The Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) has issued Certification Staffing Policy Guidelines (CSPG #201) for School Social Workers.  CSPG #201 stops short of certified educator status for School Social Workers.  Although School Social Workers still are not fully integrated into the educational system, CSPG #201 creates a legitimacy for the role of the School Social Worker in Pennsylvania and makes it easier for schools to employ them. 

Interestingly, the CSPG has been established in a new category, “Licensed Professionals”, rather than the “Education Specialist” category that is the home of certified pupil services professionals including School Counselors, School Nurses, Home and School Visitors and School Psychologists. 
 
Significantly, this CSPG also removes the requirement for a certified Home and School Visitor (HSV - CSPG #77) to supervise social workers.  Although the SSW/HSV supervision requirement is somewhat moribund, given the professional status of SSWs, this change may have other impacts at a local level as details are passed to employers.

Although CSPG #201 goes a long way toward legitimizing social work services for children in Pennsylvania schools, some issues are not settled by this action and new ones are raised.  ...