<span>Chronic Health-Related Student Absenteeism: School Social Workers’ Perspectives from an Urban Public School District in the Northern United States</span>

Chronic health-related student absenteeism is an increasing concern for educators, impacting students' academic, social, and emotional well-being. This qualitative study explores school social workers' (SSWs) perspectives on chronic health-related student absenteeism in an urban public school district in the Northern United States with high rates of chronic absenteeism, where students missed five or more school days annually due to illness. The conceptual framework is the Social Ecological Model (SEM), which examines the influence of individual, interpersonal, organizational, community, and policy-level factors on health behaviors. The study employs purposive sampling, selecting 10 SSWs with at least three years of experience and active involvement in managing chronic health-related student absenteeism. Semistructured one-on-one interviews and member checks are employed to collect qualitative data. Emergent themes are identified using thematic analysis from the interview transcripts. Theme 1 is SSWs collaborate with educational and community stakeholders to reduce chronic health-related student absenteeism in the district. Theme 2 is SSWs apply interventions to support students who experience chronic health-related absenteeism. Theme 3 is SSWs recommend a) consistent and direct communication with students with chronic health-related absenteeism and school personnel to help these students graduate from school, b) create collaborative relationships with students, parents/guardians, teachers, administrators, school nurses, school psychologists, school counselors, and community health services, c) help all stakeholders understand chronic healthrelated absenteeism, and d) apply individualized and supportive evidence-based interventions to help students stay engaged in school, foster their growth and achievement, and improve students' health and well-being with community resources and services. These themes highlight the need for district-wide intervention policy development to enhance the role of SSWs in reducing chronic absenteeism in schools.