What is SAP?
The Student Assistance Program (SAP) is a statewide initiative designed to provide support services for students who may be at risk or experience problems which pose a barrier to a student’s learning and school success.
Each school district forms a SAP Team of school staff who are trained to identify problems and make recommendations to assist the student and parent.
How does the SAP Team work?
A student can be referred to the SAP Team by school staff, parents, or other students when there is a concern about the student’s well being. After a student is referred, the team gathers information from the school staff about how the student is currently functioning and develops an intervention plan to help the student.
This may involve:
Having the team monitor the student’s progress
Having a team member be a mentor for the student
Inviting the student to be in a support group
Conducting a formal clinical assessment of the student’s needs or
Referring the student and/or parents to professional service providers
A Message to Parents
Parents who are experiencing problems with their children often accept more responsibility than is necessary. When this occurs, parents begin to feel overwhelmed in their responsibilities. They no longer feel effective in their parenting role and feel that their child is out of control.
Set limits and be consistent
Establish and follow through on consequences
Know and be willing to recognized symptoms of chemical dependency or emotional distress
Be willing to seek outside help
Overreact, scream or moralize
Patronize, excuse or condone the use of drugs or chemicals
Blame yourself or let your child blame you
Strike a deal – “if you quit…, I’ll give you…”
Accept the excuse that “They all do it.”
Make threats you don’t intend to carry out
Confront your adolescent with facts about his/her behavior and how it affects others in the family
Be calm, try to empathize, show concern and a willingness to help
Try to get any additional information that clarifies the situation
Discuss the possible need for an evaluation with a professional
Allow your child to experience the consequences of his/her own behavior
Refer your child to the SAP Team.
Adolescence is a time of transition from childhood to adulthood. It is also a time when youth are exposed to increasing pressures and risks. Some moodiness and change in behavior are part of normal adolescent development. However, the following symptoms may be cause for concern:
Deterioration of family relationships
Change in sleeping or eating habits
Change in personal grooming and attire
Loss of interest in hobbies, sports and other favorite activities
Possessing drug paraphernalia
Poor school attendance
Talk or threat of suicide
Change of friends
Excessive demand for privacy
Declining school grades
Unusual fatigue or bursts of energy
Erratic mood, anger, defiance, resentment
Unexplained need for money
Giving away possessions
Unusual physical symptoms such as: red watery eyes, or sniffling
Reactions as a result of cultural or gender identity issues
Visit Pennsylvania Department of Education’s SAP Online Website