Safe & Drug Free Schools Overview

There are serious social problems that affect schools across the country; Bucks County is certainly not immune to them. These issues include abuse of alcohol, tobacco and other drugs (ATOD) as well as school safety. The BCIU Prevention Programs staff strives to directly respond to these issues as well as to support school districts in their efforts to provide students with healthy, safe environments and the skills that they need to make positive choices.

Funding for our prevention programs is provided through

• Pennsylvania Department of Education, Safe and Drug Free Schools and Communities Act (SDFS) (federal)
  

• The Bucks County Drug and Alcohol Commission, Inc.

We focus on evidence-based ATOD curricula and violence prevention/bullying initiatives, and we provide various programs and services to increase awareness and early identification of at-risk students through professional development and support, our lending library, and direct student services.

Due to the increased concerns, our office will be providing suicide prevention curriculum throughout Bucks County Schools. We also work with several existing consortiums to request counsel on social issues facing our students. These associations include the Bucks County Safe & Drug Free Schools Advisory Council, the Bucks County Health & Physical Education Advisory Council, the BCIU Programs & Services Advisory Council and Bucks County Superintendent’s Diversity Taskforce.

Our office actively collaborates with community groups to help address these social issues. They include:

• Bucks County Schools Crisis Response Committee
  

• The Bucks County Youth Suicide Prevention Taskforce (BCYSPT)

• Bucks County Drug & Alcohol Commission Prevention Service Providers
  

• Bucks County Partnership for Healthy Youth Taskforce
  

• Bucks Promise for Youth & Communities, a community coalition
  

Federal funds are provided under the Safe and Drug Free Schools and Communities Act (SDFS) to provide various programs and services to increase awareness and early identification of at-risk students. Efforts in Bucks County center on evidence-based Alcohol, Tobacco, and Other Drugs (ATOD) curricula, as well as Student Assistance Programs (SAP), violence prevention initiatives and parent education. Services are provided through professional development and support, our lending library, and direct student services.

In addition, under a grant from the Bucks County Drug and Alcohol Commission, Inc. (BCDAC), the BCIU provides programs to public and nonpublic schools. Services include both professional development and direct student services in the areas of alcohol, tobacco drugs and violence prevention.

The BCIU also coordinates a countywide Youth Suicide Prevention Task Force (which developed a manual that is available to download here). Bucks County Youth Suicide Resource Guide Education programs for parents of children entering kindergarten are also available.