Student Support Services

Student Assistance Program

The Student Assistance Program, operated by Learning Support Services through the Health Care Authority (HCA), places student assistance professionals in schools to implement comprehensive programs that address problems associated with substance use. They provide direct services to students in grades 6-12 who are at risk and/or harmfully involved with alcohol, nicotine and/or other drugs.  Students who use alcohol, nicotine, and other drugs adversely impact the achievement of their classmates, as well as their own achievement. The Student Assistance Program works with students and their peer groups to enable all students to succeed.

Services

• Assistance to classroom teachers in the use of age-appropriate prevention curricula
• Supervision of peer leadership or pledge programs
• Promotion of drug-free after-school activities, student support groups, parent involvement activities, and staff development intervention strategies
• Identification of students who are at risk of initiating substance use, are coping with the substance use of significant others, or are suspected of substance use
• Counseling, peer support groups, social skills training, and individual and family interventions designed to address the particular needs of each student
• Referrals to community services such as chemical dependency treatment in cases where the severity of use requires services that cannot be provided in the school setting
• Professional development opportunities with an emphasis on prevention education and early identification and intervention related to substance use and violence
• Community Coalition linkages and participation. Staff actively participate in local community multi-agency coordination and collaboration

NOTE: Other County and State funding is available to support Student Assistance programming in schools, which focus on mental health and/or the drop out prevention services for youth and families.

Customized Services

• These direct, specialized services are uniquely tailored to your district’s specific needs and are available for hourly or daily consultation rates.
• Customized professional development
• Community coalition, network, and advisory support
• Site-based training and presentations. (Audiences may include: school boards, school staff, SIP teams, parents, students, advisories, and community groups)
• Recommendations on best practice curricula, programming, and strategies
• Intensive site-based program review with written report of findings and recommendations (includes observation, interviews, data analysis, and SIP integration)
• Interpret and find meaningful applications for survey data
• Technical assistance with program enhancement, implementation, and monitoring
• Linkages with other Prevention Center services such as equity in education, diversity and cultural competency consultation and training; school safety & crisis response and parent engagement

School Improvement Benefits

• Promote the skills and attitudes necessary for students to resist pressures to use alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs
• Encourage students to reduce the substance use for which they were referred
• Remove barriers to school success
• Increase student attendance and commitment to school

Participating Schools and Contacts

Schools and contacts in the Student Assistance Program 

Coalition sites:

• Auburn - Cascade Middle School
• Bethel -
  • Cedarcrest
  • Bethel High School/Graham Kapowsin
• Clover Park - Clover Park High School/Lochburn Middle School
• Enumclaw - Enumclaw High School
• Franklin Pierce - Keithley Middle School/Washington High School
• Highline - Cascade Middle School/Evergreen High School
• Orting - Orting High School/Orting Middle School
• Seattle -
  • Aki Kurose Middle School
  • Denny International Middle School/Chief Sealth International High School
  • The Seattle World School
• Vashon Island - Vashon Island High School

Independent sites:

• Bethel Middle School/Spanaway Middle School
• Bethel High School/Graham Kapowsin
• Showalter Middle School/Tukwila

SBIRT:

• Tukwila - Showalter Middle School
• Vashon Island - Vashon Island High School

Resources

• Washington State Student Assistance Manual
• Division of Behavioral Health and Recovery prevention resources site
• SBIRT Manual

For all inquiries, contact:

Tracie Holiday-Robinson, Prevention and Intervention Services Manager

trobinson@psesd.org
(425) 917-7847 

School Nurse Corps

The School Nurse Corps assists in the pursuit of student academic success by supporting and expanding public school districts’ capacity to provide a safe and healthy learning environment and optimal health for each student. The School Nurse Corps is a statewide program legislatively funded to provide direct nursing services to school districts with the greatest need, based upon specific criteria. School nurses provide emergency care, mental health support, and educational opportunities for students, staff, families and the community. School nurses promote health by managing chronic disease, preventing and controlling communicable diseases through education and access or referrals to health care providers.

