Second Growth delivers the Student Assistance Program as a contracted service for the Lebanon (NH) School District and The Sharon (VT) Academy with a presence in the elementary, middle, and high school levels. We have even worked with preschoolers and recent graduates. Our comprehensive service contract covers the cost of school-based student support services and includes nights, weekends, and vacations.

The primary goal of the Student Assistance Program is to promote safety and success of all students, while confronting dangerous and destructive behaviors as they first become known. Helping students to address the root causes of their own troubles in school, home, or in the community, the Student Assistance Program offers scripted, brief interventions that are goal-driven, content-consistent, and measurable. We provide students with individual and group support for substance abuse, anger or assault, bullying and harassment, depression, anxiety, and stress.

An open-ended commitment that transcends the traditional office visit, our model employs professional staff members in an active role of coaching rather than counseling. By keeping it simple, we engage young clients in a practical dialogue about what has gone wrong in their lives and what to do about it. With a compassionate and motivating style, we assist our clients to develop their own personal goals and work toward them “one day at a time.” Teaching by example, we engage students in life-enhancing activities such as sports, arts, music, drama, and creative writing to establish motivation and harness creativity.