Counseling

Mental Health
and Wellness Portal
Coping with typical stressors of life


Counseling

When someone experiences emotional difficulty, it may affect their general daily functioning. For students, this is often evident in academics. Frequently school-related problems may be symptomatic of those troubles. School-based mental health professionals can assist families to connect to community mental health resources.

Licensed Mental Health Professionals

Licensed Mental Health Professionals (LMHPs) have master's degrees in social work, mental health, or marriage and family counseling.  LMHPs hold active licensure via the Florida Board of Clinical Social Work, Marriage & Family Therapy, and Mental Health Counseling, under the Florida Department of Health.  LMHPs adhere to all confidentiality guidelines as outlined by the Department of Health and Professional Code of Ethics.  

In collaboration with the school-based mental health team, LMHPs work to:

  • provide direct support of mental health services, including school-based individual and group counseling
  • train and build the capacity of school personnel to respond to mental health challenges within our student population
  • when needed, make referrals to outside agencies 
  • respond to crises

School Counselors

Counseling and guidance programs have undergone an evolution over several decades and are critical to help prepare students to meet the challenges of the future. Lee County school counselors promote academic, college, and career readiness and social/emotional development for all students.

Classroom Guidance Lessons: Helps students understand themselves and others. Through classroom guidance, school counselors help students develop peer relationships; effective social, decision-making, and study skills; effective communication, conflict resolution, and coping strategies; and more.

Individual Student Planning: Helps students set goals, establish academic and career plans, understand their strengths and weaknesses, and prepare for the transition to the next stage of their life.

Responsive Services: Assists students with particular needs such as adjusting to a new school, coping with grief following a crisis, and dealing with substance abuse or other risky behaviors. These services are provided through individual and small group counseling, peer facilitation and consultation, and referrals to professionals trained in mental health, welfare, and other specialties.

System Support: Enhances school climate and relationships among members of the school community. School Counselors coordinate parent outreach services, community support services, and consultations with other faculty and staff.

School Social Workers

  • Enforcement of compulsory school attendance laws
  • Early identification of patterns of nonattendance along with analyzing causes of nonattendance
  • Promotes positive student and family attitudes toward attendance and education
  • Home visits and outreach services to students and families
  • Consults with teachers, administrators, etc. to provide insight and understanding regarding a child's needs and behaviors
  • Completes social development histories to assist with a student's psycho-educational evaluation
  • Serves on the Child Study Team at each school to assist students experiencing attendance, academic, social, emotional, and/or health problems
  • Participates in staffing with school personnel, parents, and community agencies to provide coordinated evaluations and planning for students
  • Coordinates services with other agencies to develop a comprehensive service delivery system within a multi-disciplinary team setting
  • Refers and helps families access community, medical, mental health, and social welfare services
  • Crisis prevention and intervention
  • Staff development and in-service training
  • Serves on community agency committees/boards to promote educational policies and strengthen department alliances within the community
  • Advocacy for students, parents, and the school system