During the mid-1980s, a novel approach was developed to respond to issues related to students who were abusing drugs. Teams of professionals - teachers, school administrators, and chemical dependency professionals - were trained to work together in the identification and referral of students who were in need of chemical-dependency treatment. This grass-roots approach to helping students has evolved into a comprehensive model for the delivery of kindergarten-through-grade-12 prevention, intervention, and support services available at schools located across our country. These school-based services encompass much more than issues related to alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs. They focus on student achievement and academic success, as well as healthy, safe and drug-free lifestyles, while utilizing a strength-based approach when working with youth.

Today, student assistance programs epitomize the ancient African proverb "It takes a village to raise a child" approach with treatment professionals, schools, and parents working in concert to remove those barriers that may interfere with a student's academic and social success. These programs have a captive audience, as they are located in schools where children spend at least seven hours a day.

As outlined by the National Association of Student Assistance Professionals, there are nine recommended minimum requirements necessary to have an effective student assistance program (National Association of Student Assistance Professionals, 2001):

1. School board policy. It is the role of the school board to define the school's role in creating a safe, drug-free learning environment. The school board also needs to clarify the relationship between academic performance and alcohol, tobacco, and other drug use, violence and high-risk behavior when developing policies to address these issues.
2. Staff development. To ensure the success of a student assistance program, it is important to have ongoing staff development programs that focus on reducing risk factors, increasing protective factors and fostering resiliency skills.
3. Program awareness. It is important to educate parents, students, agencies, and the community about school policies and what student-assistance services are available.
4. Internal referral process. A process should be designed and implemented to identify and refer students who may be experiencing academic or social concerns to a multidisciplinary team.
5. Problem-solving team and case management. Utilize these tools to evaluate how the school can best serve its students.
6. SAP evaluation. This evaluation should remain ongoing to ensure continuous improvement and positive outcomes of services provided.
7. Educational student support groups. Psychoeducational, curriculum-based support groups provide an opportunity for students to learn to solve their own academic and social problems.
8. Cooperation and collaboration with community agencies and resources. Schools, parents, and also community resources achieve their fullest potential when they work together to assist the student.
9. Integration with other school-based programs. Complementing other programs within the school that are designed to increase resiliency and academic performance while reducing student risk factors is vital for an effective SAP.

Role of agencies and treatment centers
It is important for student assistance teams to work collectively with treatment providers. Student assistance teams should have representation of mental health and substance abuse professionals as liaisons available for consultation, advocacy, and assessment services. Successful student assistance teams are not able to function effectively without the expertise of treatment professionals. Treatment professionals also are able to provide comprehensive assessments and identify the most appropriate type of treatment with the assistance of the SAP team. When working together, student-assistance teams provide the best possible help available for the child and his/her family. Although it may seem obvious, there are many professional treatment providers who do not know about the impact and importance of student assistance, and who work without engaging the SAP team in the process.

Agencies and schools that work effectively together are able to understand and respect the unique role they play in the lives of the student. Both provide a different perspective on the patient/student. The laws that govern each profession are very different, particularly as it relates to confidentiality, privacy laws, and parental rights to information and records. For example, the Hatch Act is a federal law that protects students from being required to submit to a survey, analysis, or evaluation that would reveal, among other provisions, private information such as mental or psychological problems potentially embarrassing to the student or his family. Any type of evaluation that takes place in a school requires written parental consent. In Pennsylvania for example, minors who suffer from the use of controlled or harmful substances may access treatment without parental consent. If an assessment for alcohol and other drug use is to occur within a school, it is required that written parental consent be obtained. It is important that from the onset of this professional partnership that each profession understand each other's role as well as their ethical and legal boundaries.

Both the school and the treatment center are important elements in the student-assistance process as well as being essential to its success. It is the school personnel who are able to identify the observable behavior, have the opportunity to engage the student's parents and recommend their child be assessed for either mental-health or substance-abuse issues. If an assessment completed by the treatment professional warrants further evaluation or treatment, it is that professional who works with the parents to access the services they need. Not only is their expertise clinically required, but often it is the treatment professional who assists parents in maneuvering through insurance issues related to managed care. With appropriate releases, that professional also continues to work with a representative of the school to gather collateral data and inform the school of the patient's progress.

