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What is the Student Assistance Program?
The Student Assistance Program (SAP) is composed of a group
of specially trained school staff and community agency
liaisons who work together to identify students who are
experiencing school problems such as:
- Divorce, separation and step family
issues;
- Stressful situations and life
pressures;
- Death and grief issues;
- Absence of coping skills due to poor
communication, a low self-image;
- Establishing and maintaining
friendships and getting along with others;
- Alcohol or drug use or experimentation;
- Depression or other mental health
problems.
It is the parent’s right to be involved
in all phases of the Student Assistance process. The
Student Assistance Program is designed to assist students
and parents by making in-school resources available and
providing information about community resources. The
Student Assistance Program does not provide therapy or
implement disciplinary consequences.
Who refers students to the SAP team?
- Staff members may notice a decline in
school performance (attendance, grades, conduct) which
may indicate that a student is experiencing difficulty.
These behavior changes are reported to a SAP team
member.
- Self-referrals are accepted. Students
may seek information or help by contacting a SAP team
member.
- Peers who are concerned about a
friend’s problems are encouraged to discuss these
concerns with a SAP team member.
- Family members are encouraged to
communicate with the SAP team for information or
assistance.
- Community agencies and institutions
(church, social services, criminal justice systems and
counseling agencies) deal with students and their
families. Community referrals should be directed to the
SAP team.
What happens to referrals?
- The SAP team collects information
about the student’s performance and behavior from a
variety of sources: teachers, counselors, nurses,
administrators and other staff members as needed. All
information is confidential.
- If a SAP referral is appropriate,
parental consent is requested. The team analyzes this
information, along with input from the student and
parent, in order to determine the best course of
action for the student.
- Intervention alternatives include:
counseling services, individual counseling, referral
to other school professionals and/or referral to
outside agencies.
For more information, please
contact your student’s School Counselor. |
