study was to identify subtypes of school social workers within the context of collaborative practice, and to identify individual and contextual factors associated with these classifications as well as overall levels of collaboration.
  
  
  METHODS
  Latent class analysis, conducted using data collected as part of the National School Social Work Survey 2008 (N = 1639), was employed to examine underlying subtypes of school social work practitioners in relation to collaborative practices and to examine predictors of collaborative practice.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Four broad categories of school social workers were identified, including (1) noncollaborators, (2) system-level specialists, (3) consultants, and (4) well-balanced collaborators. These classes were associated with the number of schools served, grade level, education, and clinical licensure status; level of administrative responsibility was not associated with class membership.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  While school social workers varied in collaborative practices, opportunities exist to enhance their role in educating and supporting teachers to serve as primary providers to students with social, mental health, and behavioral needs. The implications for school-based mental health providers, teachers, administrators, policymakers, and researchers are discussed.
authors: Boston College, Graduate School of Social Work, Chestnut Hill, MA 02467, USA. stephberzin@gmail.com.
authors: Stephanie Cosner
authors: SC
authors: Berzin
authors: Kimberly H McManama
authors: KH
authors: O'Brien
authors: Andy
authors: A
authors: Frey
authors: Michael S
authors: MS
authors: Kelly
authors: Michelle E
authors: ME
authors: Alvarez
authors: Gary L
authors: GL
authors: Shaffer
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D003156:Community Mental Health Services / Q000379:methods*; D003299:Cooperative Behavior; D005178:Faculty; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D007400:Interprofessional Relations; D008875:Middle Aged; D012572:School Health Services; D012574:Schools; D012947:Social Work / Q000145:classification / Q000379:methods*; D013334:Students; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014481:United States