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Student Assistance Program

Goal

The primary goal of the Student Assistance Program (SAP) is to make our large school feel smaller to your child.

MISSION

The primary mission of the Student Assistance Program (SAP) is to help students overcome barriers in order that they may achieve, remain in school, and advance. We want to help ensure that your child feels that someone in the school cares about them and that they are not alone in dealing with day-to-day challenges.

Below is list of the In-School Services offered by our SAP Team. For further information about each service please download our PHS In-School Services Brochure here or contact Mrs. Lori Fitch and Mrs. Andrea Greth at (610)351-5672. Students may also stop by the SAP Room located in B108.

SAP Services

  • Referrals - Anyone can refer a student to SAP when they are concerned about someone’s behavior—any school staff, a student’s friend, a family member or community member.  The students themselves can even go directly to the SAP team to ask for help.  The SAP team contacts the parent for permission to proceed with the SAP process. Referral forms are completed using a Google Form you can access by clicking here. Once the form is submitted it will be processed by the SAP team. 
  • Parent/Guardian Consultation and ongoing monitoring with a member of the SAP team. This includes referring your child to both in-school and out-of-school services as deemed appropriate by the team.

  • The Mentor Program - SAP permission is required for this program. A mentor is a caring and committed adult individual in a young person’s life.  By spending some time sharing activities, listening, encouraging, challenging, and building skills and self-reliance, volunteer mentors can help children achieve school success. 

  • Academic Coaching - SAP permission required for this service. This is a short-term service provided to students who are having difficulty acclimating to five days of school. This program aids in structuring a student to be successful.

  • Fly By - SAP permission is required for this service. The Fly By Program will connect your child with a caring and committed staff member. This program enables your child to choose when they want to meet with the staff member. The student will message the staff member via email or Schoology. The staff member can also decide to request to see your child during a study hall to check-in as needed.  

  • Skills Crush - SAP permission required for this service. The Skills Crush is a skill selected by a parent or guardian for an SAP member to work on, one-on-one, with his/her child.  This will occur during a study hall. The parent and child will be emailed with the day and time of the meeting and an E-Hall Pass will be issued. Example of skill domains: test anxiety, social skills, dealing with conflict, etc. 

  • Educational Peer Support Groups - SAP permission required for this service. This provides a space for students who are dealing with similar concerns to come together and support each other along with providing strategies to the them move forward.

  • Support for Students Exposed to Trauma (SSET) -  This is a school-based group intervention for students who have been exposed to traumatic events and are suffering from symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder.  Parkland Staff have been trained to provide this group.  This will run virtually.
  • Mid-Atlantic Rehabilitation Services (MARS) Assessment - This is a confidential screening conducted by a member of MARS during school hours at Parkland High School. These recommendations will be shared with the SAP team. It will allow the SAP team to make appropriate referrals and necessary linkages to in-school and out-of-school supports for your child. Parents have the right to request to review the screening tool that will be used with their child and to have access of all information gathered pertaining to their child. For more information click here for a MARS Brochure. To watch a short video explaining the MARS process click here (video). If you are interested in a MARS assessment for your child, please click here for our parent permission form.
  • Student Educational Seminars - The goal for this program is to bring students together with similar concerns, educate them on these concerns, and provide strategies to address these concerns.
  • Mindfulness Training - Mindfulness strategies are meant to ease anxiety, focus attention, calm, anger, etc. Your child will learn immediate strategies that they can begin to use in everyday life.
  • Conflict Resolution Squad - This is a staff run initiative that aids students in addressing conflicts with peers.
  • Parent Educational Seminars- Throughout the school year, various parent seminars will be held on topics such as mindfulness, test anxiety/prep, school anxiety, and more.  Please check the district’s social media sights and the parent newsletter for seminar topics. Most of these seminars will be pre-recorded for your convenience. 

Other Services Offered

Drug Test Kits

Do you suspect that your son or daughter may be using a substance? Parents can purchase eight-panel drug screenings for only $14 from the Student Assistance Program. Purchase this eight-panel drug screening anonymously-no questions asked by contacting Mrs. Fitch or Mrs. Greth, and you can test your child in the privacy of your own home–results within minutes. Test kit screens for Alcohol, Amphetamines, Benzodiazepine, Cocaine, Marijuana, Methamphetamine, Morphine/Opiates, and OxyContin.

Eight-panel drug screenings may also be purchased anonymously from the Whitehall Police Department.

Interested parents of children attending the middle schools should contact the head of the school’s Student Assistance Program: Ms. Kadar at Springhouse and Ms. Miller or Ms. Hege at Orefield.