School Engagement Program
Students who miss school are far more likely to drop out of school and engage in high-risk behavior or contact with the legal system. Truancy doesn't just affect youth, but also the adults they will become.
WHAT WE DO | OUR WHY | OUTCOMES | RESOURCES | CONTACT
What We Do
Lincoln Families’ School Engagement Program (SEP) helps chronically truant youth and their families address barriers to attending schools and support consistent attendance and engagement in the learning process. SEP is a prevention program for youth who have increased absences but are not yet identified as chronically truant or involved in the Student Attendance Review Board (SARB) or Parent Truancy Court (PTC) system.
SEP meets youth and families where they are at, whether it be in the home, school, or community. Staff deliver services to youth and families in a variety of ways:
Family Coaching – Providing intensive case management and collaborating with families to reconnect them to their communities, and develop skills and resources for self-sufficiency;
Youth Counseling – Working with students to increase motivation, promote a healthy lifestyle and establish trust with the school system for achievement and success;
Resource Navigation – Linking youth and families to self-identified supports for reducing stressors and addressing issues impacting attendance as well as working with schools to improve their outreach to families.
Our Why
Chronic truancy is a crisis impacting children in the Bay Area, throughout California, and across the county. Studies consistently show that elementary school students who miss school are more likely to struggle academically, which leads ultimately to higher drop-out rates. While there are numerous risk factors associated with absenteeism, school truancy is not an isolated problem or merely a behavioral issue. Rather, it is the result of underlying problems associated with poverty and, systemic inequities, such as homelessness and the physical and mental health of the caregiver.
Outcomes
100% of youth demonstrated a significant improvement in school and life functioning.
Resources
Contra Costa Referral Form | Contra Costa Referral Form - Spanish
SEP Contra Costa only accepts youth who attend or reside within the Antioch Unified School District. Please submit Contra Costa SEP referrals to: sepccreferrals@lincolnfamilies.org
Please submit Alameda County SEP referrals to: sepacreferrals@lincolnfamilies.org
CONTACT
Alameda
Mona-Marie Ponce
Clinical Supervisor
monamarieponce@lincolnfamilies.org
510.846.1345
Contra Costa
Merlin Edwards
Program Manager
merlinedwards@lincolnfamilies.org
510.273.4700
"I didn't like going to school because the work was too hard for me. Now I have the support from my school, family, and the School Engagement Program to help me when I feel too overwhelmed to complete my work. Now I like going to school and go every day."
— Laura (school attendance: 79 days out of 174 prior to joining SEP)
