Graduate Named County School Social Worker of the Year

“My role as a school social worker centers around serving our students and families in need and breaking down those barriers that are preventing a child from being successful in school,” described Kelsey Lather Britten, a school social worker with Florida’s Lee County School District. The district has more than 95,000 students in grades K-12 in 120 schools.

Kelsey was named the 2021-2022 Lee County School District School Social Worker of the Year for her work with the students at Bonita Springs High School in Bonita Springs, Florida. She was nominated by Monica Urrely, assistant principal of the school. Urrely wrote in her nomination about how dedicated Kelsey is to “providing critically important services directly to students (and sometimes teachers and staff) on campus” and going above and beyond to offer “supports that address many of the out-of-school needs that limit students’ learning.”

As a school social worker, Kelsey has seen students go through many hardships, including homelessness, grief and loss, mental health challenges, and family or peer conflict. She sees her social work position as “the bridge between home, school and community.”

Since arriving on campus, Assistant Principal Urrely explained, Kelsey made herself visible and accessible to students, family and colleagues to be seen as an essential resource and a go-to person for support. She created a food pantry/closet in her office to ensure that students have their basic needs met and keeps in touch with at-risk students who might have otherwise fallen through the cracks due to a lack of resources.

Kelsey sees it as a joy and privilege to be a voice of reason for her school’s community and a vital part of the campus response team in crises. She also relishes the daily challenges that a busy school environment has every day. “Seeing students’ faces light up is what makes it all worthwhile,” she expressed.

Although able to dedicate herself full-time to Bonita Springs High School this academic year, Kelsey noted that one of the biggest challenges facing school social workers is having more than 1,300 students assigned to each social worker on average. In Lee County, roughly 70 social workers support close to 100,000 students.

“It is impossible to know what is going on in each of the students’ lives,” she related. “You learn to take every day and each case one at a time. And you learn to take full advantage of self-care when you have time off!”

Kelsey also recently obtained her licensure as a licensed clinical social worker, a lengthy but rewarding process for her that included supervision by an experienced, helpful and fellow school social worker. “We used the time together to improve my practice as a social worker, and it was so helpful to debrief some heavy situations I was facing. We worked closely to identify which students and families I should prioritize working with during my clinical hours.”

She credits her preparation with the College of Social Work and support from mentors like her clinical supervisor for helping her become more effective in assisting clients in handling crisis situations and the unexpected.

“Being an LCSW has been especially helpful in crisis situations we see at a school,” Kelsey described the essential role social workers play on a multidisciplinary team alongside school counselors, nurses, psychologists and licensed mental health professionals.”

Becoming a school social worker was a logical progression for Kelsey as she has always loved the school environment. Being passionate about school and learning since first becoming a student, she continues to lead by example every day and be a significant, positive influence on her students and campus community.

Kelsey earned her MSW from Florida State in 2017 and her bachelor’s degree in family and child sciences in 2015.