Maria Shermoen is a Licensed Graduate Social Worker who has her Master’s Degree in Social Work, and is licensed as a school social worker. Maria has been working with children and families for the past five years in a variety of different settings.

Maria is a mental health coordinator for preschool with Duluth Public Schools. She has worked as an outpatient therapist for individual, family, and youth services, and provided youth counseling for at-risk students in a residential setting.  

Maria is passionate about serving children and families in education and her community. As a mental health provider in education, Maria is dedicated to working with staff to provide the best services and plans of support aligned to the whole child in the school setting. Specialized areas of programming that Maria focuses on are children’s mental health, behaviors, and interventions.

Maria’s work is grounded in data, student narratives in and out of school, and collaborative data-driven decision making to help formulate individual services, programming, and supports that set students up for optimal growth and success in their academic journey. Maria believes that the vast array of social-emotional and challenging behaviors that can surface in today’s youth are often symptoms of a much more deeply rooted need or problem.  

“Behavior is a form of communication, and as the adults in our profession, it’s our job to ensure the students’ needs are planfully met where they are on any given day. Our role in this process is vital to a child’s safe space and success within their school.”  ~Maria Shermoen