Meet our School Social Worker

About Ms. Martinez

I am Ms. Martinez, and I am the social worker at Long Branch . This is my fourth at Long Branch, and I am so excited to continue being a part of the Long Branch community. I graduated with my B.S in Social Work from Virginia Commonwealth University and received my MSW from George Mason University with a specialization in Children, Youth, and Families. I am a member of National Association of Social Workers (NASW) and the Phi Alpha Social Work Honor Society. I am a proud graduate of Arlington Public Schools, and I cherish the diversity and culture Arlington has to offer. Additionally, I am bilingual in Spanish and enjoy utilizing my Spanish speaking skills to connect with students and families.

I am at Long Branch full time this year and can be reached during school hours. If you need to contact me, please reach out by email or phone.

LB Office: 703-228-4224

Cell Phone: 571-319-7830

About School Social Workers

What do school social workers do?

School social workers assist in identifying and implementing solutions to social, emotional, and learning problems which impact the academic performance of students by uniting the resources of the home, the school, and the community. They facilitate understanding between home and school by visiting the home when special concerns impact upon a student’s academic progress. They serve as members of the multidisciplinary team to develop intervention plans for students who are experiencing problems in the school setting, and may provide short-term individual or group counseling services. Social workers assist parents and school staff when students experience problems with school attendance. Social workers also serve as the link with Child Protective Services. They make referrals on behalf of students and families to community resources, such as the Family Assessment and Planning Team (FAPT), and maintain a working relationship with these agencies so that there is effective coordination and follow-up services. To view APS brochure on FAPT Click Here.

In addition to individual school assignments, social workers serve a number of system-wide functions, including: conducting sociocultural assessments for the preschool assessment team; coordinating Project Extra Step for homeless students; providing sociocultural assessments for students attending private schools, when a disability is suspected; conducting social history updates for special education students who are placed on a contractual basis outside of the public school system; participating on the Student Support Team; and providing social work services to students attending the Family Center and the Alternative Parenting Teens Program.