Purpose

Purpose

To continue to foster trust, belonging, and inclusivity as we identify opportunities to provide services to families with dignity, empathy, and respect and to celebrate their success.
To create, support, and promote innovative interventions and services that boost child welfare & attendance to children & their families.
To honor families as they define themselves (LGBTQ+ brothers, sisters, and siblings), respecting and involving them as experts on their own families.
To create, implement and foster partnerships with community agencies to ensure families receive the services they need.
To cultivate and develop a growth mindset as we provide resources to help members advance in our professional field.
To advocate on behalf or our families to ensure the school district funds and provides resources that support our families and the community.
To stimulate, nurture and promote the professional growth of the individual members.
To develop and support the practice of child welfare and attendance counselors.
To work cooperatively with other professional organizations (e.g. CASSWA, NASW, UTLA, etc.).
To enhance the well-being of individuals, families, and communities through its advocacy.

Values

APSAC embraces these values:

Diversity and inclusion
Respect for all
Wellness, Equity, and Social Justice

DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION

We create and nurture a culture that values the inherently unique viewpoints and contributions of all members. We welcome the presence of differences that may include race, gender, religion, sexual orientation, ethnicity, nationality, socioeconomic status, language, (dis)ability, age, religious commitment, political perspective, or other. We create and sustain an environment in which all members know they are included, and feel safe to learn and contribute openly. We establish and promote a workplace culture free from discrimination.

RESPECT FOR ALL

We recognize every person has inherent value and worth and deserves to be treated with empathy, respect, kindness, and respect. We empower PSA Counselors to continue creating and implementing support services that take into consideration family culture, ethnic heritage, and structure. We promote respect and acceptance.

DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION

We create and nurture a culture that values the inherently unique viewpoints and contributions of all members. We welcome the presence of differences that may include race, gender, religion, sexual orientation, ethnicity, nationality, socioeconomic status, language, (dis)ability, age, religious commitment, political perspective, or other. We ensure those that are diverse actually feel and are welcomed.

WELLNESS, EQUITY, AND SOCIAL JUSTICE

The pursuit of Wellness, Equity and Social Justice lie at the heart of our practice.

Pupil Services & Attendance Counselors

Pupil Services and Attendance Counselors work in different programs that Los Angeles Unified has created and implemented, such as:

