psi’s S.A.F.E. Schools is an evidence-informed series of resilience-building programs aimed at grades K-5 (S.A.F.E Buddies), 6-8 (S.A.F.E. Skills), and 9-12 (S.A.F.E. Success). Recognizing that student social, emotional, behavioral, and academic success requires a strong support system, S.A.F.E. Schools also includes the S.A.F.E. Educators (focused on school staff) and S.A.F.E. Communities (focused on parents/caregivers) programs to promote stress management, self-care, and resiliency in adults. The K-12 S.A.F.E. programs address the Ohio Department of Education social-emotional learning standards. Importantly, psi’s S.A.F.E. Schools also includes a series of focused sessions on topics such as bullying and violence prevention, safe technology use, social skills training, emotional intelligence, and teen dating violence.

More information to come!

A new Pain Management course is now available for high school and middle school students. psi would like to extend a special thank you to University Hospitals’ Connor Integrated Medicine, Kent State University, IMG Academies and Banyan Treatment Centers for their partnership in the creation of this course. Specific thanks to Dr. Jeanne Lackamp, Dr. David Miller, Robert Ettinger, Dr. Anne Stormorken, Luke Wollet, James Tunney, Tom Sitko and Mitch Peterson.

This new interactive course is broken down into five modules presented in four or six weeks, and covers types of pain, causes and treatment of pain, addiction and coping skills. It is endorsed by University Hospitals and psi and storied by Luke Wollet. We are looking for new schools to pilot this program for the remainder of the school year.

If interested, please contact Mike Tornow, psi Director of Marketing and Development at (330) 425-8474, ext 200.

Click here to email.

House Bill 123 passed the 133rd Ohio General Assembly and was signed into law by Governor Mike DeWine on December 21, 2020. If your school is in need of meeting the new school safety requirements in these areas, psi can help get your school in compliance. A few of the bill’s impacts are highlighted below:

• Requires all schools and districts to provide annual training covering suicide awareness and prevention, safety training and violence prevention, and social inclusion for grades 6-12.
• Requires every 6-12 grade school building to create a threat assessment team within two years of the effective date.
• Transfers school emergency management responsibilities from the Ohio Department of Education to the Ohio Department of Public Safety.
• Requires schools and districts to adopt an anonymous reporting program of their choosing beginning with the first full school year following the date the bill passes (2021-2022 school year). Schools can enroll in the Ohio School Safety Center’s free Safer Ohio School Tip Line or sign up with a third party service that shares data with the state.

Click here for additional requirements and full analysis of HB 123.

As part of the Governor’s Emergency Education Relief (GEER) grant, psi has been named as a regional affiliate to work with 11 counties to develop and implement the Ohio School Wellness Initiative: Enhancing the Full Continuum of Care (Prevention, Treatment, and Recovery Services) for Ohio’s K-12 Schools. In partnership with Miami University, the Ohio Schools Wellness Initiative was designed to explore, implement, and sustain a full continuum of care including prevention, early intervention, and treatment practices for K-12 students within local districts who adopt student assistance programs, Tier II/III supports, and staff wellness frameworks.

The cornerstone of this initiative is the development of a model SAP that can serve as a best practice standard for Ohio’s K-12 schools. Throughout this initiative, integrative approaches will be identified to strengthen Tier II supports (i.e. social skills, self-management, and academic supports) and Tier III supports (intensive, individualized supports such as functional behavioral assessments and wraparound services) within the Ohio Model SAP for students experiencing substance use, mental health, and behavioral health concerns. In alignment with the Ohio Whole Child Framework, a Staff Wellness Framework will be developed to promote wellness among school administrators and staff. Crucial to the success of this project is the collaborative partnership with education and mental health professionals throughout the state to establish regional networks of support for school districts as they implement and sustain these three components.

Click here for more information on the GEER grant.

Click here to contact Mike Tornow,psi Director of Marketing & Development.