Student Assistance Programs

Student Assistance Programs (SAP) can provide a range of services to students. Generally, dealing with substance abuse/prevention, depression, teen pregnancy, and abuse. Most SAP's like Employee Assistance Programs (EAP's) provide a bridge between the school and mental health resources in a community. Counselors and sometimes fellow students are trained to assess a student for problems and to link the student with the appropriate resource either in the school or the community. SAP's provide information, peer support and encouragement from a network of teachers and counselors. SAP's provide a nonjudgemental place for teens to get help.

SAP referrals are typically made by parents or teachers. Once a student is referred to a SAP because of suspected problems, the SAP coordinator will interview the student to decide what kind of help is best. Based on the students needs he or she may become part of a SAP support group, receive tutoring, or be referred to an outside agency for a mental health assessment. The SAP coordinators are not trained to do psychological evaluations; when they suspect a drug or alcohol problem, they will refer the student to a trained counselor.

Substance abuse prevention can be part of a SAP. The majority of teens who get involved want to learn more and the SAP provides a way for them to expand upon what they have been taught in their health classes. Some students become involved in their school's SAP because they want a support group for dealing with someone in their lives who has a problem with alcohol. Other student become involved because they have been caught with alcohol or drugs and can receive a shorter suspension from extracurricular activities by participating in the SAP.

The success of SAP's is apparent and can be seen in their spread throughout the country.

For more information about Student Assistance Programs, read When Chemicals Come to School by Gary L. Anderson. (Community Recovery Press, P.O. Box 20979, Greenfield, WI 53220) This book provides all the information needed to create a Student Assistance Program
- OR -
"Student Assistance Program: Guideline for Planning, Implementation and Evaluation" by David Lohrmann and Diane Allensworth (American School Health Association, 7263 State Route 43, P.O. Box 708, Kent, OH 44240) This is a new publication focusing on how SAP's can enhance health education as well as how to form and maintain a SAP.

This document was last updated 8/13/97 by Chandra Hawley.
Copyright

1996 Indiana University - Center for Adolescent Studies, all rights reserved.
Kris Bosworth - Director
0 ++ 0 +++ +++ ++ Influences +++ ++ + ++ ++ ++ ++ Advertising + ++ + + ++ + + Refusal Skills ++ + + + + ++ 0 Self-Esteem 0 +++ + ++ 0 0 ++ Decision Making + +++ + ++ ++ 0 +++ Communication Skills 0 + + ++ 0 0 ++ Social Skills 0 + + + 0 + ++

*Cost is per classroom of 30 students.
Key: + it's in there
     ++ it's good
     +++ it's great
     0 it's missing

Some other worthwhile programs:

SMARTMoves (1993): developed by Boys and Girls Clubs of America. Focuses on tobacco, alcohol, and drug use as well as sexuality.
BARN - Body Awareness Resource Network (revised 1991): developed by a research team at the University of Wisconsin - Madison. An interactive computer program that uses games, interactive interviews and simulations to teach skills to make healthy choices about alcohol, drugs, smoking, stress, sexuality, and AIDS.

In all, Making the Grade rates several dozen programs. These are only a few of the best! For more information about Making the Grade, contact Drug Strategies at 2445 M Street, NW, Suite 480, Washington, D.C. 20037. Phone (202)663-6090

How to find the above resources:

Alcohol Misuse Prevention Program	Amps Project 1016 Catherine Street Ann Arbor, MI 48104-1620 (313)998-7255
BARN	Learning Multi-Systems, Inc. 320 Holtzman Road Madison, WI 53713 (800)362-7323
Drug Proof	American Guidance Service 4201 Woodland Road Circle Pines, MN 55014-1796 (800)328-2560
From Peer Pressure to Peer Support	Johnson Institute 7151 Metro Blvd. Minneapolis, MN 55439-2122 (800)231-5165
Life Skills Training	Princeton Health Press 414 Wall Street Princeton, NJ 08540 (609)921-0540
Ombudsman	The Drug Education Center 1117 East Morehead Charlotte, NC 28204 (704)375-3784
Project Northland	Partnerships for Youth Health University of Minnesota 1300 S. 2Nd Street, Suite 300 Minneapolis, MN 55454-1015
SMARTMoves	Boys &;Girls Clubs of America 1230 W. Peachtree Street, NW Atlanta, GA 30309-3494 (404)815-5700
Project STAR	USC/PR 1540 Alcazar Street, Suite 210H Los Angeles, CA 90033 (213)342-2686

This document was last updated 8/13/97 by Chandra Hawley.
Copyright