02/06/2000

Partners at Work: Program lends support to girls in middle school

By Valerie Ingram, The Santa Fe New Mexican

When Jan Melendez was a health counselor at Alameda Middle School in the early 1990s, she became concerned about girls she counseled who made decisions that placed them at-risk for dropping out of school, becoming pregnant as teens or other behaviors that would limit their futures. One of the common factors with these girls was a lack of positive, adult support at home and at school. As a result, in 1991, Melendez developed the Self-Awareness and School Support program, or SASS. As a prevention program, SASS targets early adolescent girls who demonstrate at-risk behaviors or who are in situations which place them at risk. Not all SASS girls are at high risk, but may have low self-esteem, learning disabilities or a crisis situation at home such as the death of a parent or sibling. Teachers refer students to SASS when they observe behaviors or conditions such as absenteeism, academic failure, disciplinary referrals, substance abuse, early sexual involvement, association with gang members or unhealthy family dynamics. SASS focuses on assets rather than deficiencies, and provides participants with leadership skills and other strengths which will enable them to become successful, contributing community members. SASS's goal is to intervene before negative influences in girls' lives become too prevalent. Melendez says, "Let's face it: In this day and age, there are many negative things going on in the lives of almost every teen-ager. Sadly, all kids are at risk in our society." SASS is attractive to middle-school teens because its activities are fun. Major SASS components are weekly group counseling, individual and family counseling, outdoor experiential education and parent involvement. Mother/daughter dinners focus on topics such as teen sexuality, substance abuse and teen parties. Tutoring is offered when funds are available to provide the service. Health counselors assigned to all four of Santa Fe's public middle schools have been on-site coordinators of a SASS Program at one time or another over the years. Operation of the program in a particular school from one year to the next depends on needs, school administrative support and funding availability. A $ 300 contribution from the Santa Fe Kiwanis Foundation helped launch the program in 1991, and that organization has maintained its support. Major funding has come from both the public and private sectors. SASS received grants ranging from $ 5,000 to $ 25,000 from various entities such as the city of Santa Fe Children and Youth Commission, the McCune Foundation, the Santa Fe Community Foundation, the Turner Foundation, Los Alamos National Laboratory Foundation, State of New Mexico Department of Health, County of Santa Fe Maternal and Child Health Council and Ronald McDonald House Charities. City businesses such as Alpine Sports provide cross-country ski-rental equipment free of charge. The public schools provide in-kind contributions such as office space, utilities, use of equipment, some office supplies and sometimes transportation. SASS staff who are on the school payroll work with SASS girls on school time so that personnel expenses are limited to contract personnel or school employee overtime for special activities. SASS uses volunteers when possible and receives free services from some agencies such as the Rape Crisis Center and the New Mexico Center for Dispute Resolution. This year there are SASS groups at Alameda, Capshaw and Ortiz middle schools. Each group serves 12 to 14 girls in seventh and eighth grade. Their mothers (or surrogate mothers) are participants as well. The mother/daughter component is important, says Melendez. "At this time of immense change in their lives, girls this age need a responsible, female adult with whom they can talk without being judged," she said. SASS activities help mothers and daughters find ways to solve problems and communicate their thoughts and feelings clearly. Every year on evaluation forms the mothers write that they became closer to their daughters as a result of SASS activities, felt support from other mothers and learned useful information about parenting. Melendez recalls the students who have benefited from SASS with great affection. "We had one very shy girl in SASS who received tutoring for two years. A year later, her mother stopped a SASS counselor downtown to say that her daughter made the honor roll in high school." Melendez also tells the story of a very bright, but also very high-risk SASS girl whose father was incarcerated and whose mother had a drug habit. The girl attended the mother/daughter dinner with an aunt. The topic was sexuality. Later that week, the girl helped another eighth-grader by taking her to the health counselor for a pregnancy test, which was negative. Melendez says, "This was peer influence at its best because the girl who had a pregnancy scare received counseling regarding her self-defeating behaviors. Her friend encouraged her to become a part of SASS." For the next few months SASS girls can look forward to ice skating at the new recreation complex, planning and cooking for a mother/daughter dinner with the help of one of the girl's mothers, a ropes course at the Santa Fe Mountain Center and an overnight at the Tree House Camp. The girls play a big part in planning activities; therefore, not every SASS Program looks alike. It is created by the participants. SASS's advisory board meets twice a year. Advisory board members help by researching possible funding, looking at evaluation procedures and even donating money. Partners in Education serves as SASS's fiscal agent. For more information about SASS, contact Jan Melendez at 983-9373. Valerie Ingram is the Executive Director of Partners in Education, a nonprofit organization serving Santa Fe's publicly funded schools: the New Mexico School for the Deaf, the Santa Fe Indian School and the Santa Fe Public Schools.

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