Project ECHO completes four-month SAP liaison series supporting adolescent behavioral health

Amid ongoing concern regarding the impact of COVID-19-related school closures on the receipt of student mental health services, Project ECHO and Penn State PRO Wellness have partnered with the PA Network for Student Assistance Services (PNSAS), a collaboration between PA’s Departments of Drug and Alcohol Programs, Education and Human Services, to offer a four-month ECHO series focused on adolescent behavioral health designed for the Pennsylvania Student Assistance Program (SAP).

“Over 70 SAP liaisons across Pennsylvania participated in the series, which aimed to increase capacity for SAP liaisons,” Kara Bowers, RD, MPA, ECHO project manager, said. “The series provided strategies to identify and address adolescents struggling with behavioral health, especially added challenges brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic.”

One participant shared a key learning from the ECHO series. “It became clear that [SAP] liaisons across the county are having experiences similar to my own, which helped to normalize and validate my own experiences. One of the biggest take-aways from this session was the importance of collaboration – it is a crucial responsibility of our job that sometimes doesn’t get as much attention due to our heavy caseloads.”

 Learn more about Project ECHO and current and future series

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