Ms. Lauren Dacal

Hello everyone! My name is Lauren Dacal, LCSW, LSSW, and I am proud to serve as the social worker at the Doris Henderson Newcomers School. 

I received my undergraduate degree from Appalachian State University in 2015. I received my Masters in Social Work from the Joint Program of Social Work at University of North Carolina at Greensboro and North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University in 2019. I hold licensure in clinical social work and school social work. Prior to transitioning to the school system, I worked as an individual and group therapist in community mental health. I am bilingual, speaking English and Spanish. 

Social workers have a variety of tasks within the school system, ranging from dropout prevention, serving as a liaison for families expriencing homelessness, and being attendance champions. We also assist with the identification of students with special needs, completing assessments during the IEP process. I also run transition and behavioral groups, participate in intervention teams, and work with community partners to fill needs within the school.

The 2024-2025 school year marks my fourth year at Newcomers, and I am excited to see what it holds!