Continuing care planning includes referral and support services provided by the student assistance program. Working together in this fashion helps the child be successful both in treatment as well as academically. Treatment professionals also are able to share their expertise in their specific discipline with both school staff and students. Updating faculty on current trends, providing students with accurate information and teaching the skills necessary in making healthy decisions, and educating parents on these important issues can have a profound impact on the entire school culture.

The role of school staff
Teachers, school counselors, administrators, coaches, bus drivers, cafeteria workers, and janitorial staff all interact with schoolchildren on a daily basis. Whether the student is openly talking about using alcohol or other drugs, withdrawing from social interaction, suddenly experiencing a drastic weight change, or is extremely polite and helpful, the observations of school staff are extremely valuable.

It is this observable behavior that often indicates if there is an issue that is interfering with the student's ability to be successful at school. This behavior is then communicated to the student's parents. Each discipline plays a pivotal role in the success of the student assistance program, whether it is in terms of identifying a student who is at risk or providing the support necessary for the student to meet his/her full academic and social potential. Without the support of staff, student assistance programs struggle and tend to be less effective.

The administrators of our schools provide the foundation for student assistance programs, and it is their role to secure funding for necessary programs. Most student assistance programs are supported with Safe and Drug-Free Schools funding and other government subsidies. These funds, and how they are dispersed, tend to be in jeopardy each year at budget time. Some schools fund many of their student assistance programs with their own general funds, donations from businesses in their community or through philanthropy.

The administration has the tedious task of scheduling student assistance programs into the school day and providing resources for after-school programs. It is important for educational leaders to see that without addressing the issues that face our youth, students will continue to be challenged both academically and socially. Additionally, it is the building administrator, principal, dean of students or head of school who insists that the student assistance professionals have such resources as ongoing training and team maintenance so that they can work both effectively and efficiently. An administrator trained in the student assistance process and who regularly attends SAP team meetings tends to be extremely appreciative and supportive in the challenging work he/she does.

Our ever-changing public and private/parochial school environments makes it necessary to keep staff, both professional and ancillary, informed and updated on issues related to student assistance. Ongoing training is conducted in regards to current trends related to alcohol, tobacco and other drug issues, signs and symptoms of use, policies, procedures and confidentiality.

The professional staff that is a part of the student assistance program engages teachers from a variety of subject areas, as well as the school nurse, counselors, social workers, and a representative of the administration. Upon completing a state-approved student assistance training program, these professionals work with students, parents, teachers and community resources to assist students who are at risk. The SAP team members work together in interventions, facilitation of student support groups, selecting research-based prevention programs and tracking outcomes of the program. It is the role of the student assistance team member to gather observable information regarding a student and work as a team to determine what next step, if any, should be taken. It is the SAP team members who work at building collaborations with parents. SAP team members must also promote student assistance on a daily basis to both students and their colleagues. Because of the work of these dedicated professionals, students who may be struggling are able to be successful at school.

The role of students
A key factor in the success of any assistance program is the role the students themselves play. Many successful school programs include students in the process of developing policies by having them participate and provide feedback to their community drug and alcohol task force. This empowers them to be a part of the solution to the serious issues facing youth today. Adolescents are very willing to not only honestly share their perceptions of issues that face their peers, but also ideas on how to make their school and community safer and healthier. Giving adolescents an opportunity to be heard will go a long way in the positive promotion of a school's student assistance program. Asking for feedback from children who participate in the SAP process as well as monitoring their response to the recommendation allows the assistance team to monitor its effectiveness and make adjustments to improve the program.
Equally important is increasing awareness of the support that is available in the school. Some have become very creative in how they promote student-assistance services by using posters, while others have assembly programs to introduce the SAP team. Another method schools utilize is public service announcements that are aired on their closed-circuit television station. Students are included in the development and production of these ads. Probably the most effective and positive promotion tool is the individual who has utilized student-assistance services and encourages his peers to seek help. Since most participation in the assistance process is voluntary, it is imperative that the program be viewed as a support tool that is free from stigma.

