SAP
Student Assistance Program
The SAP team operates during school days only.
In case of an emergency, please contact 911 or the county crisis line.
Stay safe and stay healthy.
Wayne County Crisis: 1-833-557-3224 Call or Text 988
In Pennsylvania, every school district is required to have a plan for identifying and assisting students who experience barriers to learning. Our SAP team is made up of school and agency staff and is available to help you access school and community services for your child. SAP is a state-mandated K-12 program designed to assist school personnel in identifying issues including alcohol and drug use, and mental health issues which pose a barrier to a student's success. On this web page you will find forms to refer student to the SAP team, as well as other resources. The SAP team will address the referrals at their next meeting (meetings are usually held weekly during the school year). If this situation needs immediate attention you should call the school and speak with a guidance counselor or administration. If this is an emergency you should call 911.
Do You See Your Child Showing Any of These Behaviors?
Withdrawing from family, friends, and/or activities
Changing friends
Unexplained physical injuries
Feeling sad
Talking about suicide
Defying authority, both at home and school
Acting aggressively
Hitting
Lying
Needing money without a good explanation
Declining grades
Experimenting with alcohol or drugs
Back-talking staff
Are You Concerned about Your Child’s Reaction to...?
Recent death of a loved one
Divorce of parents
Family relocation
A relationship problem
Bullying
Other traumatic event
Are you struggling, or know someone who is? Our SAP teams are here to assist you.
Here's how!
You can complete an online referral for yourself or someone else.
Locate your school in the menu at the top of this page.
Complete and submit the google form!
You can also email the SAP Coordinator assigned to each building with a question or concern.
Thank you!
Amy Gries: District SAP Coordinator & Damascus Area School SAP Coordinator agries@whsdk12.com
Larissa Valonis: Honesdale High School SAP Coordinator lvalonis@whsdk12.com
Caroline Marino: Wayne Highlands Middle School SAP Coordinator cmarino@whsdk12.com
Tiffany Leventhal: Preston Area School SAP Coordinator tleventhal@whsdk12.com
Mission Statement
The mission of the Pennsylvania Network for Student Assistance Services is to provide leadership for developing a safe and drug-free environment and mental health wellness in schools and communities across the commonwealth. Barriers to learning will be removed and student academic achievement will be enhanced through collaborative prevention, intervention, and postvention services.
4 Phases of the SAP Process
Referral - Anyone can refer a student to SAP when they are concerned about someone’s behavior -- any school staff, a student’s friend, a family member or community member. The students themselves can even go directly to the SAP team to ask for help. The SAP team contacts the parent for permission to proceed with the SAP process.
Data Collection – The SAP team gathers objective information about the student’s performance in school from all school personnel who have contact with the student. Information is also collected from the parent. The team communicates with the parent to discuss the data collected and also meets with the student. Together, a plan is developed that includes strategies for removing the learning barriers and promoting the student’s academic and personal success to include in-school and/or community-based services and activities.
Action Planning – The plan is put into action. The team assists in linking the student to in-school and/or community-based services and activities. The team might recommend a drug and alcohol or mental health screening or assessment.
Follow-Up – The SAP team continues to work with and support the student and their family. Follow-up includes monitoring, mentoring, and motivating for academic success.
It is the parent’s right to be involved in the process and to have full access to all school records under the applicable state and federal laws and regulations. Involvement of parents in all phases of the Student Assistance Program underscores the parents’ role and responsibility in the decision–making process affecting their child’s education and is key to the successful resolution of barriers. For students receiving treatment through a community agency, the student assistance team, in collaboration with parents and the agency, can assist in helping plan in-school support services during and after treatment. The team’s effectiveness in helping the student and the parent remove the barriers to learning and improve student performance depends on the training of the individual team members, maintenance of the student assistance team and process, level of administrative commitment and board support, active parent and student involvement and the available resources both in school and the community.