Services

• Provide ongoing training and support based upon the priorities of School Nurse Corps program for school nurses, in districts directly funded
• Provide leadership in the delivery of school-based health services
• Provide regional school health services through technical assistance, consultation, and professional development
• Provide and assist in data collection to evaluate the impact of nursing interventions on student education and health outcomes

Benefits

• Provide a safe environment for students with health care needs allowing them to remain engaged in school activities
• Enhance the quality of student health services in Washington state schools by means of the regional Educational Service Districts’ SNC infrastructure through technical assistance, consultation, resources, and professional development
• Promote ongoing partnerships with health and education agencies and organizations
• Serve as a liaison between PSESD and the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction regarding trends, issues, and needs

Criteria to Determine Greatest Need

• District Class size with priority given to Class II school districts
• Rural isolation and access to health care
• Number of children with health conditions, medical treatments, and medications
• District financial capacity
• Community issues such as the percentage of free and/or reduced meals

School Health Resources

• School Health Service and the Systems Necessary to Promote Healthy Student Outcomes 
• School Nurse Resources Guide 
• Infectious Disease Control Guide 
• Immunization Manual for Schools 
• OSPI Health Services

For all inquiries, contact:

Susan Keller, School Nurse Manager
skeller@psesd.org
(425) 917-7763| (800) 664-4549 

Behavioral Health COVID Response Program

The Behavioral Health COVID Response Program provides a comprehensive, school-based approach for behavioral health support services by utilizing a multi-tiered systems of support framework. Our program places Behavioral Health Assistants trained in evidence-based approaches into schools to provide Tier 1 universal prevention programs, as well as Tier 2 interventions and support for students experiencing mental health challenges. We provide referral and coordination of Tier 3 interventions and supports for students.

The program is designed to:

1. Reduce impact of behavioral health related issues on student wellbeing and academic success.
2. Increase awareness of the signs and symptoms of mental distress and encourage help-seeking behavior.
3. Provide referral and support services for students and families.
4. Provide education for parents, schools, and communities to support the social-emotional development of our youth.
5. Promote a positive school climate that supports the behavioral health and wellbeing of students and staff.

In addition to direct services provided by our Behavioral Health Assistants, education sessions for caregivers and professional development for staff is available to support behavioral health in the wider school community.

Services are tailored to meet the specific needs of schools and districts and provide responsive support to students, families, and staff.

Professional development focused on behavioral health topics is available to all schools and districts in the PSESD region on a fee for service basis.

For more information, please contact:

Stacey Swilley
Behavioral Health Program Manager
sswilley@psesd.org

School Safety

PSESD is committed to supporting our school communities in their investment for the physical and social-emotional safety of all its members. Our safety services work in collaboration with community school safety stakeholders to support the efforts of local districts. Encompassing the areas of Behavioral Health and Threat Assessment, the Safety Services provides training that meets mandates within House Bill 1216, as well as other professional development, support, and technical assistance for your school safety needs. 

Threat Assessment Services

PSESD follows the Washington statewide adoption of the Student Threat Assessment program developed by Salem-Keizer Mid-Valley Student Threat Assessment System that uses a set of protocols and safety planning procedures to promote safe school environments. We run this through our race equity tool and assure all assessments operate through a race and equity lens. The model follows a two-level system that includes a school site-based screening team, called a Level I Assessment, and a multi-agency community team called a Level II Assessment.

The primary goal is to provide an immediate and systematic response to youth who pose a serious threat to commit acts of violence to others. PSESD offers training and brief consultation at no cost throughout the region. In addition, we offer a Threat Assessment Cooperative, offering unlimited training tailored to the interest and needs of the audience, a skilled Level II multi-agency team as requested, consultation from a certified threat assessment expert and forensic psychologist, tabletop and scenario opportunities to keep skills fresh, facilitation of L1 assessments when requested, and an advisory assessing our membership needs and guiding our service offerings. 

PSESD Safety Co-Op 

Safety Co-Op helps strengthen safety services for more than 20 school districts across the region.  Our members have access to resources such as networking meetings, professional development offerings, threat assessment training, our online community forum, and our annual Safety Institute.  To join PSESD Safety Cooperative or for more information please contact below.

