The Student Assistance and Family Education Program (SAFE)

The purpose/goal of the SAFE program is to address the social and emotional barriers to learning so that each student may be fully engaged in the educational process. It is a comprehensive and integrated approach promoting positive/healthy youth development as well as a system of prevention and early intervention. Everything we do focuses around this goal. In this process, we impact students, teachers, administrators, counselors, parents, and support personnel.

SAFE program staff members are either school psychologists or school social workers with in-depth training on how to effectively address social and emotional barriers to learning. Below are descriptions of the responsibilities of these student assistance specialists:

Students: We see students individually, small groups, classrooms, and/or school wide. Our contacts range from education to psychological-psychoeducational support. It is important to note that even though students may be seen individually, (and it is looked at as servicing just one person), the positive impact is often felt in every class and with every teacher that student comes into contact with.

Teachers: We provide teachers with information regarding a variety of topics including psychological disorders, substance abuse, mental health issues, learning styles, and behavior management techniques. This information can be student specific or more generalized to be used for his/her classes or used as part of the pre-referral process. We also provide support services for specific students in their classes; this service often involves facilitating communication between student/teacher/parent.
Administrators/counselors: We provide education/information for a variety of topics. They consult with us on issues relating to crisis intervention, student behavior and achievement.

Parents: We provide education and information regarding a variety of mental health, child development, psychoeducational, and behavioral issues. We are always looking for new ways to reach parents. A few currently used are: parent libraries, newsletter, handouts, web page, parent coffees, and parent presentations. We are a source for mental health/substance abuse community resources. We often act as a liaison between parents and teachers when there is a psychoeducational/behavioral concern with a student.

Support Personnel: We provide consultation and information to secretaries, cafeteria/lunch room workers, hall monitors, etc. This information ranges from mental health to behavioral.

Other programs/services provided: 

Crisis intervention:  This work is done on an as needed basis. It could be a school-wide outreach (like after 9-11) or individual (after a trauma of some sort). This is an extremely important part of our job that affects parents as well as the entire school climate.

Evaluate/Assess individual students for major psychopathology: This would include students who may be a danger to themselves and/or others. This also has a significant school-wide impact and is vital today given the increase in school violence.

Implement Programs: Another part of our job includes creating/implementing new programs in the school that would positively impact everyone. This might include such things as the “DeBug” program and peer mediation, Anti-Bullying Program, after school support programs including homework help, SADD group, the STAND program.

Classroom Presentations: SAFE personnel are available to give classroom presentations on a variety of topics such as: peer issues, substance abuse, self-esteem, bullying, etc.

Consultation: This is a major, ongoing part of our job. Consultation is done formally (in planned meetings) but most often informally. This informal consultation takes place at lunch, walking down a hallway and seeing a teacher/administrator/counselor, having student drop in to discuss pressing issues/concerns, etc. Without this accessibility and timely response to burning issues/concerns, many of these issues would go unaddressed. 

Access/Trust: A big part of this positive influence comes from trust.  It is essential that the SAFE representative is someone who is well qualified and available to the staff, students, and parents. This availability is a big part of the success of the program.  By being in a building a significant amount of time, one becomes part of the schools’ sense of community. Teachers, staff, students, and parents feel that you are more vested in the school if you are seen as a part of it rather than as an outsider stopping by when you can squeeze the time. 

Thus the SAFE program is an essential part to positively affecting the entire school community. 

If you would like to know more about this program or want to contact the SAFE program specialist at your school, call the school office or principal.