SNAP® for Schools

The SNAP strategy has been widely used in a variety of school settings over the past 30 years.

Schools are a key community stakeholder in early intervention, and we continue to work closely with them as part of our ongoing SNAP expansion efforts.

CDI’s SNAP for Schools program is a universal prevention approach that provides teachers and other school personnel with evidence-based strategies they can use to increase pro‐social learning opportunities, improving students’ emotion regulation, self-control and problem-solving skills. It also increases teachers awareness and ability to identify children who may benefit from additional clinical mental health services.

Teachers in elementary schools often tell us they need tools and resources to: (a) manage disruptive/bullying behaviours in the classroom, (b) prevent serious problems from occurring in the classrooms, and (c) help recognize and support the highest risk children and their families to access clinical services in a timely manner. SNAP is one possible solution!

SNAP can provide school personnel with an increased understanding of children with disruptive behaviour problems, strategies that can be used in the moment to help them deal with behavioural issues and an overview of how to recognize and respond to behavioural concerns and other risk factors including helping families access mental health or other services within their community.

SNAP for schools focuses on grades 3 and 4, although can be delivered to older and younger grades as well, helping participants develop SNAP skills to promote a positive change in behaviour. The 12-week in-class program covers topics such as managing anger, handling group/peer pressure and dealing with bullying. This whole-class universal approach teaches all students along with their classroom teacher a set of skills and common SNAP Langauage they can use daily to resolve issues that arise, and also provides an online opportunity to engage parents/caregivers at home in positive SNAP activities with their child.

For more information on SNAP in Schools please contact SNAP@childdevelop.ca