Student Assistance Program

About the Program

Category: Children and Youth (Best in Category)

Year: 2017

The Student Assistance Program (SAP) is a Department of Behavioral Health (DBH) program that focuses on serving San Bernardino County’s diverse students (grades K-12) and their families who are in need of prevention, education and early interventions for substance abuse, mental health, and social abuse issues. The SAP program is designed to reduce school failure and dropout rates related to behavioral health concerns. The program aims to minimize barriers to learning, support students in developing academic and personal successes, and shorten the duration of untreated behavioral health concerns. The program produces a network of support for students and their families by connecting behavioral health professionals, educators, and services. The program’s core is a professionally trained team that includes school staff and staff from community behavioral health agencies. Team members are trained to identify problems and make recommendations to assist both, students and their parents. The SAP team responds to all student and family concerns with respectful dialogue, individualized services, ongoing staff and parent training, community support, and referrals to the appropriate services, as needed. SAP also builds protective factors and supports in schools. In partnership with the San Bernardino County Superintendent of Schools, Positive Behavior Intervention and Supports (PBIS), is implemented in various school sites throughout the County. The goal of PBIS is to create a positive culture and protective school environment that is more effective for achieving academic and social goals. The SAP Program increases school attendance, school connectedness, lowers the rate of school failure, and decreased school behavioral problems. The program also contributes to an improvement in an individual’s ability to carry out activities of daily living, psychological, social, and occupational functioning.