CFS Completes Ninth Evaluation for Pinellas County's Safe Schools/Healthy Students Initiative
The Underlying Principles of the Safe Schools/Healthy Students Initiative are to:
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Combine school security with healthy childhood development;
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Approach school violence as a public health issue;
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Offer comprehensive, coordinated services along the path of childhood development;
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Encourage partnerships between school districts, law enforcement agencies, and local mental health agencies,and;
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Replicate services known to work.
CFS staff have completed the ninth report in the series "Evaluation of the Pinellas County Safe Schools/Healthy Students Initiative." The report, Evaluation of the Early Childhood Consultation Services & Partnership Programs, describes the Early Childhood Consultation Services and Partnership Programs, funded by the Safe Schools/Healthy Students Initiative grant to Pinellas County, Florida.
The Early Childhood Consultation Services focuses on educating parents, school staff, and community services staff about the issues of families with children from birth to age five. The Partnership program is intended to strengthen the connections among families, community, and schools by providing mental health services for elementary school students and their families.
This report reveals findings that indicate the Early Childhood Consultation Services Program increased children’s social skills, decreased children’s problem behaviors and improved parent and child interactions in the home environment. Low to moderate increases in the emotional and behavioral strengths of the participants as reported by their parents were found following treatment in the Partnership Program.
In April 1999, the U.S. Departments of Education, Health and Human Services, and Justice formally announced the Safe Schools/Healthy Students Initiative (SS/HSI), in which grants are awarded annually to local educational authorities and their mental health and law enforcement partners to make schools safer, foster children's development, and prevent aggressive and violent behavior and drug and alcohol use among the nation's youth.
During the first year of the grant awards, SS/HSI awarded a three year, 2.5 million grant to Pinellas County. Known as a large urban area that has actively collaborated for years for the benefit of children and families, Pinellas County ranks highest in the state in population density. It is the seventh-largest school district in Florida and the 23rd largest in the United States. As a large urban school district, the County has dealt with issues relating to student violence, juvenile crime, gang-related issues, and alcohol and other drug use.
"SS/HSI programs help to prevent aggressive and violent behavior as well as drug and alcohol use among the nation's children and youth," Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy G. Thompson said. "In doing so, these grant programs also brighten the future for today's children, helping them become tomorrow's contributing and engaged adults."
During the three years of the initiative, the Pinellas County Schools (PCS) collaborated with the Juvenile Welfare Board; Community Mental Health Agencies; Police Departments of Clearwater, Largo, St. Petersburg, and Tarpon Springs; Pinellas County Health Department; Florida Mental Health Institute; and University of South Florida. Activities included:
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Pinellas County expanded parent-training activities for families with infants and toddlers to improve the healthy development of young children and increase school readiness.
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The Pinellas County Health Department initiated a social marketing campaign that provided countywide messages of nonviolence and promoted specific programs that prevent violent behavior among youth.
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The SSHS initiative increased the availability of parent support groups, parent education and outreach services, as well as structured activities for youth.
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Mental health wrap-around services were available for children who lacked financial resources, and their Partnership Program offered short-term intervention to families of children at risk of abuse and neglect.
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A Family Resources On-Campus Intervention Program providing an alternative to out-of-school suspension was expanded.
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The K-9 program strengthening school security was enhanced.
Evaluations were required during the course of the initiative to demonstrate how community collaborative efforts developed, functioned, and facilitated change within community institutions and within individuals. During the extent of the SS/HSI evaluation project, CFS staff worked closely with the Pinellas Schools, community partners and agencies, individual schools and their administrators, and the national evaluators. CFS's Tom Massey, Kathi Armstrong and Michael Boroughs wrote up the evaluation component of the grant, and also headed up the evaluation team. By the summer of 2003, technical reports for nine evaluation projects were completed and published by the evaluation team. Click here to view the reports.
The Department of Child and Family Studies (CFS) is a department of the Louis de la Parte Florida Mental Health Institute, University of South Florida. The faculty and staff of CFS are committed to enhancing the development, mental health and well-being of children and families through leadership in integrating research, theory & practice.