A pair of Miami Arts Studio students hug as others walk between classes on World Mental Health Day on Oct. 10, 2023, at the magnet school in Miami. | Rebecca Blackwell, AP
Published on October 1, 2025 at 4:03 pm
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Demand for mental health services is at an all-time high among Duval Schools students.
Full Service Schools, a local collaboration between United Way of Northeast Florida, Kids Hope Alliance, the city of Jacksonville and Duval Schools, says it processed about 1,000 referrals for mental health care during July and August — an increase of more than 50% over the same period last year.
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Last month, Full Service Schools announced six local organizations that will receive a total of $5.5 million in grants to provide mental health services to Jacksonville’s students free of charge over the next four years:
- Child Guidance Center.
- Children’s Home Society
- Daniel.
- The LJD Jewish Family & Community Services.
- Step-By-Step Behavioral Health Services.
- Youth Crisis Center.
The six providers represent more than 75 therapists. All students enrolled in the district’s traditional schools are eligible for services through Full Service Schools, as are students at charter schools that have opted in to the program.
After receiving a referral, Full Service Schools Director Keto Porter says, a Duval Schools social worker assesses the student to determine what their needs are, then pairs them with one of the providers.
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Sometimes, students are able to receive the counseling services at their schools. The program offers three tiers of support: schoolwide, small group and individual. For the latter two, which are more personalized, parental permission is needed.
Porter says referrals come from a variety of sources: teachers, guidance counselors, even parents.
“It’s vitally important for families to get involved because we need their support in helping us to provide support services to every kid that is referred,” Porter says.
Full Service Schools, which provided mental health support to more than 13,000 students last year, is a legacy of a Lawton Chiles-era statewide program designed to provide an array of social services to Florida’s students. Funded in the 1990s with state dollars, the program first included just a handful of schools but has since expanded in Jacksonville to include all students.
Around the First Coast, other organizations also report an increase in teens seeking mental health services. UF Health St. Johns runs a program called BRAVE — Be Resilient and Voice Emotions.
In the last five years, that group has received more than 10,000 referrals. More than half came during the 2024-25 school year. BRAVE serves 10 counties statewide, including St. Johns, Clay, Putnam and Nassau.
United Way’s information and referral hotline is available by dialing 211. But, if your child — or anyone else you know — is experiencing suicidal thoughts or another mental health crisis, United Way suggests you dial or text 988 to reach the Florida Lifeline, available 24/7/365, to get immediate support.
