The family therapists address a variety of family and emotional problems in counseling and provide therapy for individuals and families free of charge. When someone experiences emotional difficulty they may suffer repercussions that lead to problems in their general daily functioning. For students, this is often evident in the academic arena. Frequently school-related problems may be symptomatic of those troubles. The family therapists also address problems related to trauma, anxiety, depression, relationship issues, stress management, communication skills, personal issues, and many more.

The purpose of the Mental Health Assistance Allocation (MHAA) is to provide funding to assist school districts in establishing or expanding school-based mental health care; train educators and other school staff in responding to mental health issues; and connect children, youth and families who may experience behavioral health issues with appropriate services.

The Mental Health Assistance Allocation Regional Team (MHAART) is an innovative, multi-disciplinary team of mental health professionals tasked with mitigating student, teacher and school environment barriers to academic success. Referrals to MHAART are received from school administrators and other District mental health professionals to swiftly and effectively return the high-quality instruction and safety to the classroom, especially as it relates to crisis response.

Florida Statute 1003.42 (2) – Resiliency Education, requires annually a minimum of five hours of instruction to students in grades 6 – 12 related to civic, character education and life skills education through resiliency education using the health education standards.  Additionally, schools must annually provide instruction in grades K – 12 related to youth substance use and abuse, health education, child trafficking prevention education, and online safety prevention education.  Schools must also provide instruction in grades 6 – 12 for Teen Dating Violence prevention education.  

The Student Support Instructional Specialists (SSIS) are working in our schools to recognize the subtle signs of the mental health needs of our students, connect students with mental health personnel and resources, as well as serve as a trusted adult at their school site. They are proactively identifying students throughout the school day that may need support by being visible every day throughout campus to build rapport with students. SSIS are trusted adults on campus that can provide a compassionate listening ear and timely referral to internal and/or external resources, while creating a nurturing relationship so students feel valued, understood, and empowered to thrive.  Student Support Instructional Specialists collaborate with the school-based mental health professionals to monitor and improve student outcomes, such as attendance, discipline, and wellness support, especially students have been identified based on school data.  They also create a positive mental health culture at their designated school site through initiatives, such as a Wellness Club and Mental Health Bulletin Board for student awareness and promotion of mental health. 

The Suicide Prevention Program utilizes elementary, middle, and high school student level-specific curriculum that is nationally recognized and delivers this curriculum to schools throughout the district.  This curriculum’s overarching goal is to build the emotional skills within children and practical life skills to help a friend who may be struggling with these issues. Suicide Prevention Coordinators support all schools and are assigned by areas: North, Central, and South. They supervise the Suicide Prevention Specialists, train mental health professionals on how to complete Suicide Risk Assessments (SRA), assist with completing an SRA, answer questions about the involuntary examination process, and collaborate with other mental health stakeholders.

This process facilitates the accountability of Student Services staff who directly interact with school-based students and ensure that students and staff are connected to wellness resources.

Consistent with section 1012.584, Florida Statutes (F.S.), the Florida Department of Education (FDOE) has identified an evidence-based, nationally recognized youth mental health awareness and assistance training program to help school personnel identify and understand the signs of mental health concerns and substance use disorders, and provide such personnel with the next steps to find help for a person who is developing or experiencing mental health concerns or a substance use disorder. The evidence-based, nationally recognized youth mental health awareness and assistance training program identified by the FDOE is Youth Mental Health First Aid (YMHFA).