Student Assistance Program (SAP)

Since 2016, Mid-Atlantic Rehabilitation Services (MARS) has expanded services to all school districts in Lehigh and Northampton counties and have met with hundreds of students to provide SAP Assessments and referrals to ongoing supportive services.

The Student Assistance Program (SAP) is a statewide initiative designed to identify student needs and to provide supports to address them. SAP team members, at the school level, are trained to identify problems and make recommendations. SAP services may involve in-school programs or referrals to outside professionals, if appropriate.

SAP ASSESSMENT PROCESS

  • SAP referral is provided to our agency through your child’s guidance counselor.

  • Any insurance costs are provided to families in advance of our services. Uninsured students are covered for SAP Assessments through their residing county.

  • Student is interviewed through an Assessment tool to identify behavioral health areas of need.

  • Parent/guardian is contacted by the SAP Assessor to discuss general assessment findings and to be provided with a referral to supportive services.

ADDITIONAL DETAILS OF SERVICES

  • SAP Assessments can be scheduled on-site at the student’s home school, at our agency, or virtually.

  • General length of time for a SAP Assessment is 45-60 minutes.

  • Student confidentiality is prioritized. Only minimal details regarding SAP Assessment findings are provided to the school.

  • All student referrals to additional services are provided in-network with student health insurance benefits.

WHY A SAP ASSESSMENT?

  • Students are interviewed in a safe and positive setting that seeks understand strengths as well as areas of need.

  • The process is minimally disruptive and provides a convenient and efficient snapshot of student behavioral health needs.

  • Our SAP Assessor team is comprised of professional clinicians who are experienced in work with adolescents.

  • Early Intervention and treatment of behavioral health needs is critical in supporting the overall health and well-being of an adolescent.

STUDENT SUPPORT GROUPS

  • Students meet for a weekly group, led by a MARS Clinician, to develop coping mechanisms for typical adolescent stressors.

  • Groups generally range from four to eight students and are developed according to gender, grade, or common objectives.

  • These Student Support Groups are fully-funded by the school district’s respective county.

  • This format is highly effective for students to develop new methods of problem-solving through constructive collaboration with peers.

SCHOOL-BASED INDIVIDUAL SUBSTANCE USE COUNSELING

  • Available in select school districts, this service provides students with a MARS Clinician to meet with weekly, on-site, at their respective school.

  • Counseling will focus primarily on patterns of substance use and allow for the student to better understand primary triggers and how to develop coping mechanisms.

  • This service is billable to the student’s health insurance or if the student is uninsured, county funding may be secured.

  • As a MARS client, the student will have access to after-school substance use groups with peers, if this format is also desired.

Contact Us

Email us at sap@marsatp.com
or fill out the form below.