Communities In Schools of Central Texas brings resources and relationships to school campuses, surrounding students with a community of support, and empowering them to stay in school and achieve in life. This organization was recently recognized by Greenlights as one of Austin’s non-profits of the year. We talked with Chief Program Officer Eric Metcalf, MSSW ’95.
How does Communities In Schools of Central Texas work?
We help students be academically successful by addressing the many non-academic challenges they face that make it difficult for them to fully engage in learning. We place professional staff in schools to provide and coordinate an array of social services aimed at supporting students’ success. We create a plan unique to each child that addresses individualized goals and needs. Often a plan will involve focusing on unmet mental health needs or developing social skills that help a student get along effectively with peers and authority figures. Obviously, ensuring that basic needs are met is also a big priority. If basic needs are not met, students simply cannot learn at their highest potential. Ultimately, we are working to ensure that students are coming to school regularly, ready to fully engage in the learning process.
What makes Communities In Schools of Central Texas successful?
We have an incredible staff! Our staff is passionate about the work, have a commitment to professionalism, and do whatever it takes to help students succeed. Part of our success also comes from utilizing data to inform our work. We monitor data and make changes in order to be more effective, and have embraced evaluation to see what is working and what might need to change. Sometimes that’s scary, but why keep doing something if it isn’t working? Ultimately, our model of individualized focus on each client makes us very effective. It allows us to be a safety net for students, and to ensure that no one falls through the cracks.
What did you learn at the School of Social Work that influences your current work the most?
The School of Social Work prepared me fully for what I’ve done with Communities In Schools, but it is probably the core tenets of social work education that have most influenced my work. Something simple, like the importance of systems theory. Nothing happens in isolation, yet I see educational environments struggling with this idea all the time. Does what happens in a student’s life outside the classroom impact his classroom performance? Absolutely! Addressing the many barriers kids face that make learning a challenge must be a critical element of effective education. And no one can do that better than a social worker!