Student Assistance Program

Program Focus

Youth Services’ Student Assistance Program provides professional, trained prevention and intervention specialists in all Windham County high schools and most middle schools. They serve as resources for students and act as liaisons between them, the school and other service providers. One of their primary roles is to promote the health and well-being of students through the prevention of alcohol, tobacco and other drug use.

Adolescence sets the stage for adulthood. Teens make decisions and develop habits that have lifelong consequences. Some of the most important decisions have to do with the use of alcohol, tobacco and other drugs.

• Cigarette smoking is the greatest cause of preventable death and is a habit that almost always begins in adolescence.
• Heavy drinking among students has been linked to physical fighting, vandalism and academic problems.
• Drug use has been shown to harm psychological and physical health, lower school performance and increase involvement with law enforcement authorities.

Services Provided

• Identifying students in need of services
• Providing supportive counseling to individual students
• Coordinating support groups
• Facilitating prevention strategies
• Providing parent and community education
• Giving educational presentations to students
• Referring students to community programs for treatment

Program Effectiveness

Throughout the U.S. and in Vermont, Student Assistance Programs have been shown to be effective.

At locations around the country, Student Assistance Programs have:

• Reduced overall drug use, especially alcohol and marijuana
• Increased school attendance and decreased dropout rates
• Decreased disciplinary actions
• Improved students’ grades

In Vermont, schools with Student Assistance Programs have:

• 13 times fewer physical assaults
• 7 times fewer threats to staff by students
• 50% fewer physical threats to students by students
• 50% fewer violent incidents
• 4 times more self-referrals for drug use or distress

…than schools without Student Assistance Programs.