School districts and community organizations are using technology to increase efficiency, communication, and information sharing, and to support program implementation and evaluation to meet the needs of all students and families. In addition, schools and organizations are using social media (e.g., Facebook, YouTube, Pinterest, Twitter) to connect with students and families, and to promote programs that are working. School districts also have partnered with social-serving systems (e.g., mental health, juvenile justice, and child welfare) to develop online referral systems and establish databases that collect and share information among organizations.
Currently funded and previously funded Safe Schools/Healthy Students (SS/HS) grantees have utilized technology to help support program implementation and evaluation. For example, Helena, Montana (2009 SS/HS grantee) developed a Web-based referral system in which 38 partner agencies established Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs) to use this Web-based system. Data reflected that 72 percent of youth who were referred obtained a first appointment.
The Nevada Department of Education, Office of Safe and Respectful Learning Environment (NDE OSRLE), established the Governor’s Social Workers in Schools Initiative with the focus of creating safe schools through prevention programming as well as a system of multi-tiered interventions for students. Providing a social worker in the schools has enhanced the strategy to create safer schools.
The Ohio Healthy Youth Environments Survey (OHYES!) is a free, voluntary, web-based survey to collect information that schools, communities leaders, and parents can use to identify important areas of need, access resources to reduce risk behaviors, create healthy and safe communities, schools. and family environments, and to track improvements in health and safety over time. OHYES! is a statewide survey of Ohio school students in 7th and 11th grades.
StopBullying.Gov is on Instagram providing bullying prevention tips, inspirational quotes, and photos. This summer, StopBullying.Gov is sharing tips for bullying prevention at camp, and inspiring its followers to play their part in preventing bullying and promoting positive summer memories.
Shares information about SAMHSA's "Suicide Safe" free app that helps healthcare providers, in particular primary care providers, integrate suicide prevention strategies into their practice and address suicide risk among their patients. Key features include patient and provider educational material, treatment locator, sample cases, and conversation starters.
Shares information about the new SAMHSA Disaster free app that is designed to help responders be ready, be prepared, and be confident in the event of an emergency. Users can navigate pre-deployment preparation, on-the-ground assistance, post-deployment resources, and more—at the touch of a button from the home screen. Users also can share resources, like tips for helping survivors cope, and find local behavioral health services. And, self-care support for responders is available at all stages of deployment.
Shares information about SAMHSA's "KnowBullying" free app that can help parents talk their children about bullying. This app features strategies to prevent bullying for ages 3-6, 7-13, and teens; lists of warning signs to recognize if children are engaged in bullying, being bullied, or witnessing bullying; reminders to talk; and strategies for using social media to share success stories and offer advice.
Provides a series of tutorials to help youth programs share their services and successes more effectively. The Family and Youth Services Bureau developed these short, online tutorial videos on how to use blogs, videos, and social media to reach target audiences.
Provides simple checklists to guide each agency in: (1) defining their data collection and sharing goals; (2) defining the population they will track; (3) assessing their current and desired information-sharing; and (4) assessing their current and desired data collection.
Starkville School District – Starkville, MS
In 2011, the Starkville School District’s Safe Schools/Healthy Students (SS/HS) program developed a social-norms campaign—led by students and parents—to encourage students to stop texting while driving. Students and parents worked together to develop a short video that was shared with various media outlets in the community.
A core management team in a Michigan neighborhood was concerned about the high incidence of substance abuse among freshmen and sophomores at their high school.
Public health and school mental health staff suggested implementing a multimedia substance abuse prevention program for elementary- and middle-school students in their district to address the issue before youth began experimenting with drugs in high school.
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