Needs of Children and Families during Spring 2020 COVID-19 School Closures: Findings from a National Survey

Watson, K.; Astor, Ron Avi; Benbenishty, Rami; Capp, Gordon; Kelly, Michael S.

doi:10.1093/sw/swab052

Cited by 11 publications

(7 citation statements)

References 17 publications

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“…However, the majority of this research focuses on child protection practice and community‐based social work. In the US, SSW researchers have begun to investigate SSW practice during the COVID era (e.g., Childs et al, 2022; Daftary et al, 2021; Kelly et al, 2021; Watson et al, 2022), but there remains a limited understanding of how COVID‐19 has shaped family engagement in US schools and the role of SSWers in school–family relationships. We addressed this critical gap in the literature by exploring SSWers' practices related to family engagement and their attitudes towards and perspectives regarding those practices during the early stages of the COVID‐19 pandemic and as the pandemic continued past the initial national quarantine.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Family engagement during the COVID‐19 pandemic: Opportunities and challenges for school social work

Sugrue

Ball

Eugene

et al. 2023

Child & Family Social Work

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The COVID‐19 pandemic brought dramatic changes in schooling in the United States and across the world, including abrupt shifts to remote learning, immediate cessation of social contact, intensive family engagement in education and diminished school capacity for social–emotional supports. While the initial national lockdown was temporary, the long‐lasting effects of the pandemic on society are still being revealed. This study contributes to a growing body of research exploring and documenting shifts in school social work practice in the United States during the COVID era. We used qualitative methods to explore how school social workers (SSWers) practised family engagement during the pandemic and their perceptions of the benefits and challenges of increased family engagement. Analysis of interviews with 20 SSWers from three US states (Colorado, Minnesota and Nevada) revealed five primary themes: reasons for family engagement, ways of engaging with families, frequency of family contact, challenges in engaging families and SSWers' attitudes and perceptions about family engagement. Results indicated a need for a comprehensive, organized and strategic family engagement plan in schools as we move into the post‐acute phases of the pandemic. Future research should explore how SSWers may serve as leaders in the development of such plans and how interprofessional practice might advance this agenda further.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Family engagement during the COVID‐19 pandemic: Opportunities and challenges for school social work

Sugrue

Ball

Eugene

et al. 2023

Child & Family Social Work

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…In a February 2021 survey of school district leaders, 77% reported that their students had fallen behind in their social‐emotional development compared to two years prior 26 . While telling of needs from the lens of practitioners and teachers, few studies capture student perspectives on how their socioemotional skills and competencies were affected during the COVID‐19 pandemic 27,28 . Capturing the student perspective is crucial and advantageous for informing the development of student‐centered interventions promoting social and emotional well‐being and skills 10,29 .…”

Section: Covid‐19 School Closures and Socioemotional Well‐beingmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Capturing the student perspective is crucial and advantageous for informing the development of student‐centered interventions promoting social and emotional well‐being and skills 10,29 . We also know little about their nonacademic needs beyond those reported by school‐based practitioners who voiced concerns about student well‐being regarding housing, food, and health care needs 28,30 …”

Section: Covid‐19 School Closures and Socioemotional Well‐beingmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…26 While telling of needs from the lens of practitioners and teachers, few studies capture student perspectives on how their socioemotional skills and competencies were affected during the COVID-19 pandemic. 27,28 Capturing the student perspective is crucial and advantageous for informing the development of student-centered interventions promoting social and emotional wellbeing and skills. 10,29 We also know little about their nonacademic needs beyond those reported by schoolbased practitioners who voiced concerns about student well-being regarding housing, food, and health care needs.…”

Section: Covid-19 School Closures and Socioemotional Well-beingmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…10,29 We also know little about their nonacademic needs beyond those reported by schoolbased practitioners who voiced concerns about student well-being regarding housing, food, and health care needs. 28,30…”

Section: Covid-19 School Closures and Socioemotional Well-beingmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

COVID‐19 School Closures: Disruptions in School‐Based Support Services and Socioemotional Loss Among Middle School Students

Bates,

Harrell

2023

Journal of School Health

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BACKGROUNDIn the United States (U.S.), 77% of school district leaders reported that their students had fallen behind in their social‐emotional development due to COVID‐19 school closures. Although research has measured indicators of social‐emotional well‐being from the perspective of other informants, little is known about student perceptions of perceived changes in their socioemotional competencies and, to a lesser degree, their nonacademic needs.AIMSThe current study examined middle school students' nonacademic needs, perceptions of socioemotional competencies, and predictors of “socioemotional loss.”MATERIALS & METHODSThe authors utilized secondary data from 395 middle school students gathered in August 2020 and November 2020 in one large middle school in the southern region of the U.S. Multivariate and linear regression analyses explored students' nonacademic needs, assessed changes in perceptions of their socioemotional competencies over time, and identified predictors of “socioemotional loss” during the “return to learn” period.RESULTSOur findings indicated that 3% to 14% of students reported nonacademic needs, with the greatest needs related to food, housing, and healthcare. Further, 48% of students reported perceived losses in their socioemotional competencies, and students formerly receiving school‐based support services were those most affected (71% vs. 46%, p = .01). Among the subgroup reporting losses, living in a single‐parent household significantly predicted socioemotional loss (β = −.16, p = .02).DISCUSSIONSchool‐based practitioners, including educators, policymakers, social workers, and mental health providers, can utilize these findings to deliver interventions to students that experienced hardships during the pandemic.CONCLUSIONResponding to these risks will be critical as schools adapt and intervene in response to the COVID‐19 pandemic.

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“We Need to Address the Trauma”: School Social Workers′ Views About Student and Staff Mental Health During COVID-19

Watson

Capp

Astor

et al. 2022

School Mental Health

Self Cite

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The COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent school disruptions shined a spotlight on the mental health needs of young people, and the importance of schools and school social workers (SSWs) in attending to those needs. This study sought to understand SSWs’ views about mental health and trauma in relation to the pandemic and schools reopening. Data came from written responses to open-ended questions on a national survey of SSWs during June–July 2020 (Kelly et al., 2021; Watson et al., 2022). In the national survey, 450 SSWs responded to open-ended questions, providing 115 single-spaced pages of detailed qualitative comments. A unified conceptual model for a trauma-informed school was created by integrating components suggested within the literature. This conceptual model was then used to generate a theory-based coding schema. Responses mapped well onto the conceptual model. Major themes included recognition of COVID-19 and 2020 social unrest as a unique period and potentially traumatic experience; the need for a trauma-informed school response; the challenges of addressing all facets of safety during the pandemic; and the essentiality and difficulty of maintaining school-based relationships during school closures and remote learning. Results demonstrated that SSWs used and discussed key components of a trauma-informed approach. Respondents offered several recommendations for implementing trauma-informed approaches during and after the pandemic, many of which required collaboration from other school staff. Findings provide empirical support for a unified school model that integrates components of a trauma-informed approach found in the literature. We make recommendations for interpersonal, organizational, and policy adaptations schools can take to become more trauma informed.

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Needs of Children and Families during Spring 2020 COVID-19 School Closures: Findings from a National Survey

Cited by 11 publications

References 17 publications

Family engagement during the COVID‐19 pandemic: Opportunities and challenges for school social work

Family engagement during the COVID‐19 pandemic: Opportunities and challenges for school social work

COVID‐19 School Closures: Disruptions in School‐Based Support Services and Socioemotional Loss Among Middle School Students

“We Need to Address the Trauma”: School Social Workers′ Views About Student and Staff Mental Health During COVID-19

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