There are many members of your school staff who work "behind the scenes" in a support capacity to the teachers, administrators, and counselors who have more direct contact with students. However, these colleagues often have insight and knowledge about students that make them excellent candidates for membership on the Student Assistance Team.
Originally, teams relied upon teachers, counselors, administrators, and nurses to conduct the work of Student Assistance. With the staff positions and responsibilities expanding in schools, we find that many of our school-based colleagues offer a strength and diversity teams should embrace to enhance their intervention role with parents of our students at risk for alcohol and other use and other dangerous behaviors.
Para-educators, secretaries, building service staff, security personnel, cafeteria workers, and others bring adult understanding, professional-level dedication, and willingness to collaborate on a Student Assistance Team that welcomes their participation. In fact, many teams throughout Maryland are actually chaired by these support staff colleagues.
When considering expansion, please remember to recruit your non-certificated staff colleagues who fill the only requirement for membership on a Student Assistance Team: a willingness to help students at risk.
We are all in this together. Mike Codori