Glossary – S
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SA – Substance Abuse/Safety Assessment
SADD – Students Against Destructive Decisions
SAMSHA – Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
SAP – Student Assistance Program
SCA – Single County Authority on Drug and Alcohol
SCAN – Suspected Child Abuse and Neglect
Schizophrenia (Childhood) – A chronic disorder involving abnormal thought, perception, and social behavior. Adolescents withdraw, start having unusual emotions, and usually have hallucinations, delusions, and paranoia.
SCOH – Service to Children in Their Own Home
Scoliosis – Abnormal curvature of the spine. Mild forms might cause only mild discomfort, but more severe forms can cause chronic pain or affect internal organs.
SD – Self-Determination
Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) – A form of depression that appears related to fluctuations in the exposure to natural light. It usually strikes during autumn and often continues through the winter when natural light is reduced.
SED – Socially and Emotionally Disturbed (Education Term)
SED – Seriously Emotionally Disturbed (Mental Health Term)
SEP – Supported Employment Program
Separation Anxiety Disorder – Involves persistent, intense anxiety about being away from home or being separated from people to whom a child is attached, usually the mother. Most children feel some separation anxiety, but usually grow out of it.
Sever’s Disease – Inflammation of the heel bone, usually developed by a child (age 9 to 14) who is athletically active. Pain affects the sides or margins of the heel and is aggravated by standing on tip toes or running.
Shelter Plus Care – Support services and rental subsidies provided to eligible adults with serious mental illness or substance abuse problems that are also homeless. Services focus specifically on assistance with housing needs.
Shelter Services – Case management services that are available in identified shelters to provide identification, information and referral to appropriate community resources for individuals and families with substance abuse problems.
SHP – Student Housing Program
SID – State Identification Number (Police Information)
SILC – State Independent Living Council
Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF) – A nursing care facility participating in the Medicaid and Medicare programs which meets specified requirements for services, staffing and safety.
Slipped Capital Femoral Epiphysis (SCFE) – A separation within the thighbone at its growth plate in the hip joint. It usually develops in overweight adolescents, most commonly in boys.
SLP – Supported Living Program or Speech Language Pathologist
SMH – State Mental Hospital
SMI – Serious Mental Illness
SMM – State Medicaid Manual
SNF – Skilled Nursing Facility
SNU – Special Needs Unit
SOC – Systems of Care
Social Maladjustment – Extreme difficulty dealing appropriately with other people.
Social Phobia (Social Anxiety Disorder) – Involves a persistent fear of being embarrassed, ridiculed, or humiliated in social situations. Sometimes social phobias occur after an embarrassing incident, and this disorder is usually first noticed when children or adolescents refuse to go to school.
Social Rehabilitation Services – Counseling and support services for identified youth with emotional and/or behavioral concerns. Services focus on skill building and problem resolution.
Sociopath – A term sometimes used to describe persons with extreme disregard for and hostility toward society.
Somatization Disorder – Children develop numerous vague symptoms, such as headaches, abdominal pain, and nausea. Any part of the body may be affected, and these symptoms may come and go for long periods of time.
Somatoform Disorders (in children) – Underlying psychological problems cause distressing or disabling physical symptoms. Symptoms may resemble those of a neurologic disorder (such as paralysis or loss of vision) or be vague (such as headache and nausea), or children may be obsessed with an imagined defect or be convinced that they have a serious disease. There are several types, including conversion disorder, somatization disorder, body dysmorphic disorder and hypochondriasis.
SOS – Survivors of Suicide (Support Group)
Specialized Shelter Services – Temporary residential services for adults with serious mental illness who are also homeless.
SPR – Systems Performance Review
SSA – U.S. Social Security Administration
SSBG – Social Services Block Grant (Title IX)
SSD – Social Security Disability
SSDI – Social Security Disability Insurance
SSI – Supplemental Security Income (Income for Disabled Children or Adults)
SSN – Social Security Number
ST – Speech Therapist or Speech Therapy
Status Offense – Non-criminal behavior of a child such as running away, truancy, and curfew violation, that can result in juvenile action.
STD – Sexually Transmitted Diseases
Student Assistance Program (Mental Health) – Screening, assessment, intervention, and referral services provided to students in the school setting who may be experiencing problems which impact on their school attendance and performance.
Student Assistance Program (Substance Abuse) – Screening, assessment, intervention, and referral services to community services for identified youth with substance abuse problems. Services are delivered in the school setting.
Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) – The sudden, unexpected death of a seemingly healthy infant during sleep, in whom a thorough postmortem examination does not show a cause. Putting infants to sleep on their back, removing pillows, bumper guards, and toys from the crib, protecting infants from overheating, and preventing infants from breathing second-hand cigarette smoke may help prevent SIDS.
Supplemental Security Income (SSI) – A disability program of the SSA. A person must be considered medically disabled, have little or no income or resources to be eligible.
Support Funding for Youth and Adults – Limited flexible funds for individuals experiencing significant mental health problems. Funds are used for supportive housing and social rehabilitation services.
Supported Living (SL) – Initiative designed to increase housing options available to persons with serious mental illnesses.
SWAN – Statewide Adoption and Permanency Network