At Bronx Writing Academy, one English language learner student started sixth grade too shy and self-conscious to speak in class. By April, she had the confidence to give a presentation in English.

How had she made such remarkable progress? The school’s UCS social worker, Emily Sanchez, included the student in a support group geared toward girls who were learning English.

“I asked teachers to identify the girls who aren’t outspoken in class,” Sanchez explained. “They were very timid and shy, and they would sit in class and not participate, but they were well-behaved, so they were under the radar.” While teachers and other school staff must tend to the entire group, Sanchez can reach these students who are “not necessarily acting out in class or having behavioral issues,” but “fading into the background.”

That’s because Sanchez is a UCS social worker. She works exclusively with non-mandated students, meaning her students don’t have an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) calling for counseling. For Sanchez, this means she can support students who might otherwise fall through the cracks.

“It bridges a gap,” said Jessica Smith of her role as the UCS social worker at Hudson HS, in Chelsea. She encounters students who may not have an IEP, but they can still “have trouble with emotional regulation or behavior,” she said, and their struggles can “affect the whole class.”

Smith gave the example of a junior at her school who “has gone most of her life without having any services.” The student doesn’t have a diagnosis or an IEP, but her mental health was affected by the pandemic. As a result, she started high school with “a lot of acting out, including verbal and physical fighting at school.” The student’s family couldn’t afford therapy outside of school, so she started to see Smith for non-mandated, voluntary therapy.

“She has not gotten into a fight this year,” said Smith. “She’ll just come into my room and tell me she’s angry. She has a place to decompress, which she didn’t have before, and she has the language to talk it out.”

The result for other students is less tension and disruption in school. “Everyone feels more comfortable and safer,” said Smith.

For Jeethu Varghese, the UCS social worker at PS 59, in Bushwick, the UCS model means she can respond to emerging needs, which frees up the DOE counselor to focus on delivering mandated services. Varghese calls herself the “first line of defense” in a school where many students struggle with trauma.

“Any crisis in a classroom or outside, I intervene as soon as possible, so I’m always on the go,” said Varghese. When she responds to an incident or to a teacher notifying her that a student needs support, Varghese “figures out what help the student needs,” she said. That could be mandated counseling, voluntary counseling or collaborating with the community school director “to make sure things like food, shelter and clothing are taken care of,” she said. “UCS means collaboration, and we work as a team.”

PS 59 has a large population of newcomer students, many of whom, Varghese can tell, cope with trauma. “In the cafeteria, as soon as someone raises their voice a little bit, I see sensory issues — students covering their ears, students who come in upset and don’t know how to assess their emotions,” she said. One such student, who had recently arrived with her family from Honduras, was having nightmares. The student’s mother had reported to the school’s parent coordinator that she “woke up screaming.”

Varghese was tasked with explaining to the student’s mother what to expect from counseling — something she does regularly at PS 59. “The families come from different backgrounds, and a lot of them don’t know what it is, or have a different view of counseling,” she said. Varghese showed the parent her room, the games she plays with students and the meditation techniques, including music, that she would introduce. The student “no longer has these nightmares,” said Varghese.

All three social workers reported that a significant part of their job is just explaining how they can support students and families. “Sometimes it’s not clear what social workers do,” said Sanchez. “But I’m grateful that here, the educators understand my role, and I’m a part of a positive change.”