Student Assistance Program

Counseling Services

Since 1979 Second Start has offered an Alternative High School Program for adolescents who have previously been unable to succeed in a traditional high school setting.

The Alternative Program at Second Start enrolls approximately 35 adolescent students from the Greater Concord area. Many of these students have been identified as having learning and/or emotional handicaps that have interfered with their functioning effectively in a traditional educational setting. The Alternative Program is approved by the New Hampshire Department of Special Education to serve both Learning Disabled and Emotionally Handicapped students.

Student Services

Intake Assessment, Crisis Counseling, and Referral Services

• The counselor meets individually with new students to gain an understanding of the personal challenges they face, assess their risk factors for substance misuse and other risky behaviors, and identify personal strengths that can be used to help youth build connections with school, family, and community.
• Students are offered ongoing individual sessions as appropriate to help them identify obstacles. explore potential solutions, and build critical skills related to emotional regulation.
• The counselor helps students and their families build bridges.to in-school and community resources as needed.

Educational Discussion Groups:

• Students are invited to attend themed groups which are catered to help address specific obstacles to their success and decrease their sense of isolation.
  Students learn how to build trust, accept support, work with others, and develop coping strategies which will better prepare them to focus on academic demands.
• Students learn about risk factors that may make them vulnerable to substance misuse and other risky behaviors.
• Students learn about the impact problematic alcohol and drug use can have on individuals, families, and society.

Classroom Presentations and Prevention Education:

• All students who attend SSAHS participate in general school presentations and discussions on a variety of topics throughout the school year, from the prevention of dating violence to general health and mental health related issues to helpful resources and opportunities available to youth within their community.
• SSAHS students participate in classroom-based alcohol and other drug prevention education. Topics include the stress and changes experienced during adolescence, alcohol and other drug disorders as diseases, the dynamics of healthy friend and family relationships, and skills for coping with emotions.

Environmental Initiatives

Students are exposed to environmental messaging on a variety of topics throughout the year such as inspirational quotes, alcohol and other drug prevention, healthy recreational activities, and mental health related information and resources. Messaging information is shared on flyers throughout the building and on bulletin boards.

Our Approach

It is a fundamental belief at Second Start that a student’s success in  academic areas has a very positive and observable impact on self-concept. The resulting improvement in self-image and self-confidence enables the student to establish and maintain better relationships, to function more effectively within groups and to develop more appropriate and satisfying social behavior. In order to get there, we operate under the guidance of three main philosophies.

Choice Theory

Behavior is driven by 5 human needs:

• Survival – food, shelter, safety
• Love – connection to others, belonging, friendship
• Freedom – having choices, autonomy, independence
• Power – competence, recognition, respect and skills
• Fun – laughter and sense of play, learning to do new
  things, pleasure

The Change Model

• Stage 1 : Awareness – the “Aha!” moment
• Stage 2: Thinking – Begin to think about making a change
• Stage 3: Planning – What are you willing to consider changing?
• Stage 4: Action – What will you actually do to make the change
• Stage 5: Maintain – Keep motivation; revise and adapt the plan

The Five Skills

1. Listen
2. Control Behavior
3. Contribute Effectively
4. Tolerate Feedback
5. Accept Responsibility

Parent and Family Services

Parent Education and Support:

• Information on a variety of topics regarding teens is shared with parents and guardians during open house and through school sponsored newsletters.
• Parents are offered opportunities to partner with the school and other parents to gain insight into the struggles of teens, receive support in their efforts to parent and access needed family resources, and contribute their time to assist in school-sponsored functions. Students become more engaged when their parents are invested in the school community.
• Individual meetings with parents offer support, guidance, and referral services which aim to meet the unique needs of families.