PALs by Mallory Hass
PALs are a unique aspect of schools in both Van Buren and Allegan county. The acronym PAL stands for peer assisted listeners, which is exactly what these students are. The PALs program was created after a spike occurred in suicide rates among schools in Van Buren and Allegan counties. The program’s main goals are to prevent drug abuse among high school students and to refer the student to a trained professional if the PALs think that they need further help.
PALs here at Saugatuck can work as a teacher assistant in a classroom, where they will typically provide middle schoolers with any support they might need. PALs also talk one-on-one with students who need to vent to somebody. They are pretty much working as student therapists and they can meet regularly with a student, or they might just meet with them once or twice to help them out.
PALs are elected by their classmates and, if they want to continue with the program, they then go through two trimesters of ‘training’. This training involves learning about everything from how the nervous system functions to appropriate posture when having a conversation to projects on substance abuse prevention. Social worker Nikki Barth teaches the PALs classes at Saugatuck, as well as at other nearby schools.
Some traits that are typical for a PAL include the following: good listener, trustworthy, able to communicate, not users of drugs, and those that are doing relatively well in school. Confidentiality is the most important part of being a PAL, as lots of private information might be shared between a student and a PAL.
The typical PALs class is small in size, at fewer than ten students. PALs become very close throughout their time together, as they share many of their struggles with their mental health and personal lives. PALs classes are fifth hour during the first and third trimesters at Saugatuck, which can occasionally conflict with other classes.
PALs give students the opportunity to vent to a peer and they can also be very helpful for teachers to have in their classrooms. We love our PALs at Saugatuck High School and hope that other schools have the chance to adopt the program.
PALs here at Saugatuck can work as a teacher assistant in a classroom, where they will typically provide middle schoolers with any support they might need. PALs also talk one-on-one with students who need to vent to somebody. They are pretty much working as student therapists and they can meet regularly with a student, or they might just meet with them once or twice to help them out.
PALs are elected by their classmates and, if they want to continue with the program, they then go through two trimesters of ‘training’. This training involves learning about everything from how the nervous system functions to appropriate posture when having a conversation to projects on substance abuse prevention. Social worker Nikki Barth teaches the PALs classes at Saugatuck, as well as at other nearby schools.
Some traits that are typical for a PAL include the following: good listener, trustworthy, able to communicate, not users of drugs, and those that are doing relatively well in school. Confidentiality is the most important part of being a PAL, as lots of private information might be shared between a student and a PAL.
The typical PALs class is small in size, at fewer than ten students. PALs become very close throughout their time together, as they share many of their struggles with their mental health and personal lives. PALs classes are fifth hour during the first and third trimesters at Saugatuck, which can occasionally conflict with other classes.
PALs give students the opportunity to vent to a peer and they can also be very helpful for teachers to have in their classrooms. We love our PALs at Saugatuck High School and hope that other schools have the chance to adopt the program.