PASAP is an association of school personnel and community-based program specialists organized to address the needs of Pennsylvania youth in the areas of education, prevention, intervention, referral and support services to identify and reduce barriers to learning and promote mental, emotional, and physical wellness.

Read More

It is with extremely heavy hearts that we announce the passing of PASAP Board Director, Joel Wentling. Joel passed away on Saturday, October 12, 2019 after courageously battling pancreatic cancer for the past eight months.  He was 51 years old. 

Joel served on the PASAP Board of Directors for 13 years, representing the Northwest Region.  Elected to the board in 2006, he quickly demonstrated his passion for supporting children, especially those who were experiencing difficulties in school and at home.  As mentioned in his obituary, it was very clear that he loved his students and thought that it was important to understand kids, respect them and build relationships with them. He contributed greatly to the board over the years, serving as treasurer, chairman of the finance committee, and as an executive officer. 

Joel was instrumental in the planning of our annual conference, participated in making important board decisions, and took pride in leading the planning for the Northwest Region Workshops for several years. 

Joel served on the Crawford County Children’s Advisory Council and as a school counselor, assistant principal and most recently as a building principal during his 22 years in the Conneaut School District. 

Joel was a wonderful man and even better friend. He will be missed greatly. He leaves behind his wife Michelle, son, Jamin, daughter, Mesa, and son, Justin Lewis and his wife Kylee.

http://www.loutzenhiserfuneralhome.com/joel-wentling/

The week of September 8^th-14^th is recognized as National Suicide Prevention Week, with Tuesday, September 10^th marking World Suicide Prevention Day.  This year’s theme is “Working Together to Prevent Suicide.”  The attached guide was developed to support statewide, county, and local efforts to commemorate this important month.  In the guide, you’ll find ideas for suicide prevention awareness, a sample proclamation, helpful language to use when talking about suicide, and a variety of other suicide prevention resources.

Social media campaigns such as The Jason Foundation’s #iwontbesilent challenge are a great way to engage youth as leaders in starting conversations about suicide.  The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline’s #BeThe1To message can also be shared widely to help spread the word about the actions we can all take to help prevent suicide.  Consider promoting one of these campaigns or working with local partners to start a campaign tailored to your community.  Additional ideas, along with sample social media posts, are included in the attached resource document.

Thank you for taking the time to consider how you can build partnerships in your community to advance suicide prevention efforts.  It is only in working together that we can #stopsuicide.

Sincerely,

Jana Marie Foundation
https://www.janamariefoundation.org/ 

Prevent Suicide PA
http://preventsuicidepa.org/ 

Garrett Lee Smith Youth Suicide Prevention Grant
https://www.preventsuicidepa.org/gls/ 

Pennsylvania Network for Student Assistance Services (PNSAS)
http://pnsas.org/ 

READ MORE

Resources and Links

Log in and access our webpage that contains information and links by topic

Archived Webinars

Members can view past webinars that have been recorded and posted on our website.

Member Community

Use this forum to share information and ideas, ask questions, and discuss SAP in general.