Boca Ciega High School

The Boca Ciega High School has a Student Service team available to assist through an interrelated system of support for students, the school, community and families in order to ensure sustainable  student success. The Student Service team consists of School Counselors, Health Service nurses, a School Social Worker and a School Psychologist.

School Psychologist – Mr. Lawrence

School Psychologists have specialized training in student behavior, effective educational practices, and knowledge of how to develop student’s pro-social skills and motivation. They use their training and skills to team with educators, parents, and other mental health professionals to facilitate learning in a safe, healthy, and supportive environment. Their services include, but are not limited to:

·         Developing interventions to support student learning in the areas of academics, communication and social interaction, behavior management, counseling, classroom management and school-wide planning, and crisis management

·         Using research-bases techniques at individual, group, and school levels to evaluate each student’s strengths, and weaknesses for instructional planning

·         Conducting evaluations which may include assessments in the areas of academic/cognitive abilities, social skills, behavioral/emotional instructional methods, learning environments and crisis situations.

 School Social Worker – Mrs. Howard

School Social Workers collaborate with families, schools, and communities to provide social and emotional support to students, enabling them to learn to the best of their ability. Every School is assigned a School Social Worker to address the various needs of the school. Their services include, but are not limited to:

·         Addressing mental health concerns

·         Referring families to community agencies

·         Providing individual and group counseling

·         Participating in student evaluations

·         Providing social and emotional support

·         Acting as a liaison between school and home

·         Providing guidance and training on child abuse and suicide prevention

·         Participating in school-based educational/behavioral support teams

·         Assisting with attendance concerns

School Counselors – Ms. Reiss, Dr. Bertoli, Ms. Balkenbush, Ms. Banks

School Counselors provide a comprehensive program that promotes student success through a focus on academic achievement, social/personal, career and multicultural/global citizenship development. School Counseling services include, but are not limited to:

·         Referring families to community agencies

·         Providing individual and group counseling

·         College & career awareness, exploration and planning

·         Assisting with crisis interventions

·         Providing classroom guidance

·         Providing academic support, transition planning including organizational, study and test-taking skills

·         Prevention counseling

·         Communication, problem-solving and conflict resolution

·         Participating in school-based educational/behavioral support teams

School Health staff consists of Certified Nursing Assistants, Licensed Practical Nurses, and Registered Nurses. Registered nurses serve as the health care experts in the school setting. Every school is assigned a school nurse who is onsite from one to five days per week depending on the needs of the students. School Health services include, but are not limited to:

·         Identifying and managing students with chronic diseases

·         Implementing individualized health care plans

·         Providing training to school staff on medication administration

·         Monitoring immunization compliance in accordance with Florida Statute

·         Performing health care screenings and follow-up

·         Attending 504/IEP meetings for medical concerns

·         Delivering health education lessons in the classrooms