The Attendance Improvement Program, supports schools in achieving attendance improvement targets in Transitional Kindergarten (TK), Kindergarten and Grade 9. It is committed to engaging parents, students, school staff, and community members toward a common vision of graduation for all students.
The City Partnership, LAUSD Pupil Services Unit and The City of Los Angeles have partnered to improve outcomes for students and families in Los Angeles. The Economic Workforce Development Department and Pupil Services have partnered to address the high school dropout crisis and implement student recovery efforts. The Housing and Community Investment Department and Pupil Services are working together to support schools and provide services to in-school youth to improve academic achievement with a long-term goal of lifting families out of poverty. This collaboration represents the shared commitment to providing services to high-need communities within the City of Los Angeles.
Family Source Centers, Full-time Pupil Services and Attendance (PSA) Counselors, who serve as educational consultants, are located at thirteen Family Source Centers (FSC) throughout the City of Los Angeles that primarily serve families with children ages 5-17. The Program focuses on providing parents and students with resources to improve academic achievement and lift families out of poverty.
The Youth Source Centers Program houses full-time Pupil Services and Attendance (PSA) Counselors in fifteen Youth Source Centers located throughout the city. The Centers provide services to youths between the ages of 14-21 with a focus on re-engaging students in school and providing them with opportunities to develop work skills. PSA Counselors conduct student intakes, and assessments, and determine appropriate interventions to identify at-risk students with behavioral, social, and attendance-related issues.
The Diploma Project began as a grant 100% funded by the U.S. Department of Education’s High School Graduation Initiative Grant. PSA Counselors work to reduce dropout rates in selected middle schools and high schools by utilizing a three-tiered approach, which includes identifying at-risk students at the feeder middle schools and in ninth grade, based on the LAUSD reports. One of the primary priorities of the program is The Re-Entry Component.
The Foreign Student Admissions Office (FSAO) is responsible for marketing, recruitment, admissions, processing, and tracking of international students on an F1 or J-1 visa for the District. This office authorizes students to attend the district high schools using J-1 Exchange and F-1 Student visas. The LAUSD FSAO is authorized by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to issue I-20 documents to prospective F-1 students.
The Foster Youth Achievement Program (FYAP) is dedicated to enhancing the educational outcomes of students residing in foster care (e.g., with relative caregivers, foster parents, and group homes). The program aims to provide comprehensive services to improve attendance, maximize educational achievement, and the social-emotional well-being of all foster youth.
The Homeless Education Program was designed to remove barriers to academic success for homeless students and their families in compliance with the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act, an integral part of the No Child Left Behind Act. The program provides basic resources for homeless students such as backpacks, school supplies, transportation, and emergency clothing in addition to related resource referrals. The program also hosts special events for homeless students such as the sponsor a family, Sponsor a Graduate, graduation luncheon, universal day, etc.
The Juvenile Hall/Camp Returnee Program Thousands of LAUSD students come into contact with Los Angeles County’s juvenile justice system. These students are disproportionately African-American or Latino and/or living in poverty. Many of these students have a significant history of exposure to trauma and present emotional, social, and behavioral challenges. Upon release, these students face additional challenges with acceptance and re-integration into our schools. This program is focused on ensuring re-enrollment and successful transition into LAUSD schools. Education Code Section 48645.5, amended on September 30, 2014 states that pupils shall not be denied enrollment or readmission to a public school solely on the basis that he or she has had contact with the juvenile justice system. The Juvenile Hall/Camp Returnee Placement and Aftercare Counselors support the successful transition of students out of juvenile camp, including re-enrollment, and intensive case management. In addition, PSA Counselors are co-located at each of the three Juvenile Halls (Los Padrinos, Central, and Sylmar).
The LAUSD, Los Angeles County Office of Education (LACOE) and Los Angeles County Probation Department are collaborating to establish protocol and procedures that will ensure early identification, and support for appropriate placement upon re-entry into the District, as well as Aftercare Case Management services for all LAUSD students.
The Group Home Scholars Program staff collaborates with LAUSD’s Foster Youth Achievement Program, the Department of Children and Family Services, and the Probation Department in order to provide targeted case management, counseling services, tiered support services, and interventions for students residing in group homes.
The Office of Permits and Student Transfers is responsible for developing the District policy on permits and student transfers, facilitating the online inter-district permits process, responding to parent and school personnel inquiries, and representing the District during County Inter-district permit appeals. The Permits Office handles approximately 6,000 inter-district (outgoing and incoming) permit applications annually.
School Attendance Review Board (SARB) The School Attendance Review Board (SARB) is a state-sanctioned process created by California Legislation in 1975 and became operative in 1976 to assist students with attendance and behavior problems. California Education Code (EC) Section 48320 was created to enhance the enforcement of compulsory education laws and to divert students with school attendance or behavior problems from the juvenile justice system until all available resources have been exhausted. SARB panels represent a community-based effort to bring together multiple resources to assist families with attendance, truancy, and behavior issues so that students attend school regularly and graduate.

School-based Pupil Services and Attendance (PSA) provide comprehensive child welfare and attendance supports, including tiered absence prevention and intervention, as well as dropout prevention and recovery services. These services may include individual, group, and family counseling; visiting students’ homes to gather and exchange information and provide in-home counseling as needed; collaborating with school officials and community agencies; serving on, or coordinating Student Success Teams; collecting, analyzing, and disseminating data to all stakeholders, and empowering families and students by helping them understand and access appropriate public and private health and social services. School-based PSA Counselors play an integral role in the development of school-site attendance improvement and dropout prevention plans, education of all stakeholders regarding compulsory education laws and the impacts of chronic absence, as well as targeted, evidence-based child welfare and attendance interventions. Every LAUSD school must design and implement specific strategies, activities, and designate persons responsible for providing these services as outlined in the Safe School Plan, Chapter 5b (REF 5511.3).

All PSA Counselors are Invited to Become APSAC Members