Admin

Mental Health Services

Welcome to OCPS Mental Health Services

In OCPS, each school has a designated staff member—usually the school counselor in elementary and the SAFE coordinator in secondary schools—who coordinates mental health counseling services. They collaborate with the student services team on campus to provide resources and interventions supporting students’ mental and emotional health. Parents can contact their school’s counselor or SAFE coordinator for more information, and families can find additional resources at CommunityConnect.OCPS.net.

Licensed Mental Health Counselors

OCPS is fortunate to have a team of 45 licensed mental health counselors who support our schools by helping to refer students for mental health services, providing brief individual and group counseling services, conducting trainings on mental health topics, and attending various meetings where a mental health perspective or consultation is beneficial.

Mental Well-Being and Suicide Prevention

Some Common Warning Signs:

  • Withdrawal from friends and activities
  • Sudden change in behavior (for better or worse)
  • Lack of interest
  • Increased use of alcohol and other drugs
  • Recent loss of a friend, family member or parent, especially if they died by suicide
  • Conflicting feelings or a sense of shame about sexual orientation
  • Mood swings, emotional outbursts, high levels of irritability or aggression
  • Feelings of hopelessness
  • Preoccupation with death
  • Giving away valuable possessions
  • Talk of suicide (e.g., "nobody cares if I live or die")
  • "Hero worship" of people who have died by suicide

Parent Resources for Resiliency Mandated Instruction

Florida Statute 1003.42 requires public schools to facilitate at least five hours of life skills instruction in grades 6-12. Orange County Public Schools provides lessons on life skills and resiliency topics that are mandated by Rule 6A-1.094124 in the Florida Administrative Code.

To support students' resilience, Florida’s First Lady Casey DeSantis has launched the Build Resiliency website. Parents and caregivers can explore the characteristics of resilience with their children while parents, grandparents, and caregivers can sign up for information about the new Resiliency Coach program. 
Mental Health Services header

Department Contacts

Mental Health Services Parent Helpline

407-317-3694
Monday - Friday
8:00 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.

Mary Bridges
Senior Executive Director, Student Services - Ext. 2004624

Maryann Anderson
Senior Administrator - Ext. 6284591

Courtney Sellers
Senior Administrator - Ext.6283692

Zaneta Schaffer
SEDNET 7A Project Manager - Ext. 6283697

Rachel Smith
Program Specialist - Ext. 6283690
Malisa Robinson
Executive Assistant - Ext. 2004624

Bernice Santiago
Program Coordinator - Ext. 2172704

Mildred Walker
 Administrative Specialist  - Ext. 6284530

 

Mental Health Services

3130 Edgewater Drive Orlando, FL 32804 407.317.3200 Ext. 2004624