The Student Assistance Program, or "SAP," is designed to help students who may have an issue with alcohol or other drugs. A professionally-trained and certified SAP Counselor works in each school at least two days a week. The counselor's responsibilities include:

• training school staff, students and parents on the SAP process;
• supporting individual and groups of students who are affected by their own or someone else's use; and
• increasing awareness of alcohol and other drug-related problems through classroom and parent presentations.

There is an important distinction between the role of an SAP Counselor and the role of a Guidance Counselor at school. An SAP counselor focuses specifically on alcohol and other drug issues, and they are certified accordingly. With that said, however, SAP Counselors do take a broad brush approach to prevention, particularly at the middle school level. Typically, the use of drugs--either by students themselves or by people close to them--will be tied to many other issues such as depression, relationships, family problems, etc.

Meet the SAP Counselors working in the Chittenden South Supervisory Union:

	Jen Bickel-Hayes, SAP Counselor at CVU, at 482-6951, jbickel@cvuhs.org
	Kate Senecal, SAP Counselor at SCS, at 985-3331 ext. 150, ksenecal@cssu.org
	Sami Pincus, SAP Counselor at CCS, at 425-2771 ext. 172, spincus@cssu.org
	Sasha Posner , SAP Counselor at HCS, at 482-2106 ext. 148 or sposner@hcsvt.org
	Sarah Klionsky, SAP Counselor at WCS, at 878-2762, sklionsky@wcsvt.org

 

It is very important to note that an SAP is an intervention program, not a treatment program. An SAP will not "solve" our drug problem. It is just one of many programs to address the issue.