FLEMING ISLAND – The Clay County School District now is launching Drop-In Clinics at several schools. The need for additional mental health supports in schools has become evident, and is now a requirement by statute for school districts to provide and track on an increasing basis.

Knowing that approximately 15% of students are in need of early intervention services, the district will partner with community agencies to provide a master’s level mental health clinician to staff a drop-in clinic where students can receive brief mental health assistance or be assessed for a possible referral to a more intensive intervention.

The clinic isn’t intended to provide diagnoses or treatment plans for students, but short-term support for any behavioral barriers they are encountering that are interfering with their academic success. The clinic will serve as a resource for triage, monitoring and referral services to provide early intervention.

Students can self-refer or be referred by other school staff for a 10-30 minute visit to the Drop-In Clinic. Any student who is seeking assistance on a regular basis for more than monitoring will be referred for more intensive therapeutic services. Clinicians staffing the clinic can refer students to school based, short-term therapeutic services if the student is assessed to need a more intensive intervention. When short term therapeutic services are not available to students, Drop-In Clinic clinicians will provide students with a referral resource for providers.

Additionally, school staff may avail themselves of the Drop-In Clinic as a resource as well. The intent is to also provide short term support, triage, or referral for any staff encountering a personal behavioral need.

Agencies participating in the program include: Right Path Behavioral; Clay Behavioral; Children's Home Society; and, Youth Crisis Center.

Schools with Drop-In Clinics are Ridgeview High, Orange Park High and Oakleaf Junior High have full-time Drop-In Clinics, while Clay High, Fleming Island High, Oakleaf High, Middleburg High, Green Cove Springs Junior High, Lake Asbury Junior High and Lakeside Junior High each offer a clinic once a week.

Orange Park Junior, W.E. Cherry Elementary and part time to: Montclair Elementary, Wilkinson Elementary, Middleburg Elementary and S. Bryan Jennings Elementary each have expanded their therapeutic services.

Representative from Children's Home Society, students and Clay County Superintendent Addison Davis will participate in a Walk of Understanding on Tuesday at Grove Park Elementary at 7:15 a.m.