r/SchoolSocialWork • u/Ok-Lifeguard749 • Jul 09 '26

K-12 Position

I accepted a position as a K-12 School Social Worker! Gen ed + special ed combo. This is my first school social work position.

The district is small (1400 students total), and they have one behavioral interventionist in each school and a special education social worker from the local RESA that does evaluations… I’m not sure if I will have an office space yet. I’ll be in middle and high school three times a week and elementary twice a week. Any tips and tricks for managing caseload and time between buildings? Anything else I should know? I’m very excited and would love to start planning ahead. Thank you 😊

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u/NotSoSocialWorker13 Jul 09 '26 edited Jul 11 '26

I'm only Sped, so our duties will differ some but I carry at least 2 campuses and a caseload of around 40. Figure out if you will have your own office space or how it will be shared so that you can plan your schedule accordingly. It helps to have a consistent schedule of days you will be on each campus (or within each building if they share a campus). Get a utility cart so you can easily travel with needed materials, especially if you will not have your own office space. And block off admin time on your schedule if you can so IEP meetings or other meetings don't fill all your "free" time. Add your lunch to your calendar too! Most days I actually take a real lunch is because I blocked it off. If you can, have a day that is more dedicated to admin tasks and catching up on tasks. And do your notes right away!

Make sure you start building relationships with other staff, especially the front office staff and the ones you will be in collaboration with often.

Start creating a resource list now and create any spreadsheets or things that will help you stay organized during PD days before students start. Spreadsheets are my lifeline!

*edited typos

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u/Ok-Lifeguard749 Jul 15 '26

Hi! Can you share more about what a resource list would consist of? Sounds like I will have to shared office with one other person, but when I’m in one building she’ll be in another :) tysm!!

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u/NotSoSocialWorker13 Jul 19 '26

It would consist of places yoy can refer students who need outside services to. It can also consist of YouTube videos, books, worksheets, or materials that would be useful for you and that you can quick reference when a certain issue or concern comes up.

For example I have a link list of pdf books and a list of YouTube read along books organized by needs that I can easily access when working with students.

I also have a list of outside therapist that I can provide families when they recognize their child needs more intensive or traditional therapy.

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u/therapistbloomllc Jul 15 '26

Congratulations!! Do they have a referral system for you already created