Download October 2024 SAP Newsletter
SAP Connection October 2024
A monthly newsletter brought to you by PA Network for Student Assistance Services (PNSAS)
SAP Interagency
Department of Drug & Alcohol Programs (DDAP)
PA Department of Education (PDE)
Department of Human Services (DHS)
This year’s SAP articles will focus on the four phases of SAP. The PA
Network for Student Assistance Services has updated SAP training. These
articles will review essential tasks in each phase and highlight any changes in
the new training model. The four phases of SAP are: referral, data collection,
action planning, and follow-up.
Team initial review of referral
Schools have a duty to care, warn, and
protect all students. When the school has multiple teams, it is important to
establish referral pathways based on the scope of each team. Teams need to have
ways to communicate with one another while considering of confidentiality and
its limits. For each SAP referral, after engaging in initial team discussion,
the team may decide that the referral is best handled by another team (e.g.,
IEP, threat assessment, MTSS, etc.). All other referrals to SAP should proceed into
the next phase of data collection to have sufficient information to determine
the next steps. In general, SAP teams should continue the referral process by
gathering data before dismissing/ rerouting the referral.
When first receiving a referral, it is
important to distinguish between a SAP referral and a crisis referral or more
imminent concern that warrants immediate action. Crisis referrals need to be
submitted to the proper team/ staff immediately. Determine whether the SAP team
is the only team to address the referral, or if the referral should be routed
to another school-based team first. It is important for the team and
stakeholders to understand what constitutes a crisis. A situation involving
suspected abuse or neglect should follow the Child Protective Services Law
prior to making a SAP referral.
You may want to work with your school
administration to ensure clear referral pathways and communications with other
school-based teams.
Assigning a SAP Team Case Manager
Every referral should be assigned a
SAP Team Case Manager as one of the first steps after initially reviewing the
referral. SAP Team Case Managers are responsible for collecting/ managing
paperwork for assigned referrals. They ensure the process is followed for their
select case(s). SAP Team Case Managers are school staff who sit on the team.
Consider selecting a Case Manager who has a connection or existing relationship
with the student or family. In the Mock SAP team meeting video, Taylor offered to be the Case
Manager for Samantha since he had her in Art Club and felt he had a good
relationship with her. The Case Manager should not always be the same team
member or a specific staff role (e.g., school counselor) and should be rotated
among SAP team members. A Case Manager’s relationship can strengthen family
engagement throughout the SAP process.
Please reach out to your PNSAS Regional Coordinator for
assistance.
Announcements
Standardized 2-Day SAP K-12 Training -
SAP
training has been standardized across the state of PA. The updated 2-day
training is now available for new SAP team members everywhere and Act 48 and
Act 45 credits are available.
Review all SAP K-12 Trainings
available and access registration information here.
SAP Retraining & Refresher - This new
training opportunity is being offered by PNSAS as a free 1 hour virtual
retraining covering parts of the revised training, including: the new four
phase SAP process, updated best practices, and revised SAP terminology.
*All Fall sessions are currently full!
If you are interested and were unable
to register before sessions closed, please reach out to your Regional Coordinator to
inquire about availability of local sessions.
SAP Fidelity Checklist - The SAP Fidelity Checklist has been updated and it is now
available on the PNSAS website. This document is a useful resource for annual
maintenance or when evaluating your team’s adherence to best practices and
fidelity of the SAP model. If you’d like assistance with maintenance or best
practices, please reach out to your Regional Coordinator for assistance.
2025 PSA Contest for Youth Suicide
Prevention -Prevent Suicide PAis excited to announce the 13th
annual PSA contest for high school students. This is a great opportunity to
engage students in a dialogue around suicide prevention, the importance of
positive messaging, and communicating effectively.
The 2025 contest will be announced on
Monday, September 16, 2024. All submissions are due by Friday, December 20th,
2024. This year we are introducing a deadline for students who would like
feedback on their submissions. Students who would like our feedback on their
PSAs before they are judged must submit their PSAs by Friday, December 6th,
2024. Contest rules and submission guidelines will be available on the PSA
website soon.
We’re introducing a PSA Contest Toolkit. This toolkit includes updated rules
and submission guidelines, tips on how to promote the contest, social media
shareables, and a list of suicide prevention resources. All the winning and
honorable mention PSAs from previous years are available for free public use
including 2024 winners here. These
are great resources to use during Suicide Prevention Month (September) and
throughout the year.
October is Prevention Month -Commonwealth
Prevention Alliance (CPA) is collaborating with the Cross Systems Prevention
Network (CPSN) to host a new advocacy campaign to highlight Prevention Month.
Check out “My Prevention Story”, a campaign dedicated to celebrating the power
of personal stories in shaping our communities’ future through prevention.
Every story shared contributes to a collective effort to build stronger,
healthier environments where everyone can thrive. Through the voices of
community members, CPA highlights the importance of protective factors in
preventing substance misuse and promoting well-being. More resources are
available at the PAStart website.
Training Opportunities
SAP Training - For upcoming training opportunities, click here.
Grants
For open PA Commission on Crime and Delinquency (PCCD) grant
opportunities, click here.