![]() However, master’s in counseling programs differ from master’s in social work programs in structure and content, and the licensing requirements for counselors and social workers are similarly disparate. Both professions require practitioners to be trained at the master’s degree level, and most states require school counselors and school social workers to be formally licensed. ![]() ![]() There are additional similarities and differences between school counselors and school social workers, most of which align with general distinctions between counseling and social work. School counselors generally do not involve themselves in these functions, which are primarily the domain of social work, and may refer students who require services beyond personal guidance and counseling to a school social worker. As a result, school social workers may involve members of a student’s family and/or help a student and his or her family secure additional social services through local, state, and federal agencies and assistance programs. School social workers, in contrast, are trained to look beyond the confines of the classroom and the school in order to identify larger issues such as family dysfunction, poverty, poor nutrition, homelessness, and/or neglect and abuse that can impact a student’s performance in school. School counselors focus mainly on helping individual students succeed academically and intervening in situations in which a student appears to be struggling with personal and/or social challenges within the school setting. While school social work and school counseling both involve the use of social and behavioral science theories and methods to assess the wellbeing of students, and to inform the provision of mental health services, such as psychotherapy, the role and primary function of social workers differs from that of counselors in subtle but significant respects. However, social work and counseling are distinct fields of practice with different training regimens, despite the overlaps in their scopes of practice. Answer: School social workers and school counselors work side-by-side in public and private elementary, secondary, middle, and high schools, providing students in need with emotional, behavioral, and academic support and guidance.
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