Westmoreland County’s Student Assistance Program

The Student Assistance Program (SAP) is a proactive, non-punitive, multi-tiered framework of support that aims to identify needs, decrease substance use disorder, mobilize resources and increase supportive, treatment-based interventions via referral for the adolescent population.

SAP is utilized to identify and address usage before it progresses into a chronic, ongoing, life-long issue. According to treatment entry data, alcohol still remains the number one drug of choice and the reason why individuals seek treatment. Substance use disorder treatment is designed to help individuals stop or reduce harmful substance misuse, improve their health and social function and manage their risk of relapse. Research shows that treatment also improves individuals’ productivity, health and overall quality of life, all things that are vital to adolescents’ wellbeing.

The SAP framework is individualized and tailored to meet adolescents/students’ specific needs. There are four phases to the SAP process:

  1. Referral

  2. Team Planning

  3. Intervention and Recommendations

  4. Support and Follow-up

SAP is designed to assist in identifying issues including behavioral health, alcohol, tobacco, vaping and other drugs, which pose a barrier to a student’s success and potential. The primary goal of SAP is to help students overcome these barriers so they may achieve, advance and remain in school.

SAP programming requires parental consent for student involvement. The student and family’s private health information remains protected by Federal Law which states information can only be shared with a consent form.

School-based, outpatient drug and alcohol services are funded by the Westmoreland Drug and Alcohol Commission at NO COST to the parent or school.

For additional information, contact Westmoreland Drug and Alcohol Commission at (724) 243-2220.