Schools of Excellence in Prevention

How It Works

Bronze Program Level

A school that achieves BRONZE LEVEL in the SEP program will meet the following criteria:

Implement one strategy or program for students that reaches 25% of the student body
Implement one parent/guardian strategy or program that reaches 10% of the parent/guardian population (Parent population will be calculated on a one-to-one ratio with the student population. Ex; 1500 students will be counted as 1500 parents/guardians)
Implement one strategy or program for staff members that reaches 25% of the staff

Silver Program Level

A school that achieves SILVER LEVEL in the SEP program will meet the following criteria:

Complete Ohio’s K12 Prevention Self Assessment for the building (results from this assessment from the previous school year may be used)
Implement two strategies or programs for students that reach 50% of the student body
Implement two parent/guardian strategies or programs that reach 20% of the parent/guardian population (Parent population will be calculated on a one-to-one ratio with the student population. Ex; 1500 students will be counted as 1500 parents/guardians)
Implement two strategies or programs for staff members that reach 50% of the staff
Implement one student-risk screener that reaches 25% of the student body
Implement one peer-to-peer engagement program or strategy.
Examine and revise one school policy/procedure related to student substance, alcohol, or tobacco use; student discipline; staff prevention programming professional development; or drug-free workplace. Examples may include revisiting the student alcohol use policy and revising the policy to provide prevention programming for students in lieu of suspension, or mandating opioid training for coaches and athletes.
The person who is coordinating Schools of Excellence in Prevention in the building must take the 1 hour MCESC Prevention Science training.
Implement a Level I Prevention-Specific Plan (see details under examples)

Gold Program Level

A school that achieves GOLD LEVEL in the SEP program will meet the following criteria:

Complete Ohio’s K12 Prevention Self Assessment for the building (results from this assessment from the previous school year may be used)
Implement a building level needs survey . Examples include a culture and climate survey for students, parents, or staff or an SEL survey such as the Panorama survey.
Implement three strategies or programs for students that reach 75% of the student body
Implement three parent/guardian strategies or programs that reach 30% of the parent/guardian population (Parent population will be calculated on a one-to-one ratio with the student population. Ex; 1500 students will be counted as 1500 parents/guardians)
Implement three strategies or programs for staff members that reach 75% of the staff
Implement one student-risk screener that reaches 50% of the student body
Implement two peer-to peer engagement programs or strategies.
Examine and revise one school policy/procedure related to either student substance, alcohol, or tobacco use; student discipline; staff prevention programming professional development; or drug-free workplace. Examples may include revisiting the student alcohol use policy and revising the policy to provide prevention programming for students in lieu of suspension, or mandating opioid training for coaches and athletes.
Participate in an SEP approved, prevention or student mental/behavioral health related community partnership
The person who is coordinating Schools of Excellence in Prevention in the building must take the 1 hour MCESC Prevention Science training.
Implement a Level II Strategic Plan (see example for details)

Platinum Program Level

A school that achieves PLATINUM LEVEL in the SEP program will meet the following criteria:

Complete Ohio’s K12 Prevention Self Assessment for the building (results from this assessment from the previous school year may be used)
Implement a building level needs survey . Examples include a culture and climate survey for students, parents, or staff or an SEL survey such as the Panorama survey.
Implement four strategies or programs for students that reach 100% of the student body.
Implement four parent/guardian strategies or programs that reach 40% of the parent/guardian population (Parent population will be calculated on a one-to-one ratio with the student population. Ex; 1500 students will be counted as 1500 parents/guardians)
Implement four strategies or programs for staff members that reach 100% of the staff
Implement one student-risk screener that reaches 75% of the student body
Implement three peer-to peer engagement programs or strategies
Examine and revise two school policies/procedures related to either student substance, alcohol, or tobacco use; student discipline; staff prevention programming professional development; or drug-free workplace. Examples may include revisiting the student alcohol use policy and revising the policy to provide prevention programming for students in lieu of suspension, or mandating opioid training for coaches and athletes.
Participate in an SEP approved, prevention or student mental/behavioral health related community partnership
The person who is coordinating Schools of Excellence in Prevention in the building must take the 1 hour MCESC Prevention Science training.
Implement a Level III Prevention-Specific Plan (see examples for details)

What is Prevention?
Prevention promotes the health and safety of individuals and communities by reducing the likelihood of – or delaying the onset of – behavioral health problems, including substance abuse, mental illness, suicides, problem gambling, problem gaming, and screen disorders. Quality prevention programming supports student mental wellness by decreasing risky behaviors like bullying and substance use while promoting healthy behaviors like refusal skills, stress management, and behavioral self-regulation.

SEP Mission
Students spend five to six hours a day in school making it the optimal place to promote healthy behaviors and student resilience. (Health Policy Institute of Ohio, 2018). The mission of SEP is to assist schools with implementing best-practice prevention services and strategies in order to create healthy, drug-free environments that promote optimal mental health for students, parents, teachers, and staff in the school community.

The Schools of Excellence in Prevention Process

Many of the programs in Schools of Excellence in Prevention are free, and your school can be connected with subject matter experts along the way to help provide, implement, consult, and support your prevention programming.

1. APPLY

We are now accepting applications for the current school year. Simply complete a short form with your school and contact information, and fill out a short survey about your current prevention programming and needs.

2. CONSULTATION

Following your application, you will receive a consultation with the Schools of Excellence in Prevention Coordinator. During the consultation process, you will evaluate your current programming and practices, assess your needs, and create a plan that will work for your school.

3. IMPLEMENTATION

After creating your plan, the SEP coordinator and subject matter experts will help support you in implementing the plan. This includes providing programming, ongoing support and consultation, and working with you to help develop sustainability and capacity for your prevention programming.

4. RATINGS

Program Levels

Schools will earn a school rating that is calculated based on implementing strategies and programming across nine different categories including peer-to-peer engagement, parent education, student education, school policy, staff development, community partnerships, building level surveys, individual student risk assessments, and prevention programming strategic planning.

See Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum above.

State Needs Assessment

Analyzing available data is the best way for schools to know which prevention programs and strategies are needed. As part of the K12 Prevention Initiative, the Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services has released a tool to help schools analyze their prevention strengths and needs . For schools who want to reach a silver level or above, we ask that you complete building-level the needs assessment if your school has not done so within the last school year (For the SEP program, results of the assessment are good for two years). The assessment only takes about 30 minutes to complete. Our Schools of Excellence in Prevention Coordinator is available for technical assistance in completing the survey, will provide you with a customized survey results summary report to help you determine next steps. Click here to take the survey .

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Schools of Excellence in Prevention

How It Works

Bronze Program Level

Bronze Program Level

Silver Program Level

Silver Program Level

Gold Program Level

Gold Program Level

Platinum Program Level

The Schools of Excellence in Prevention Process

1. APPLY

2. CONSULTATION

3. IMPLEMENTATION

4. RATINGS

State Needs Assessment