Addressing students’
social, emotional and
behavioral well-being
A California school
district recognized the
importance of students
social-emotional needs
and implemented a
program unlike any other.
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Leadership
In LCAP Community Forums
held throughout the district, parents voiced
an urgent call for additional social, emo-
tional, and behavioral support for their chil-
dren. Riverside Unified School District’s
board and administrators made the bold
decision to implement a Student Assistance
Program (SAP) unlike any other. Assistant
Superintendent of Pupil Services/SELPA,
Tim Walker, formed a committee consisting
of site and district administrators to draft a
plan. The newly developed plan called for
the hiring of 27 licensed clinicians, two
school psychologists, 10 prevention assis-
tants, two support staff, and a coordinator.
The clinicians, all licensed clinical social
workers or licensed marriage and family
therapists, serve students’ social and emo-
tional needs and the school psychologists
and prevention assistants address students’
behavioral concerns. The Student Assistance
Program (SAP) works within the depart-
ment of Pupil Services and collaborates with
other school and district staff members in
serving students and families.
Mental health in schools aspires to pro-
vide programs and services to intervene as
early after the onset of behavior, learning,
and emotional problems as is feasible (Adel-
man and Taylor, 2010). SAP staff strive to
strengthen TK-12 students’ social, emo-
tional, and behavioral capacities impact-
ing their ability to fully participate in the
instructional day and school activities. The
SAP serves universal, targeted, and inten-
sive tiers of support, while directing its focus
on serving the students in need of targeted
interventions.
Patricia Lock-Dawson, RUSD Board
President, states, “The district recognizes the
importance of the social-emotional needs of
students. My concerns are understood and
shared by the administration and elected
trustees of Riverside Unified who have made
a commitment to fund staff and programs
and explore innovative approaches to well-
ness in our schools.” Overall, the program
receives a wonderfully favorable response
from students, families, and staff, with many
students benefitting from its impact.
By Katarina Roy Schanz, Ed.D.