Hempfield School District Student Services
Pupil Services Team
The Pupil Services Team operates to assist at the primary and secondary levels, grades K-12. The team members may be the Director of Student Services, social workers who frequently collaborate with the superintendent, the assistant superintendents, principals, psychologists, guidance counselors, and special education coordinators. Various team members meet at least bi-monthly to evaluate referrals from administrators, building principals, guidance counselors, or other staff. Once information is gathered and the team meets, students and/or families may be referred to community services, referred for counseling services or referred to another facility or community resources. Parental involvement is helpful in servicing students but is not mandatory to put supports in place. Students are monitored for progress following initial referrals.
Social Workers / Home & School Visitors
Hempfield School District presently employs two full time social workers who are additionally certified as home and school visitors. They address the needs of the student population and their families. The social workers provide support and services to the schools and families in order to reduce educational barriers, thereby enhancing the students’ educational experience. In addition, these key personnel facilitate the implementation of parent education programs, parent at risk training, i.e. gang training, bullying programs, explore the needs for after school programming, tutoring services, and diversity awareness programs. The social workers/home and school visitors serve as a liaison between school and community resources and groups, assist staff in determining students’ and families’ needs for supportive services, collaborate with principals and staff regarding attendance and special care needs, attend team meetings and IEPs, MDE and 504 meetings as needed, serve as an active participant in the Teen Screen Process ™, serve on committees as administration requests, and facilitate in-house staff development regarding local social services. They monitor students’ attendance, assist attendance personnel and principals to ensure procedural uniformity when following regulations and BECs of the school attendance laws, attend court proceedings on attendance issues as district representatives, ensure students are living within the jurisdiction of the district, facilitate in-house staff development regarding local social services, and serve as a team member on the crisis team with the special education services. Additionally, they serve as the homeless student liaison for the district. They meet with the homeless students and their families to make necessary social services and supportive services connections. It is recognized that as a result of the continuously growing school population that student social work needs will continue to grow and therefore strategic efforts will continually be facilitated to continue to support student access to appropriate social services. Hempfield School District maintains an open relationship and collaboration with Children and Youth Services, Juvenile Probation, Mental Health Mental Retardation, counseling agencies and other community resources to facilitate access to appropriate needs.
Homeless Students
The district social workers serve as liaison for homeless students. The McKinney-Vinto Homeless Assistance Act defines “homeless children and youths” as “individuals who lack a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence.” However, because the circumstances of homelessness vary with each family’s or unaccompanied youth’s situation, determining the extent to which the family or youth fits the definition must occur on a case-by case basis. Enrollment staff and/or the local homeless education liaison must gather and analyze information from the family or youth and make an appropriate determination of eligibility. Expeditious determination of eligibility and immediate school enrollment are critical to the child’s educational continuity. For more questions regarding homeless students you may contact