Jacksonville, Florida – News4JAX The I-TEAM continues to track investigations into school fighting in Duval County Public Schools and what the district is doing to address and prevent violence.
The district saw more than 500 fights on school campuses and on buses last school year.
According to DCPS data, 196 fights were recorded in the first 60 days of last year. During the same period this year, there were 198 fights.
The district told I-TEAM it is taking several steps to keep schools safe, including the provision of psychiatric telehealth services offered through a partnership with. hazel health.
“We are very focused on solutions,” said Paris Corredera Carroll, vice president of mental health clinical services at Hazel Health, which partners with 150 school districts across the country to provide virtual mental health services. states. She said if students fight, mental health professionals can help determine the cause of the fight.
“A lot of these behaviors just come from what the student has been through and how they feel emotionally, and they just don’t know how to deal with it,” she says.
She said counselors can help children find better outlets for their emotions, such as art or writing.
According to Hazel Health, Duval County had about 1,700 referrals and about 3,400 visits last year. So far this year, there have been approximately 400 referrals and 700 visits.
“I think the two main reasons we refer often are anxiety and depression,” Carroll said.
He said Hazel Health’s telehealth counseling sessions are at no cost to students, whether they are referred by a school counselor or the student’s family initiates mental health services. Ta.
DCPS has other resources available. A district spokesperson said the district’s Stop the Violence grant initiative provides training opportunities for educators, including violence prevention and intervention strategies.
“Through our many years of activities, Student Options Program for Success, we work with families and students caught up in combat to learn impulse control, self-regulation tools, and alternatives to combat. “This approach, along with the continued expansion of mental health services through the Hazel Health Partnership, will help us get to the root of the poor choices that lead to fighting,” the spokesperson said. “Our goal is to continue to foster a culture of safety in all of our schools so that our students can learn and achieve their full potential.”
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