Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2023 Apr;93(4):331-339.
doi: 10.1111/josh.13267. Epub 2022 Nov 20.

A Collaborative Analysis of Trends in Referrals to the Pennsylvania Student Assistance Program from 2013 to 2018

Deepa L Sekhar  1 , Eric W Schaefer  2 , Alicia M Hoke  1 , Perri Rosen  3 , Roberta A Chuzie  3 , Dana M Milakovic  3
Affiliations
Review

A Collaborative Analysis of Trends in Referrals to the Pennsylvania Student Assistance Program from 2013 to 2018

Deepa L Sekhar et al. J Sch Health. 2023 Apr.

Abstract

Background: The Student Assistance Program (SAP) is mandated kindergarten to 12th grade in Pennsylvania schools to address barriers to student academic success. Following student referral, SAP teams use a systematic process to inform recommendations for school or community-based services. To evaluate program outcomes, a review of student SAP referral trends over a 5-year period was undertaken.

Methods: The Pennsylvania Network for Student Assistance Services (PNSAS), the state leadership providing oversight of SAP, partnered with Penn State College of Medicine in a retrospective analysis of student referral data from 2013 to 2018. Public school enrollment demographics were used for comparison. Frequencies and percentages were calculated.

Results: Referrals (total n = 352,640) increased by 24% over the 5 years; demographics 55% male, 69% non-Hispanic white, 16% non-Hispanic black, and 10% Hispanic. Referrals were most commonly for behavioral concerns (31%). Discontinued referrals (39%) were primarily for parent refusal/no permission. Trends included rising minority and elementary referrals over the study period.

Conclusions: SAP referral demographics were consistent with state public school enrollment race/ethnicity breakdown suggesting lack of systematic bias. The proportion of behavioral referrals was consistent with rising youth behavioral health needs. PNSAS must consider strategies to support rising referral numbers and trends.

Keywords: Student Assistance Program; behavior-based referrals; school-based supports.

PubMed Disclaimer

Similar articles

See all similar articles

Cited by

References

REFERENCES

    1. Pennsylvania Network for Student Assistance Services. What is the student assistance program? July 2019. Available at: http://pnsas.org/Portals/0/About%20SAP/General%20SAP%20In%20PA/WhatIsSAP.... Accessed November 9, 2021.
    1. PNSAS-Network for Student Assistance Services. Student Assistance Program. Liaison Frequently Asked Questions and Best Practice Responses. December 2019. Available at: https://pnsas.org/Portals/0/About%20SAP/SAP%20Liaisons/SAP%20Liaison%20F.... Accessed November 9, 2021.
    1. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. Student Assistance: A Guide for School Administrators. SAMHSA Publication No. PEP19-03-01-001. Rockville, MD, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, 2019. Available at: https://store.samhsa.gov/sites/default/files/SAMHSA_Digital_Download/PEP.... Accessed February 21, 2022.
    1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Whole School, Whole Community, Whole Child (WSCC). Updated March 23, 2021. Available at: https://www.cdc.gov/healthyschools/wscc/index.htm. Accessed November 9, 2021.
    1. Green JG, Keenan JK, Guzmán J, Vinnes S, Holt M, Comer JS. Teacher perspectives on indicators of adolescent social and emotional problems. Evid Based Pract Child Adolesc Ment Health. 2017;2(2):96-110. https://doi.org/10.1080/23794925.2017.1313099.

Publication types

LinkOut - more resources