Addressing Student Social and Emotional Needs: An Ecological Systems Framework to Advocate for School Social Work Services

School social workers have long operated at the forefront of addressing student social and emotional needs. However, in recent years, school social work positions have faced increasing threats of elimination because of misconceptions of the profession's purpose. Effective strategies to reverse this trend have not been documented in the extant literature. This study reviews the issues and challenges school social workers face in advocating for the profession. This study highlights exemplary advocacy efforts from other professions and presents an ecological systems framework to advocate for school social work services. It also provides examples of advocacy strategies at each system level. The discussion provides suggestions for training of school social workers and social work students to improve their ability to advocate for themselves and the profession based on the ecological systems framework.