The role of parents
Without a positive partnership with parents, the student-assistance process could not function. In the early stages of student assistance, many programs excluded parents from the process and allowed students to access services without parental consent. Not including parents in this process sometimes resulted in adversarial relationships between them and the school. Blame was often placed on the parents for the problems their child was encountering. According to the Pennsylvania Basic Education Circular, "It is the parent's right to be involved in the process and to have full access to all school records under applicable state and federal laws and regulations. Involvement of parents in all phases of the student assistance program underscores the parent's role and responsibility in the decision making process affecting their children's education and is the key to the successful resolution of problems."

Often numerous interventions are necessary for an adolescent and their parents, and the student assistance professional should get the student to accept his need for treatment. Student assistance programs are now involving parents of the referred students at the onset. Successful programs partner with parents to identify those issues that may be interfering with the child's academic or social success. These issues could be related to self-esteem, social competency, anger management, grief and loss issues, mental health issues, and drug and alcohol use.

Stigmas associated with adolescent substance abuse, mental health issues and academic failure often interfere with the parents' ability to feel comfortable in utilizing the services available. If their child is experiencing difficulty, parents may feel it is poor reflection of their parenting skills. Sometimes the student who is experiencing difficulty at school is able to present himself in a positive manner at home. It is the responsibility of the student assistance professionals to educate parents and share objective data and observable behavior about the student - this is accomplished by involving parents early in the process, soliciting their input and communicating frequently by phone or in person. It is important for both treatment professionals and educators to remember that for adolescents, interventions are a process and not an event.

Innovative student assistance programs will often take a proactive approach with parents. These programs provide education that is more proactive and preventative in nature. Age-appropriate parenting skills that address current issues related to substance abuse, communication skills and setting appropriate boundaries are addressed. Some schools also provide specialized parent support groups that address issues related to single parenting, grandparents as parents, or parents of children who are in recovery.

Stigma attached to SAP
With proper promotion and implementation of student assistance programs, there is no stigma attached. All referrals and outcomes are confidential, so no one other than the student, parents and team members are aware of the referral or its outcome. Sometimes misinformation regarding the purpose of student assistance, as well as the continued social stigma related to chemical dependency and mental health issues, interferes with a student or his family's ability to access SAP services. It is imperative that student assistance teams clearly identify their role within the school and address any misperceptions of the program as they arise.

Student assistance today
Student assistance programs, which began with a single focus of addressing the issues related to substance abuse in schools, have grown into a comprehensive program of services relying on professionals from many disciplines. Utilizing research-based prevention programs has replaced the assembly programs once thought to be a solution. Providing psychoeducational support groups, parent programs and early intervention to include elementary-school children have tremendously enhanced the quality and scope of student assistance programs. The student assistance profession has begun to research the efficacy of programs, and some state departments of education have established a monitoring system to assist with program improvement. SAP teams know they need to continue to change and develop as the needs of our students and communities change. SAP professionals understand the very difficult challenges facing youth today cannot be addressed or treated in a vacuum, but can be extremely powerful when addressed collaboratively. Removing the barriers between parents, schools and treatment facilities has been by far one of the most important factors in our ability to get rid of the barriers to a child's academic and social success.

Benefits of the SAP
Student assistance programs take a proactive approach toward students by attempting to prevent any potential barriers to learning. They focus on reducing risk factors and nurturing students' resiliency factors. Early intervention strategies are also implemented in order to address an issue a student is facing prior to it evolving into a more serious problem. Providing support for those students who have been involved in treatment has a positive impact on his recovery success. Working as a team, parents, school personnel, mental health and drug and alcohol professionals are more likely to understand the whole child, thereby having a more accurate assessment of the barriers to learning. With this knowledge, parents are able to access the services that will have a positive impact on their child.

The National Association of Student Assistance Professionals (NASAP, 2001) recently released a national research agenda that said student assistance program research fellowships will support doctoral students as they carry out dissertation research related to outcomes for students who participate in student assistance programs in the United States. The understanding of the SAP process gained from students' dissertation research will aid policy makers in the making informed decisions about support of student assistance programming on a national level.References:
National Association of Student Assistance Professionals. October 2001. "Nine SAP Components". December 10, 2001. www.nasap.org/components.html

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