Week 14 is focused on group work with youth in a school-based setting. One significant function social workers can have in school is assisting with instruction and acquiring social and emotional learning (SEL) skills. Jones et al. (2021) is an in-depth report on SEL in school and can provide insight into what it is. In addition, social workers often lead groups to work on social skills with youth, and Kumm et al. (2021) give a few examples of how we can implement social skill instruction. During class, we will be looking at several ideas. These include the following.

• Program example of school-based program
• Overview of SEL
• Implementation of ART Moral Reasoning
• Ideas for Working with Adolescents and Social Skills

Learning objectives this week includes:

• Describe key characteristics of youth with emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD) and explain the role of school social workers in psycho-educational settings.
• Identify the CASEL 5 SEL competencies and recognize how Washington State’s K–12 SEL standards provide a framework for school-based group work.
• Experience the ART moral reasoning facilitation process by participating in a structured group activity.
• Apply evidence-based social skill instruction strategies to group work with youth who have EBD.