Ursula Vernon-Hansen, Kathryn Hull and Mandy Berlin-Coyle are giving Lincoln Public Schools students the wings they can use to soar into successful skies.
 
The three school social workers are helping students rise out of challenging situations with their talented skill sets. They are among the most veteran members of the LPS school social worker team, which provides services at every building in the district.
 
The trained mental health professionals assist with behavioral and attendance concerns and social issues such as poverty, homelessness, abuse and trauma. They also support children with mental health topics such as anxiety, depression and suicide prevention.
 
“It’s so great when I see kids that I’ve worked with over the years, and when they graduate, I’m like, ‘Yes, they did it!’” Hull said.
 
“It’s that hope factor of getting to see what they do as adults,” Berlin-Coyle said. “Some of them are really going to make the world a pretty cool place, so we just support them as best as we can and then we watch them fly.”
 
Vernon-Hansen works with children at Wysong Elementary School and Moore Middle School, Hull helps students at Dawes Middle School and Zeman Elementary School, and Berlin-Coyle works with Northeast High School students in grades 10-12.
 
“When I’m meeting with students, you really get to build some trust with them for a while before you figure things out,” Berlin-Coyle said. “It’s about giving them a safe space to just come and talk out loud.”
 
A rise in childhood anxiety is one of the biggest changes the three veterans have seen in their careers.
 
“I currently have a high number of students struggling with anxiety and depression, which seems different than 25 years ago,” Vernon-Hansen said.
 
“We did a really in-depth study of our attendance and a lot of it tracked back to anxiety,” Berlin-Coyle said.
 
LPS has responded to these needs with increased investments in school social workers. More than 45 professionals are providing their expertise to students and families.
 
“Having more time in the schools gives you more time to build those relationships, which is the whole backbone of everything,” Hull said.
 
“It’s just a privilege to work with people in this way and to see people grow and be a part of their lives,” Hull said. “It’s a great job.”
 
Visit home.lps.org/socialworkers/ to learn more about the many ways school social workers support LPS students.
 
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