Excelling Teaching & Learning : Youth Development Department
	Social Services 40 Developmental Asset Newsletter152k Lions Quest

Scottsdale Unified School District has a variety of
prevention programs to meet the needs of the student body.

For more information on any of these programs, please call the Prevention and Social Services Department at 480-484-5055, unless noted otherwise in the description.

Student Support

Student Support Program: Individual, small group, and classroom support for all 33 schools by Scottsdale Prevention Institute (SPI) and Community Bridges. Topics may address, but are not limited to, substance use prevention, social skills, divorce, grief, stress management, communication skills, bullying prevention, problem-solving skills, decision-making skills and suicide prevention.

Dropout Prevention: Through this program, additional supports have been put in place to assist students who are at high–risk of dropout. Four social workers have been hired to increase services and resources for all students, especially those in the high-risk category. Through a partnership with ASU’s School of Social Work, Social Work Interns have been placed at schools with higher needs.

Prevention Education

Lions-Quest: A K-12 comprehensive youth development curriculum which was selected by a community committee formed by Scottsdale Police Department (SPD) to be implemented district-wide and was adopted by the Governing Board as a district goal. The program has been recognized as a Model Program by the Substance Abuse & Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) and the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services.

Tobacco Prevention Program: Funded by the Maricopa County Tobacco Use Prevention Program (MACTUPP), this program focuses on 4th-8th grade students. Tobacco has been proven to be a “gateway drug,” which means that use will often lead to use of alcohol and other drugs. Also, early to middle adolescence is the time when youth are mostly likely going to experiment with the product. One hundred percent of Scottsdale schools who meet the age requirement participate in this program.

Chemical Awareness Program (CAP): An educational program which was initially developed for students who violated the district’s substance policies. The program is now available for all SUSD students. Parents are also required to attend the two-session program. This program gives a detailed overview of consequences of substance use and teaches skills to resist future use. A complete schedule, including registration information, is available in PDF format. Please view the Drug Awareness Workshop flyerfor a complete schedule of dates and times of presentations.

Service Learning: Even though this program is not under the Youth Development Department, it is a proven prevention strategy. Under empowerment (external asset), service to others means students providing one or more hours of community services per week. The classes definitely empower youth.

Other Site-Based Programs: Each site has other programs in place, too. Examples include: Character Counts, Second Step Violence Prevention Program, and Peer Mediation.

Alternative Education

Sierra Vista Academy: As an alternative educational setting (6th-12th grades), additional services have been made available on site to adapt to the needs of the participating students.

Adult Resources

Staff Development: Adolescent Development and Asset Development trainings are offered to all staff. The more that staff members understand all of the complexities of adolescence and how to develop assets, the more likely that they will be able to effectively assist the high-risk students.

Parent Education: Through Lions-Quest and district programming, parents will have the opportunity to learn about various youth development issues as determined per campus.  Also, there is a monthly newsletter on Asset Development posted on the district website.