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Fairfax County Public Schools social workers are helping students overcome social, emotional, and behavioral barriers that can interfere with learning. Their efforts range from mentoring and mental health programs to crisis response and assistance for families facing poverty, trauma, homelessness and chronic absenteeism.
At Herndon Middle School, social worker Ashley Van Gelder leads a Belonging Project that has paired more than 100 students with mentors. Each pair meets weekly for 30 minutes to talk, play games and build a relationship with a trusted adult.
Van Gelder also organizes monthly activities, including pumpkin carving, gingerbread house building and a visit to the Udvar-Hazy Center. Students participating in the program have recorded improved school attendance.
A similar Belonging Project is making an impact at Bailey’s Upper Elementary School, where social worker Lyzbeth Monard works with students and visits families at home to discuss attendance concerns. The school reports one of the lowest chronic absenteeism rates in its region, with some staff members crediting Monard’s efforts as a contributing factor.
Monard also advocates for students’ basic needs, emphasizing that children must have those needs met before they are ready to learn. She works with staff to foster a safe, caring and positive environment that supports student well-being.
At Robinson Secondary School, social worker Christyn Levy sponsors Rams Minds Matter, part of the Our Minds Matter initiative. The student-led club works to change the culture surrounding teen mental health through conversations, campaigns, leadership opportunities and activities that promote social connection, self-care, healthy habits and seeking help.
Levy’s work also supports Robinson’s Calm Cafe, a sensory-safe space students can use during lunch. The room offers comfortable chairs, fidgets, games, coloring books and other ways for students to recharge and connect with support.
Across the school division, social workers coordinate Sibshop classes for siblings of students with disabilities and facilitate Parent Project courses that help parents respond to challenging behavior. They also teach FCPS employees how to use trauma-informed practices in classrooms.
A Broad Role in Student Support
FCPS school social workers hold Master of Social Work degrees and are licensed by the Virginia Department of Education. Most serve two schools, although high schools may have full-time social workers and secondary schools may employ more than one.
Their responsibilities include individual and group counseling designed to strengthen social-emotional skills, resilience and students’ ability to cope with conflicts or crises. They participate in meetings addressing academic, behavioral and mental health needs, including evaluations for special education or Section 504 services.
School social workers also conduct suicide risk and threat assessments and join crisis teams responding to traumatic events. They connect students who cannot attend school because of illness or disciplinary action with Out-of-School Support services, then assist with their transition back through the Return to Learn process.
Acting as links among families, schools and the wider community, social workers connect students with resources addressing poverty, absenteeism, trauma and child abuse. Their work includes case management, cooperation with community agencies through the Children’s Services Act, and support for students experiencing homelessness or connected to military families.
They also lead mentoring programs, mental wellness screenings and school resource fairs while providing training on trauma-informed practices, Kognito and Youth Mental Health First Aid.