• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to secondary sidebar
  • About Us
  • Videos
  • Online E-Editions
  • Social Media
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • Instagram
  • Advertising
  • Local Jobs
  • Puzzles & Games
  • Circulation Request

The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Lutz since 1964 and Pasco since 1981.
Proud to be independently owned.

Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

  • Home
  • News
    • Land O’ Lakes
    • Lutz
    • Wesley Chapel/New Tampa
    • Zephyrhills/East Pasco
    • Business Digest
    • Senior Parks
    • Nature Notes
    • Featured Stories
    • Photos of the Week
  • Sports
    • Land O’ Lakes
    • Lutz
    • Wesley Chapel/New Tampa
    • Zephyrhills and East Pasco
    • Check This Out
  • Education
  • Pets/Wildlife
  • Health
    • Health Events
    • Health News
  • What’s Happening
  • Closer Look
  • Homes
  • Obits

Melissa Musselwhite

Reaching out to help those with special needs

May 12, 2020 By B.C. Manion

Even in the best of times, navigating through government bureaucracy can be challenging.

But for people with special needs, that becomes even more daunting during a global pandemic.

A virtual town hall hosted on April 29 by Pasco County Commission Chairman Mike Moore and Pasco County School Board Chairwoman Colleen Beaudoin aimed at helping individuals and families find the resources they need, while managing life under new circumstances.

They were joined in the virtual town hall by panelists:

  • Dr. Monica Verra-Tirado, chief of the bureau of exceptional student education and student services at the Florida Department of Education
  • Darcy McDowell, director of student accessibility services at Pasco-Hernando State College
  • Celeste Kellar, principal at Pepin Academies Pasco campus, a school that specializes in serving students with special needs.

Pasco Commission Chair Moore addressed issues of concern relating to services available from county government, while the other experts focused on education and related services.

Pasco County School Board Chairwoman Colleen Beaudoin offered reassuring words for parents who are struggling to help their special needs children, during this time of distance learning. (File)

Beaudoin offered reassuring words for parents.

“Some families have expressed concern about keeping the instructional momentum going at home and fear that their students will regress,” Beaudoin said. “Please try not to worry. There is a plan in place to address that.

“Pasco County Schools is prioritizing compassion and grace. Please don’t hesitate to reach out to your child’s teachers, if your family is feeling frustrated or overwhelmed. We all want what is best for all of our students. There is a lot of support that’s available to students and families.”

Questions also have been raised about how special services are being provided now, during this time of online learning.

Verra-Tirado addressed that issue.

She said the state has been clear that students are expected to continue to receive the special services they would receive in a traditional setting.

“The good news is that we’ve got a lot of new technologies that allow for the use of platforms, such as telehealth, in order for our teachers and therapists to provide a wide range — a continuum of services — in this very unique time,” Verra-Tirado said.

Kellar said Pepin Academies students  “are still getting their necessary services that they need, through the tele-therapies. We are making sure that their accommodations are met,” she said, just like they would be in the classroom.

McDowell said Pasco-Hernando State College also is providing accommodations for students online.

“We have used Zoom a lot for our courses,” McDowell said, noting that allows face-to-face interactions.

Beaudoin said the Pasco school district is reaching out to families, individually about their services and therapies.

“I can say that my son did get his speech therapy this week, via Zoom,” she said.

If for some reason a family hasn’t already heard from their school, they should contact their school, she said.

The panelists also addressed the issue of parents trying to balance tele-working and the special education needs of their son or daughter.

Verra-Tirado addressed that question: “I can tell that’s been the main comment that I’ve received from parents during this time.

“My advice to them is that they need to balance what they’re doing with what their children are doing.

“It takes them being scheduled, just like their children are being scheduled.

“Schedule the more difficult work their child is doing, when their workload is not as heavy.

“That’s real stressor for a lot of our families. I’ve told them, it’s not worth stressing out for. We’re going to try to balance it as best we can.”

McDowell, who has a daughter with autism,  offered this advice: “Take breaks.”

“We’ve just taken it one day at a time, and honestly, what’s really worked for me is reaching out to friends and family,” McDowell said, noting she belongs to a Facebook group for moms with kids with special needs.

