Vermont Student Assistance Professionals
Empowering Vermont’s Youth with Prevention, Education, and Support
The Association of Student Assistance Professionals is a non-profit organization whose mission is to increase and promote the effectiveness of Student Assistance Programs in Vermont. For over 30 years the Association of Student Assistance Professionals of Vermont has been an organization that has been your voice to advocate for SAP’s/Prevention Professionals in schools.
The ASAP Board will meet on the third Thursday of each month, via Zoom, 2:00 – 3:00PM. Interested? Email Debby, debbyahaskins@gmail.com
In the News
Vermont students recently gathered at the Statehouse to advocate for stronger measures against youth vaping and nicotine use. The young activists highlighted the dangers of flavored tobacco products and pushed for policies to prevent addiction among their peers. Their efforts aim to influence lawmakers to enact stricter regulations and protect public health. Read more about their advocacy here.
The History of Student Assistance Professionals in Vermont
The Student Assistance Program of Vermont is modeled after the Employee Assistance Program developed during the war to assist employees in dealing with whatever mental heath issue is surfacing in one’s life.
In the late 80’s, Ellen Morehouse developed the SAP, which VT adopted. In fact our first conference had Morehouse train counselors in her model. The first SAP’s worked part time in area high schools reaching out to high risk students. As time progressed the program became much more uniformed.
The basic tenets of the program is hiring a substance abuse counselor who is available to all students, without a diagnosis, to guide them in whatever their mental health issues are. SAP’s provide prevention education to classrooms, facilitate groups, offer staff and parent trainings, and work with administrators in developing and updating policies. SAP’s do not provide treatment, rather they screen, assess and offer resources.
