Heart of Illinois United Way

PACES

PACES is a collaborative effort between Peoria Public Schools and the Heart of Illinois United Way member agencies that, through the United Way grant process, established a full-service substance abuse, violence prevention and mental health program for students in kindergarten through high school in the Manual High School region.

PACES Report Cover
Read the Report Card to the Community (PDF 632kb) from the Heart of Illinois United Way and Peoria Area Community & Educational Services.

PACES focuses on drug and alcohol abuse among students, which often results in problems such as violence, anger, physical and mental health issues. Students then bring these issues to school and they interfere with learning and the classroom environment.

District 150, as the lead agency, is working collaboratively with Heart of Illinois United Way member agencies to bring on-site, direct services that address substance abuse, violence and mental health issues to students and families that attend the four targeted schools:

  1. Garfield Primary
  2. Harrison Primary
  3. Trewyn Middle School
  4. Manual High School

Through studying school discipline data and examining city and county statistics for juvenile delinquency, Peoria Public Schools were able to consistently prove that many students were exposed to violence and crime while many more were living in poverty and experiencing high levels of continuous trauma and anxiety.

  • To address these needs, this system of student support was formed to focus on the whole child – academically, socially, and emotionally.
  • The academic culture within Peoria Public Schools has changed from punishment to assistance with a shift to focus on intervention and support. Through the PACES Program, Peoria Public Schools continues to realign and reallocate existing resources and collaborate with providers and the community.
PACES photo
    Key Components of the PACES Program:
  • Prevention and Intervention
  • Mental Health Screening and Counseling
  • Substance Abuse Prevention
  • Abeyance Case Management
      What is Abeyance?
    • Rather than being expelled, this new program offers a positive solution to being removed from school and risking falling farther behind academically.
    • Students now continue to receive education instead of being at home or on the streets during the school day.
    Tools Used Throughout the PACES Program:
  • Student curriculums and classroom tools focusing on prevention and education with pre-tests and post-tests to measure impact.
  • Training and education of school personnel resulting in school-wide coordination.
  • Parent and family education.
  • Screenings for substance abuse, suicide prevention and mental health issues.
  • On-site individual counseling, support groups and small group counseling.