Beaudoin advised parents to break down the work into manageable chunks, and to schedule the work in a way that works best for them.

“Keep in mind, we have a lot of flexibility. Just reach out to your child’s teacher. Our administrators and our teachers know that they have flexibility, and they’re going to work with families.

“Don’t wait until you’re feeling so frustrated and upset. Just reach out and you can make adjustments,” Beaudoin said.

She also recommended seeking out support groups, which can provide excellent information about resources that are available.

Provide opportunities to ‘virtually socialize’
Others asked for guidance on how to keep kids motivated, and how to create opportunities for them to interact with friends, while away from school.

As for socializing, McDowell said her daughter Skypes with friends and in-laws, and plays online games.

Her daughter also interacts with others via phone, Chat, Zoom and FaceTime.

Having ways for students to see each other and their teacher is important, Kellar said.

“That social aspect of education is a huge part, that you forget about it sometimes, you’re so concentrated on getting the curriculum,” she said.

Verra-Tirado agreed:  “We’re hearing that all over the state. That can completely change a youngster’s day.”

When students are able to see teachers and friends, it’s reassuring to students, she said.

If parents or grandparents don’t know how to work the technologies, they should reach out to their schools. They can help families, the education experts said.

Another question was posed regarding whether students can repeat the grade.

The experts said that requires a close evaluation before a determination could be made.

Beaudoin put it this way: “That is a major decision and one that should not be made lightly.”

Commission Chairman Moore touched on some issues of interest to the elderly, and also regarding people requiring a special needs shelter, in the event of a hurricane.

He responded to a question relating to senior citizens who have disabilities who do not have access to a computer for ordering groceries.

“We have a nonprofit here in Pasco County called CARES and they’re offering grocery service for seniors over 60 years old. The service itself is free, but the senior prepares a grocery list or a loved one at home helps prepare that grocery list, and they do pay for their groceries. They’re also providing care packages and toiletries,” he said.

To find out more, call (727) 862-9291.

Moore also told viewers that Pasco County Senior Services also provides meals.

The commission chairman also said: “It is getting close to hurricane season. Now is the time if you or a loved one or a child has special needs, to go ahead and register for the special needs program when it comes to evacuations.”

To find out more about having groceries delivered, call (727) 862-9291.

To find out more about senior services, call (727) 834-3340.

To register for special needs evacuation, go to the county’s website at PascoCountyFl.net.

Resources for families with special needs
Florida Diagnostic & Learning Resources System (FDLRS) is a valuable resource for students with disabilities. The main page is http://www.fdlrs.org

Within FDLRS there are virtual webinars parents can attend and there are also recorded webinars posted:  http://www.fdlrs.org/virtual_webinar_resources

Here’s the parent toolbox and live chat options with FDLRS:  http://www.livebinders.com/b/2646931

Here’s the parent toolbox for Pasco:  http://www.livebinders.com/b/2646931

Melissa Musselwhite, director of student support services in Pasco County Schools, has recorded a video specifically for families of students with disabilities. It can be found at  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dyGBas2jsAo

All school District videos are here:  https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCg2EPgrZtxyZPdaprLgSqpQ

Other helpful resources:

  • http://www.fdlrs.org/virtual_webinar_resources
  • http://www.livebinders.com/b/2646931#anchor
  • Family Network on Disabilities (FND)- Local Parent Support Network staff member: Tosha Littles via email: or call (800) 825-5736.

Published May 13, 2020

Filed Under: Education, Top Story Tagged With: CARES, Celeste Kellar, Colleen Beaudoin, Darcy McDowell, Family Network on Disabilities, Florida Department of Education, Florida Diagnostic & Learning Resources System, Melissa Musselwhite, Mike Moore, Monica Verra-Tirado, Pasco County Schools, Pasco County Senior Services, Pasco-Hernando State College, Pepin Academies Pasco

School district expands mental health services

September 18, 2019 By B.C. Manion

The Pasco County school district has been ramping up training and tapping into outside sources, in its quest to build a better mental health support network for students.

Statistics from across the school district underscore a compelling need for increased services.

District figures show that more than 1,200 suicide assessments were done last year of students in elementary, middle and high schools.

