School-Community Partnership Key to Systemic Change and Integration – Lancaster, PA
Through a partnership between the school district and community organizations, nearly 11,200 students and their families in Lancaster, PA, can access coordinated services.
The SS/HS initiative was the catalyst for a partnership to improve the isolated, short-term programs previously available to students and families. Together, the school district, Lancaster County Mental Health, juvenile probation, and children & youth agencies, along with local police, Compass Mark, United Way, and faith-based organizations built an integrated school based systemic partner service model. Each of the district’s 23 schools now have at least one full-time mental health clinician, all secondary schools have a school resource officer, and five schools are identified as full-service community schools with a full-time community school director and lead agency partner.
Because of the SS/HS initiative, the community was successful in sustaining partnerships. The community collaborative shares ownership of the initiative with partners who contribute the equivalent of $13.1 million every year through in-kind services and staff time. Community partners provide services in schools, and the SS/HS project director focuses on large-scale systemic changes.
“I attribute our sustainability to the systemic work we did with partners for SS/HS. Without SS/HS, we wouldn’t be here.” – Pam Smith, Former School District of Lancaster SS/HS Project Director