Lawrence Davis, School Safety Program Manager
ldavis@psesd.org
(425) 917-7738

Nasarin Ahmed, School Safety & Threat Assessment Consultant
nahmed@psesd.org
(425) 917-7639

Behavioral Health Navigator

With support of legislative funding, PSESD now offers a  network of support for schools and increases access to care for students. The Behavioral Health Navigator, engages in regional K–12 and community service partnerships through relationships and collaboration activities that will ultimately increase access to care for youth and families.

In addition, we provide no cost training, consultation and support for suicide prevention, intervention and postvention policies, practices and resource navigation.

Services Offered:

• Coordination of behavioral health resources, supports, service providers, schools, school districts, and communities in the ESD region.  
• Facilitation of partnerships across the multiple systems of behavioral healthcare services and supports for children and families. 
• Ensuring the adequacy of systems level supports for students in need of behavioral health services through the integration of various service delivery models appropriate for the school setting.  
• Collaboration with ESDs, OSPI, districts, schools, community partners, and other stakeholders to increase access to behavioral healthcare services and supports. 
• Conducting outreach to school districts in the ESD region to provide technical assistance and training for expanding behavioral health services. 
• Provide technical assistance and support to districts on plan development and implementation of their Plan for Recognizing and Responding to Emotional or Behavioral Distress authorized by RCW 28A.320.127.
• If your district is in need of suicide prevention training and/or consultation please contact the Behavioral Health Navigator.

For all inquiries, contact:

Danny Chae, Behavioral Health Navigator                                                                                                                                                              dchae@psesd.org                                                                                                                                                                                                                            

Other Resources

The following resources are meant to assist districts in maintaining a quality McKinney-Vento program that includes sensitive and thorough identification strategies, regular staff trainings, inter-agency collaboration, and community-wide awareness of the issues facing homeless children and youth.

• Washington Alliance for Students Experiencing Homelessness – This site is for anyone who is invested in the educational support of homeless students in Washington State – whether you are a youth without a home, a community service member, or an educator, we are here to help. As you navigate this site you will find information directed to specific audiences, resources, technical assistance, and great ideas for helping Washington students succeed.
• Homeless with Homework Staff Training – This 15 minute, individual web-based training gives staff a basic overview of McKinney-Vento law and best practices. The presentation ends with a short quiz, and gives each participant a certificate to verify their completion of the training. This is an excellent tool for self-paced, mandatory staff McKinney-Vento trainings.
• McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act – A Quick Reference for Homeless Children & Youth Liaisons – Informational brochure from ESD 105.
• Information for Students and Families Living in Transition – Brochure from ESD 105 with area for printing local school district contact information.
• Determining Eligibility – This brief from the National Center for Homeless Education is an excellent guide for making a sensitive and thorough determination of McKinney-Vento eligibility.
• Higher Education Resources for Homeless Youths – Links to financial aid, FAFSA, and other information from the National Association for the Education of Homeless Children and Youth.
• Local Homeless Education Liaison Toolkit – From the National Center for Homeless Education
• REACH: Restore Educational Access to Children who are Homeless – 11-minute video explaining the educational rights of homeless children under the McKinney-Vento Homeless Education Assistance Act.
• Independent Youth Housing Program – Coordinated locally by Catholic Family & Child Service, this program provides rent subsidy, tenant rights education, money management training, roommate facilitation, and assistance on finding an apartment in your community.  Application form (PDF)
• Frequently Asked Questions – Information on the rights of students in homeless situations from the National Association for the Education of Homeless Children and Youth.
• Enrollment Addendum Form in English and Spanish – This form can be used as an enrollment addendum to help capture McKinney-Vento eligible students at registration.

State Resources

• OSPI – Homeless Education
• DSHS Community Services Division
• Washington State Coalition for the Homeless
• Youth Care
• Independence for Foster Youth

National Resources

• National Law Center on Homeless  and Poverty
• National Center for Homeless Education at SERVE
• U.S. Dept. of Education – Education for Homeless Children and Youth
• The National Network for Youth
• National Alliance to End Homelessness
• National Center for Housing and Child Welfare
• Homelessness Resource Center
• Runaway/Homeless Youth and Dating Violence Tool Kit