Washington County Children and Youth
Truancy Intervention Prevention Program (TIPP)

Program Description
The Truancy Intervention Prevention Program (TIPP) was implemented in 1999 in Washington County as a result of a Delinquency Prevention Grant. Although the grant was only effective for three years, the program was incorporated into the Children and Youth Needs Based Budget due to the success of the program. The TIPP program is an initial intervention for children having truancy related problems. Certain schools are chosen, based on need, to receive the TIPP intervention for their students who qualify. Children and Youth contracts with a private agency, Try Again Homes, to provide truancy assessment services within each of the schools selected prior to the student being referred to Children and Youth services.

Each participating school identifies a contact person to be responsible for attendance and meeting with the TIPP team - which consists of the Try Again Homes TIPP counselor and the Caseworker from Children and Youth. In Washington County each school district is assigned a specific caseworker to handle all truancy related cases. The identified school contact refers five children every other week to the TIPP counselor, based on unexcused absences, excessive excused absences or other reasons determined appropriate by the TIPP team. The TIPP counselor meets with the child and family to determine the cause of truancy and what interventions are needed to assist the child in attending school more regularly. In addition, the TIPP counselor continues to meet with the child in school and check daily on the child's attendance. If the child is not in school, the TIPP counselor makes a home visit to determine if there is any validity to the child not being in school. Once the TIPP assessment is completed, which normally takes 2-4 weeks, the TIPP team will meet to determine the disposition of the case. Disposition results can include the following: the case being resolved, the case being monitored or the case being referred to Children and Youth. If the case is monitored by the TIPP counselor, the TIPP counselor continues to see the child in school and check attendance for a 60-90 day period. If the case is referred to Children and Youth, the case is assessed and needed services are provided. The benefit of this program is early intervention, which has proven to be effective in Washington County.

This particular unit in Children and Youth which handles truancy issues consists of five caseworkers with the county's 14 school districts divided between them. A specific worker is assigned to each school in order to develop a relationship with the school officials. The caseworkers therefore become knowledgeable about each school's policies and procedures regarding truancy. This also promotes early identification of truancy issues, as opposed to the agency being informed after a student has been absent 28 days. Some of the strategies that have been used to encourage children to attend school include: adventure programs, after school programs, family group decision making, mentoring services, monetary incentives, reward incentives chosen by the child, ski trips, sports trips, taking the child to dinner and a movie, family outings and truancy groups. The TIPP program has also developed a summer program which targets youth already active with TIPP to provide prevention services; the focus of this program is to assist youth in improving their peer relationships, self esteem, determining future goals and preventing truancy.

Truancy assessments/statistics for the 2006-2007 school year:

• 60 children assessed by Washington County Children and Youth
• 25 of those 60 children resolved/closed
• 35 of those 60 children currently active with Children and Youth
• 2 of those 60 children who became active with Juvenile Court
• 21 of those 60 children who were never placed outside of their home
• 8 of those 60 children currently placed outside of their home
  

Contact Information
Holly Andy, Truancy Supervisor
Washington County Children & Youth Services
100 West Beau Street, Suite 502
Washington, PA 15301
724.228.6884
724.223.4713 (fax)
Email: andyh@co.washington.pa.us