How to Open a PSA Case

Overview

A PSA case is the unit of work in PSA 360. Open one whenever a student needs sustained intervention rather than a single contact.

When to open a case

• Three or more unexcused absences in a rolling 20 school days.
• Chronic absenteeism threshold (≥ 10%) crossed.
• Two failed parent contact attempts on attendance issues.
• Counselor or teacher referral.
• After any student attendance conference.

Step-by-step

1. Open the student profile → click Open Case in the right rail.
2. Select Reason (e.g., chronic absenteeism, truancy, tardies, re-entry).
3. Set Priority — usually mirrors the current risk band.
4. Add at least one Initial barrier (transportation, health, housing, etc.).
5. Assign yourself or another PSA.
6. Save — a case ID is generated and appears on your caseload.

Example

You open a case for a 7th grader at 11% absence rate with no documented contact. Reason: chronic absenteeism. Priority: High. Barrier: housing instability. The case appears on tomorrow's dashboard with a recommended next-action task to attempt contact.

Best practices

• Always assign a next action before saving.
• Use the most specific barrier — it drives referral suggestions.

Common mistakes

• Opening a case without a next action.
• Assigning to a PSA who isn't on the student's school.

Related articles

• Best Practices for Case Documentation
• How to Document a Parent Contact