The overall vision of the PUSH diversion program is to provide prevention and early intervention to students facing out-of-school suspension. This aims to enhance their resiliency against substance use and violence, mitigating the negative impacts of suspension on their education.

Partnership With School Districts

As part of the disciplinary matrix, the program offers alternative options to out-of-school time for students undergoing disciplinary intervention. These options include addressing underlying behavioral issues and improving preventative factors.

Community Impact & Need For Intervention

Historically, disciplinary interventions for violent behavior or substance use have been one-size-fits-all, such as automatic suspensions. Embracing trauma-informed practices, local schools now integrate disciplinary intervention with diversion efforts like the Youth Court program in Independence School District. However, there remains a need for preventative measures and early intervention.

Challenges & Impact of Suspension

Out-of-school suspensions significantly increase the likelihood of dropout, with students missing opportunities for academic, emotional, and mental support. This can lead to unsupervised time at home, increased risk behaviors, and decreased academic engagement.

Economic & Societal Consequences

The community faces economic setbacks due to high school dropouts, including reduced lifetime earnings and lower tax contributions, highlighting the broader impacts of suspension and expulsion.

Call To Action

The program seeks to fill gaps by funding assessment and early intervention programs, aiming to support youth in achieving academic success and preventing future involvement in risky behaviors.

Locations

Click on the window icon (upper right corner) of the map below to expand. List of all program locations is included with expanded view of map. Locations are also listed on this page below the map.