Personal Issues, Professional Impact

Ethical Educator

Scenario:

A Title 1 high school with about 2,000 students employs a single social worker, who is stretched thin. For two years, teachers have referred students to him for a wide range of issues, such as suicide ideation, pregnancies and teen conflicts, but rarely hear back. After being tenured in his third year on the job, he becomes morbidly obese due to personal issues – to the point of having difficulty walking the length of the building. He seldom follows through on issues while complaining constantly about his workload.

With the unlikelihood of being able to find a long-term or short-term replacement, what should the administration do?