About The Award

The School Social Worker Of The Year is an individual who personifies the highest of school social work professional standards and demonstrates leadership and service within the professional and greater community. Each region selects their nominee for SSWOTY and then all eligible regional nominees are presented to the State Executive Board and one individual is selected.

Nominations are open for the 2024 School Social Worker of the year until January 26. Please contact your region chair for more information.

The award recipient should:
Be someone who goes above and beyond in their position, such as dedicating time to serve on the school social work boards, etc.
Be someone who demonstrates the need of school social workers in education
Have at least 5 years of Service
Make contributions to the association
Contributions to school/district (as described by peers)
Innovative/creative contributions made to profession/school (i.e. new programs)
Volunteer efforts
Leadership within the profession (intern supervision, social worker supervisor/mentor, hold an office in the association)
Collaborative efforts with community agencies
Must be a Region and State member (if the person is not a state member they can’t be considered for the VASSW but CAN be for the Region recognition)

School Social Worker Of The Year 2024

Congratulations to Mia Hancock-Keeling from the Roanoke/Southwest  Region on her selection as the 2024 School Social Worker of the Year.Mia is the president of the Southwest/Roanoke Region. She took this role immediately after beginning her career. Mia stayed the course through the COVID years and remained in the position afterward. She constantly supplies training information to region members. Mia is an active member of the VA SSW board. She is rallying the region for their reintroduction as host of the state conference. Mia works within a specialized program at Roanoke City Public Schools. She is assigned as the school social work solely for two high schools and one middle school. She provided individual and group counseling to this at-risk population. Mia is also an active member of her church which serves many needs in her community.

Congratulations to the 2024 & 2023 Regional SSWOTY Award Winners

Regional School Social Workers Of The Year 2024

  • Northern Region – Danielle Armstrong
    Danielle Armstrong exemplifies the very best qualities of a school social worker.
    She is the school social worker at Thomas Jefferson HS for Science and
    Technology. Ms. Armstrong served on the VASSW Northern region in the role of
    treasurer from 2020 to 2023. She presented to the Northern VASSW membership
    on a two part presentation series for school social workers on “DBT Toolkit
    Strengthening your skills for School Social Workers” in 2022.
  • Tidewater Region – Candance Walton
    Candance is the Lead School Social Worker for Suffolk County Schools with over
    ten years of experience. She is a Field Instructor for MSW students and the
    current Secretary for the Tidewater Regional chapter of the VASSW. Candance
    previously served as the Regional Chair. She is an active member of the SPS
    Student Support Team headed by Rodney J. Brown, Ed.D., Chief of Administrative
    Services and also functions as the FAPT Representative for SPS.

Regional School Social Workers Of The Year 2023

  • Central Region: Kristen Robertson, Lynchburg City Schools
  • Richmond Region: Lorien Wilder
  • Northern Region: Tara Funches, MSW Prince William County Public Schools
  • Southwest/Roanoke: Mia Hancock-Keeling, MSW, Roanoke City Schools