Download November 2024 SAP Newsletter
SAP Connection November 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.
Data collection is an important part of the SAP process. Schools have a wide variety of data sources available that can be
utilized in the SAP process including:
- Academic Records (grades, standardized
test scores)
Attendance Records
- Behavior Data
- Disciplinary Records
Other School Records (IEP, 504)
- Progress Monitoring Data from Behavior
and Academic Interventions
School Nurse/Health Records
- Universal Screening Data
Behavior checklists are used to gather observable behaviors on the
strengths and concerns of referred students. Checklists may be disseminated
before, concurrently, or after written consent for SAP is obtained, depending
on your school’s policy. They should be sent to anyone who has a touchpoint
with the student (teachers, coaches, bus drivers, school nurse, etc.). Sample
behavior checklists are listed below.
Another important source of data are parent and student conversations.
Next month’s article will talk more about those sources of data.
Once teams have gathered all relevant data, the team can summarize the
information to identify the strengths and concerns of the student. The team can
also identify any gaps in data and work to obtain the missing data if needed.
Teams should identify the top 2-3 concerns to focus on. Consulting with your
SAP liaison may be helpful in this process. Once the top priorities are
addressed, other identified concerns could be addressed.
Please reach out to your PNSAS Regional Coordinator for assistance.
Announcements
Liaison Funding Opportunity - The
Pennsylvania Department of Health, Bureau of Family Health is pleased to
announce that the Request for Applications (RFA) opportunity for the Student
Assistance Program (SAP) Support Services is opened today, October 17, 2024.
The purpose of the RFA is to fund interim, non-clinical services and supports
to middle and high school students, helping SAP agencies improve access to
mental health resources, provide timely interventions, and promote healthier
outcomes for adolescents.
The RFA for the Student Assistance
Program Support Services can be found at the following link: PA - eMarketplace (state.pa.us) - RFA 67-185
The deadline for applications is
December 12, 2024 at 1:30 p.m. Late applications will not be accepted.
SAP Retraining & Refresher - PNSAS is
pleased to announce that over 800 individuals have participated in SAP
Retraining & Refresher sessions!
Trainings were held both statewide and
locally.
If you are interested and were unable
to register before sessions closed, please reach out to your Regional Coordinator to
inquire about availability of additional sessions.
PNSAS Staff Announcements - We are
excited to announce that Christine Joy is the new Region III Coordinator! Her
email address is joyc@iu29.org
Renee Urick (Region VIII Coordinator)
has a new email address - c-reurick@pa.gov
For more information regarding
Regional Coordinators check out the PNSAS Regional Map
Roberta Chuzie (PNSAS Assistant
Statewide MH-SAP Coordinator) has a new email address - c-rochuzie@pa.gov
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.
Training Opportunities
SAP Training - For upcoming training opportunities, click here.
Grants
For open PA Commission on Crime and Delinquency (PCCD) grant
opportunities, click here.