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Advocacy and Case Management Services 

• Comprehensive Academic Assessments to identify and address barriers to educational achievement 
• Advocacy for educational rights including immediate school enrollment, to remain in school of origin, transfer of school records
• Linkage to resources to address identified needs including basic needs such as transportation, food and housing

Specialized Student Services (SSS) Program is dedicated to enhancing the educational outcomes of students involved in the foster care system (e.g., living with: parent, relative caregivers, foster parents; students with DCFS voluntary placement agreements, or dependent of the court of a tribal organizations). We provide comprehensive services to improve attendance as well as maximize the educational achievement and the social-emotional well-being of all students involved in the foster care system. Specialized Student Services (SSS) Counselors, Pupil Services and Attendance Counselors (PSA) and Psychiatric Social Workers (PSW), advocate for the educational rights of our students, as well as provide consultation and training to District and school staff, community agencies, and caregivers on issues and legislation specific to students in foster care.

Students Experiencing Homelessness 

Specialized Support Services (SSS) oversees an extensive support program for students experiencing homelessness. The Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) identifies students experiencing homelessness via the Student Housing Questionnaire (SHQ), which is required to be in every school enrollment packet and must be sent out to ALL students annually. Specialized Student Services (SSS) Counselors, Pupil Services and Attendance (PSA) Counselors and Psychiatric Social Workers (PSW), remove barriers to academic success for homeless students and their families district-wide in compliance with the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act, an integral part of Every Student Succeeds Act. SSS staff provide basic resources for identified students experiencing homelessness such as backpacks, school supplies, hygiene kits, transportation assistance and emergency clothing.  

Students Involved in the Juvenile Justice System

Each year, Specialized Student Services (SSS) staff support over a thousand Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) students who come in contact with Los Angeles County’s Juvenile Justice System. These students are disproportionately African American or Latinx and/or living in poverty. Many of these students have a significant history of exposure to trauma and present emotional, social, and behavioral challenges. Upon release, these students face additional challenges with acceptance and re-integration into our schools. Specialized Student Services (SSS) Counselors, Pupil Services and Attendance Counselors (PSA) and Psychiatric Social Workers, focus on facilitating re-enrollment and successful transition into LAUSD schools along with the support of placement counselors and court liaisons who work with students out of juvenile camp and in contact with juvenile courts (Eastlake and Sylmar).  The LAUSD works collaboratively with the Los Angeles County Office of Education (LACOE) and the Los Angeles County Probation Department to ensure that protocols and procedures are in place, in order to establish early identification, support appropriate placement upon re-entry into the District, as well as provide aftercare case management services for all LAUSD students.

• Increase attendance rates and school engagement
• Increase academic achievement and graduation rates
• Increase school stability