Ross Boushehry counsels a student. Photo courtesy of the Indianapolis Star.

For school social worker Ross Boushehry helping a young woman overcome a marijuana habit and stop cutting herself, stopping a bully, and getting a truant student back in class is all in a day’s work.

Indianapolis Star reporter Robert King followed Boushehry (pronounced BOO-sherry) around Emma Donnan Middle School.

King discovered the social worker does not try to fix children’s problems overnight. His main goal is to empower them to create a plan to improve their lives.

“If I get a kid who missed 70 days of school last year and I get him to where he has only missed 15 days, and he has brought his F’s up to a C, for me that’s success,” Boushehry said. “We need to continue to build off that success, but that’s where I look at it.”

To read the full article click here. Cheers to reporter King for telling the public about the invaluable services social workers provide children in schools.

To learn more about how social workers help children and teens overcome life’s hurdles visit the National Association of Social Workers’ “Help Starts Here” Kids and Families web site by clicking here.