Lower Kuskokwim School District

Mission Statements

The mission of school social work is to promote academic success by reducing social, emotional, economic and environmental barriers to learning. (MSSWA SSW Manual)

Our educational mission is to produce human beings who are at home in their place, their environment, their world. (Oscar Kawagley, Stop Talking, Merculief and Roderick 2013) 

Philosophy and Goals

The School Social Work Department recognizes that the student's individual characteristics and the school environment are of primary importance in school performance. The student's family and community also highly influence the way in which the student participates in school. It is imperative that all these facets be addressed. Recognizing this diversity, LKSD School Social Workers provide a variety of services which include but are not limited to the following: 

Individual and group counseling with students
Consultation with parents and school staff
Outreach to communities
Referral and coordination with other agencies
Prevention education in areas of wellness & coping skills, healthy relationships, physical or sexual abuse, substance abuse.

The Goal of the LKSD School Social Work Program is to provide and coordinate a wide variety of counseling, consultation and referral of services to the student, family, school and community. The goal of these services is to facilitate the students receiving the greatest benefit from their school experience.  

Department Overview

The school social work department is staffed by Masters-level itinerant and school-based social workers. Social workers coordinate a wide variety of counseling, consultation and referral of services to the student, family, school and community, as well as crisis intervention and response.