School Community Intervention & Prevention (SCIP) was originally developed in 1983 by community representatives and concerned educators to assist students experiencing difficulty in the learning environment which may be related to mental/behavioral health concerns, or substance abuse issues.
SCIP Newsletters – Click on this link to be directed to current and archived newsletters
More About SCIP
When a young person’s behavior changes the people most likely to recognize it are those who interact with them regularly. That’s why SCIP is designed to include their parents, guardians, teachers and other school staff. Our role is to make certain that, when school personnel see behaviors out of the ordinary in their students, they understand what could be happening and how to respond.
SCIP partners with schools and community behavioral health agencies across Nebraska to address the difficulties students may be experiencing. SCIP is a program focused on providing support and assistance to families in need, ensuring all youth have access to the appropriate services.
How We Succeed
SCIP provides prevention, education, and early intervention services. We recognize that a child’s behavioral health needs must be addressed at early on-set, rather than waiting until they have progressed to a more critical level and are more difficult to address.
The SCIP process applies a multi-layered approach to at-risk behaviors in youth. Following a student’s referral to SCIP, the team assesses the need for further action, coordinating an intervention with the student and/or their parent/guardian when necessary. A plan is developed to address the concerns and increase the student’s opportunity to succeed in school. This plan may include a referral to a school resource or to one of our partnering behavioral health agencies who will provide a screening for the student, at no cost to the family. The SCIP Team continues to provide on-going support for the student within the school environment.
School SCIP Team members are trained to respond and offer support for youth displaying concerning behaviors.
Parent Information
SCIP recognizes a child’s behavioral and mental health concerns can be difficult and confusing situations for parents and caregivers to address. Our goal is to be supportive by providing resources that people may not be aware of that can help them find assistance. We do this by collaborating with schools and behavioral health agencies across the state of Nebraska to provide free screenings to determine if further services would benefit the student involved.
How does SCIP support your student?
- Identify: Peers, parents or school staff may observe a student exhibiting concerning behaviors and report their concerns to the SCIP Team.
- Involve: The SCIP Team may involve the parents and students to express concerns about behaviors, to seek solutions, and to explore options which will increase the student’s opportunity to be successful.
- Assist: When appropriate, the SCIP Team may offer a school counselor, a faculty member or a school program that can provide assistance. SCIP also collaborates with community behavioral health agencies that can provide a screening for the student at no cost.
- Support: The SCIP Team continues to support students in the school environment. The goal is to aid the student’s improvement.
The SCIP process is always confidential!
How are students referred to SCIP?
Students are often identified by school staff, but may also be referred by a family member, peers, a concerned community member, or by self-referral. Reasons for a referral may be due to sudden changes in a student’s behavior, existing behaviors that may be escalating, or the display of unusual behaviors. These behaviors could be indicators of more serious underlying issues such as:
|
|
Once a referral has been made, teachers are asked to confidentially respond to the SCIP Team regarding behaviors they have observed in that student within their classroom. The team reviews the information and discusses what actions can be taken to assist the student.
SCIP Teams have been trained not to label or diagnose, but to identify signs that may indicate a more serious problem. Sharing the concerns with parents and students gives them the opportunity to obtain services from the school or from a professional at a community behavioral health agency who can then determine if further services are warranted. Following a SCIP screening, with a Release of Informationform signed, the agency can provide the SCIP Team with recommendations which they can use to assist students within the school environment.
Intervening early can result in positive changes, thereby reducing the potential for problems to develop into something more serious.
SCIP is FREE to families.
The initial agency screening for the student provided through SCIP is always FREE to families.
As a result of SCIP in the schools, students and their families experience an attitude of caring. SCIPlets you know that schools and communities respond to the needs of youth and that they are supported in staying in school and being successful.
Where can I receive more information?
Contact Associate Principal, Ralph Calafiore, at Lefler Middle School (402-436-1215) or:
School Community Intervention & Prevention (SCIP)
Lincoln Medical Education Partnership
4600 Valley Road
Lincoln, NE 68510
(402) 483-4581
For more information about SCIP, click on Lincoln Medical Education Partnership LMEP-SCIP
