School-Based Program

The following also is provided in Spanish. Lo siguiente también es provisto en Español.

• a support system for children, youth and families
• a social service resource
• a city of Phoenix school/community partnership

Our Children’s Challenges
Today’s children are faced with many difficult decisions in an ever-changing and complex society. Our youth are challenged with a diversity of choices, peer pressure, competing values and nontraditional family structures.

The problems currently facing our youth include school difficulties, substance abuse, depression, grief and loss, physical or sexual abuse, peer conflicts, homelessness, pregnancy, unmet basic needs (food, clothing), health problems, violence, gang activity and the need for employment.

A Community Partnership
In response to the increasing needs of children, the city of Phoenix established a “City - Community - School” partnership in 1990. Its purpose is to provide a network of services to Phoenix residents. The city accomplishes this through the School-Based Program. This program represents a partnership between the city of Phoenix Human Services Department and various schools throughout the city.

The School-Based Program
The School-Based personnel link students and their families with social services, using the schools as the focal point for service delivery. Services are made available to students whose problems interfere with their learning or place them at risk of dropping out of school. Services provided include:

• Case management;
• Individual, family and group counseling;
• Social services for school-age youth and their families;
• Consultation to educators;
• Referral service to community agencies;
• Field instruction for interns from institutions of higher learning;
• Advocacy for youth and families;
• Parenting skills classes;
• Prevention programs at the elementary, middle, high school and college levels.
• Truancy prevention and juvenile offender diversion programs.

In collaboration with identified schools, the Phoenix School-Based Program holds health and social service fairs; assists schools in obtaining needed behavioral health, medical, dental and social services; conducts bicultural groups with ESL (English as a Second Language) students and their parents; and provides training to school personnel to increase their knowledge and awareness of social service resources.

Another example of how the School-Based Program staff is invested in serving the community is the development of coalitions with representatives from community agencies. Coalitions meet regularly to share information, address systemic barriers to youth and families, and provide updates on community-based programs and services.

Our Children’s Future
The vision of the Phoenix School-Based Program is to create an environment to ensure that the children in our schools have an adequate support system to succeed in their studies and their lives.

According to an African proverb, “It takes an entire village to raise a child.” Through the joint forces of the city of Phoenix Human Services Department, schools and social service agencies, we can provide a healthy, nurturing atmosphere in which to raise our children. We owe it to their future.

School-Based Program Mission
...to enhance social and academic success for students and their families through a coordinated delivery of social services.

For more information, contact:

City of Phoenix
Human Services Department
200 W. Washington St., 19th Floor
Phoenix, AZ 85003-1611
602-262-4040
602-495-5690 Fax

Special accommodations/alternate formats are available upon request. Call 602-262-4040/voice, 602-534-5500/TTY or 602-495-5690/fax.

If you need reasonable accommodation to participate equally in this program because of a disability, call the numbers listed above.