Sarah Reed Children’s Center provides a comprehensive continuum of programs and services for children throughout their development and across all environments, including the home, school, and community settings. Our service continuum provides trauma-informed, high-quality, and evidence-based therapeutic programming to children across Erie County.
What is the student assistance program?
Pennsylvania’s Student Assistance Program (SAP) is designed to assist school personnel in identifying issues including alcohol, tobacco, other drugs and mental health issues, which pose a barrier to a student’s success. The primary goal of the Student Assistance Program is to help students overcome these barriers in order that they may achieve, remain in school and advance.
While Student Assistance Programs exist in other areas of the country, the structure and operation of the program in Pennsylvania is a unique expression of an integrated model serving the needs of Pennsylvania families and their students. SAP is a systemic process using techniques to mobilize school resources to remove barriers to learning.
The core of the program is a professionally trained team, including school staff and liaisons from community drug & alcohol and mental health agencies. SAP team members are trained to identify problems, determine whether the presenting problem lies within the responsibility of the school and to make recommendations to assist the student and the parent.
When the problem lies beyond the scope of the school, the SAP team will assist the parent and student so they may access services within the community. The student assistance team members do not diagnose, treat or refer to treatment; but they may refer for a screening or an assessment for treatment.
Where is our student assistance program located?
The Sarah Reed Children’s Center Student Assistance Program is available in the Millcreek Township School District in Erie County, PA. To request a referral, contact your school’s guidance department.
Contact Information
Tracy Walsh
Director of SAP Services Mental Health Liaison
Phone: 814.836.6831