The VISA Center: An Interdisciplinary Collaboration Serving Students Suspended from School for Violent or Aggressive Behavior, Substance Abuse, or Weapons Possession

The University at Buffalo School of Social Work established the VISA Center (the acronym stands for "vision, integrity, service, and accountability") in collaboration with the school district of Buffalo, New York. With funding from the New York State Education Department, a university on-campus center was set up to serve 30 students at a time who were suspended from middle school for violence, substance abuse, or weapons possession. Students attended a two-week program, provided by an interdisciplinary team of social workers, counselors, and teachers as an alternative to the regular out-of-school suspension. Over a two-year period, the program provided academic and behavioral counseling to 280 sixth to 11th grade students who were compared with a control group of 707 students also suspended during this time frame. The two groups were compared on individual demographic factors (for example, age, race, gender) and outcome measures such as resuspension rates, grades, and survival data (length of time without a suspension). The study also examined school-related variables (for example, school suspension rates, total number of students) to determine their impact on outcome measures.