The Department of Health, Bureau of Family Health’s Bullying Prevention and Safe Relationships Program (BPSR) enhances positive behaviors and healthy relationships among youth with special health care needs (YSHCN): defined as people between 12-21 who have chronic physical, mental, or developmental conditions that require health and related services of a type or amount beyond that required by youth generally.
The overall goal of this funding is to promote appropriate relationship development and reduce bullying of YSHCN by:
- Engaging youth in activities geared toward their physical, emotional, and mental well-being
- Hosting meaningful activities such as sports, drama, and crafts
- Marketing the activities to YSHCN in before-school, after-school, and other community settings through print, broadcast, and social media
- Offering programming outside of school hours and on weekends and holidays
- Utilizing evidence-based curricula on bullying and relationships
Why is the BPSR Program Important?
More than 20 percent of youth in Pennsylvania have a special health care need. One-fifth of Pennsylvania families have at least one YSHCN. Evidence-informed bullying prevention is associated with positive social-emotional outcomes for youth, including a reduction in antisocial behaviors, such as delinquency, truancy, and violence.
During a focus group held by the Department of Health in 2022, 20 percent of participants, when asked if they felt prepared to handle bullying, responded that they needed help. Additionally, 20 percent responded that bullying prevention was a service that was most needed and of importance.
Partners
The BPSR Program is implemented by three partner organizations that cover a few counties in eastern, central, and western parts of Pennsylvania with in-person services. Virtual services are offered statewide. These partners recruit youth aged 12-21, including at least 80% YSHCN, to participate in sessions that create awareness about bullying prevention and foster healthy relationships by empowering youth to build positive connections and advocate for themselves and others.
The key messaging themes are:
- Stand Strong, Stand Kind: Together Against Bullying!
- Friendship Starts with Respect: Building Healthy Relationships for Life
- Your Voice Matters: Stand Up, Speak Out
- Empowered to Connect: Learning Safe and Positive Ways to Build Friendships
Eastern PA
KenCrest Services
960A Harvest Drive, Suite 100
Blue Bell, PA 19422
KenCrest’s Director of Behavioral Health Supports & Services and a team of clinical and educational professionals created a curriculum for bullying prevention and safe relationships. KenCrest engages intellectually disabled and/or autistic youth and young adults through virtual and in-person programming outside of school. The basic program is set at 30 to 60-minute sessions/week for 16 weeks but adaptations to the structure and format are all part of the disability and neuro-affirming conceptualization of this program. All lessons are based on the topic area with an array of activity options, styles of learning, and communication structure for the content because every learner is unique.
Central PA
Center for Independent Living of South Central PA (CILSCPA)
3013 Beale Ave., Suite B102
Altoona, PA 16601
CILSCPA uses an evidence-based Bullying Prevention model developed by Olweus, and an evidence-based sexuality model by Elevatus. CILSCPA runs groups with students from Blair County public and private junior and senior high schools.
Western PA
Arc Human Services
470 Johnson Rd., Suite 200
Washington, PA 15301
Arc Human Services (AHS) uses the PACER Curriculum developed by the National Bullying Prevention Center and the Stand Up-Speak Out Program developed by Utterly Global Youth Empowerment, both evidenced-based Bullying Prevention models, as well at an evidence-based sexuality model by Elevatus. AHS runs groups with high school students in its Student Transition Program.
Who to Contact
For more information about the BPSR Program, contact the Bureau’s Division of Community Systems Development and Outreach at RA-DHCSDO@pa.gov.