Our prevention and intervention programs offered throughout Stanislaus County are designed to strengthen and support young people as they navigate their own development and growth.

Student Assistance
Program

Family Support
Program

Contact

Liz Elizondo
Program Director
(209) 526-1476 ext. 148

Student Assistance Program

The Student Assistance Program (SAP) provides short-term education, prevention and intervention services to students K-12 to build life, social and coping skills. The goal of SAP is to provide students the support they need and an opportunity to learn life skills so they may achieve greater success in school and in life. The Student Assistance Specialist is able to make referrals to community resources and longer-term services as needed.

Program Overview
The goal of SAP is to provide students the support they need and an opportunity to learn life skills so they may achieve greater success in school and in life. Our top 5 contact reasons are Anger Management, Academic, Anxiety, Family and Relationship Issues.  

Services are provided on school campuses by means of:

  1. Individual sessions
  2. Group sessions
  3. Classroom presentations
  4. Conflict mediations
  5. Community referrals

Individual sessions are typically 30-45 minutes in length. Student Assistance Program services are designed to be temporary and individual sessions are generally limited to one session per week for 6-8 weeks. This allows the provider to see more students throughout the year. Additionally, SAP services should not be considered therapy.  If a student needs long term services, a referral to a therapist or appropriate mental health organization is made either prior to or at the completion of SAP services.

Eligibility Requirements
The student must be enrolled in school and have written parent/guardian consent to services.

FAQ

The Student Assistance Program is similar to counseling services, however, our Student Assistance Specialists provide short term services, 6-8 weeks in length, and refer students and families out to off site resources for continued long term care.

Center for Human Services pays for trainings, workers compensation, and benefits for Student Assistance Specialists. We also have a trained Supervision Team to answer questions that may arise and to offer consultation on difficult cases. SAP has had a positive impact on school attendance which in the long run saves schools money.

School sites use a variety of funding sources to pay for Student Assistance Program. Sites can use funding from School Improvement Fund (SIP), Title I, Tobacco Use Prevention Education (TUPE) entitlement, among other funding sources. Some creative funding sources other school districts have used to fund SAP include: gathering business sponsors in your school district such as real estate firms, PTA sponsorships or combining with other schools in your district to share a Student Assistance Specialist. The school contracts vary from 5 days a week to ½ days per week of service.

Any student enrolled at your school site is eligible for services with signed parent/guardian permission.

Student referrals vary depending on school site. Teacher, parent, staff, administrator, and student referrals are all welcome. Depending on the needs of your school, referrals can go directly to the Student Assistance Specialist, or be filtered through the site contact person.

Services include one-on-one individual sessions, group sessions, conflict mediations, classroom presentations, teacher trainings, community referrals and parent contacts. Student Assistance Specialists can be utilized for suspension reduction programs (a reduction of the suspension time for a student in exchange for completing services) so that your students are in school, making every day count.

A Student Assistance Specialist is a trained individual who is ready to start on day one to help your students and staff. Your Student Assistance Specialist will keep you informed of the students on his/her caseload, and consult with you as frequently as you feel necessary. He/she is trained and supervised by our Student Assistance Program supervision team, requiring minimal administrative duties on your part.

Student Assistance Specialists are required to have a BA in the Human Services field. Every Student Assistance Specialist is fully trained prior to starting at your school site, and is ready to begin on day one. Center for Human Services provides opportunities for ongoing trainings to ensure that your Student Assistance Specialist is well versed in up to date information to guarantee top notch services for your students.

Your Student Assistance Specialist can meet with students in crisis situations one time without a signed permission slip. In this instance, the Student Assistance Specialist will call to receive verbal consent from the parent over the phone.

A Student Assistance Specialist is able to meet with a suicidal or homicidal student to do a preliminary screening. If an assessment for suicidal or homicidal ideation is needed, the Student Assistance Specialist will refer to their site contact person or their designated representative to make the decision about how to proceed.

A Student Assistance Specialist is able to meet with parents to give support and referrals that will benefit the student and family. All of our Student Assistance Specialists are trained to facilitate a Brief Risk Reduction Interview and Intervention Model (BRRIIM) Family Conference, where the Student Assistance Specialist meets with the guardian and the student, conducts an interview, and creates an action plan tailored to the individual family to best meet their needs. The Student Assistance Specialist will connect the family with outside resources and agencies as needed to help the family be successful. Follow-up to the Family Conference includes individual student sessions and brief family contacts.

If you would like to have the Student Assistance Program at your school, please have your site administrator call us to discuss the details.

Family Support Program

The Family Support Program provides ongoing support, education opportunities and resource linkage to families who are in relationship with schools throughout Stanislaus County. Family Support Specialists are able to connect with families to provide resources, concrete support, and coaching interventions to assist parents in expanding their family’s success. Services are provided in English and Spanish.