The breakdown showed that 463 suicide assessments were reported at the elementary school level; 408 at the middle school level; and, 308 at the high school level.

There also were nearly 600 threat assessments across the district, with 278 reported at the elementary level; 134 at the middle school level; and, 186 at the high school level.

Jeannine Welch, Melissa Musselwhite and Vicki Papaemanuel are leading up efforts to expand mental health services within Pasco County Schools. (B.C. Manion)

District data regarding Baker Act cases reported 171 at the elementary level; 211 at the middle school level; and, 207 at the high school level.

Baker Act cases involve individuals who are deemed to be a threat to themselves or others who are referred for mental evaluation.

“We obviously have many students that need significant support from us, relating to mental health,” said Melissa Musselwhite, the district’s director of student support programs, during a school board session on mental health held this summer.

Pasco Schools Superintendent Kurt Browning pointed to the suicide assessments.

“Twelve hundred and sixty — 463 just in elementary school alone,” Browning noted.

He also observed there were more suicide assessments at elementary level, than in high school.

“The same with threats,” noted School Board Chairwoman Alison Crumbley. “It’s (threats) higher at elementary.”

Jeannine Welch, senior supervisor for student support services, told board members that it’s  difficult to pinpoint what the statistics mean. For instance, a suicide assessment could refer to a student who was assessed, but not in any danger.

Musselwhite also said more information is needed: “Do we have the same standard for kids we are referring, let’s say for suicide assessment?

“If the kid has scissors and says, ‘I’m going to stab you,’ or ‘I’m going to stab myself,’ do we have a common practice across the district how we respond to that?

“Those are questions. I don’t know. We really need to analyze the data more deeply,” Musselwhite said.

Assistant Superintendent of Elementary Schools David Scanga said the statistics are telling.

“It does reflect the stress level of elementary that probably 10 years ago we didn’t see,” he said. “So, the stress on the families, the stress on the communities, the stress within the building. I hear what Melissa is saying, but we also know and agree that there are things in elementary that we’re dealing with that are more frequent — not that they were never there — but they are more frequent than they were in the past.”

To help address the needs, the district has been collaborating with Central Florida Behavioral Health Network, which has allowed the district to expand its services.

Central Florida has worked out a memorandum of understanding with all of the providers, so the district doesn’t have to obtain a separate contract for a specialized service, Welch said.

Students receiving services are run through a voucher system.

That helps stretch the district’s spending capacity because if a child is eligible for Medicaid, or would be potentially eligible, those dollars are used first, Welch said.

The district has added key personnel and has expanded training efforts.

It has added mental health coaches to coach school-based student services staff regarding mental health initiatives.

The mental health liaison has been able to help analyze data, and also has provided “literally, someone to call instantly in order to be able to problem-solve with some of the situations we have within schools,” Musselwhite said.

The district is working to improve its supports for students.

When a student has been Baker-acted, for instance, the district wants to be sure it supports that student when he or sure returns to school.

“We want to make sure that it’s truly done as a safety net for them,” Welch said.

“We’ve had kids that have been gone for a week and come back, and said they’ve been on a Disney cruise. They weren’t on the Disney cruise,” Welch said.

The district has ramped up training.

“We are required to train staff and make sure they have first-aiders at schools. When this first came out, we had zero trainers,” Welch said. “This summer we’ve trained 688 staff members.”

The district continues to build on its capacity, she said.

“We spent this year building up trainers,” she said.

“It shouldn’t just be the administrator. It should be others that, these are embedded practices that live on, regardless of the leadership,” she said.

“The state has rolled out a new threat assessment  protocol that we’ll be training all student services and administrative staff, in the next month (by Oct. 1),” Musselwhite said.

“The majority of the day will be around the threat assessment, behavioral threat assessment that the state mandated, using a specific  tool and a training platform,” said Vicki Papaemanuel, who will be overseeing the training for the district.

“The second half of the day will be around threat to self or suicide assessment,” she said.

Threat assessments
Elementary: 278
Middle: 134
High School: 186
Total: 598

Suicide assessments
Elementary: 463
Middle: 408
High School: 308
Total: 1,260

2018-2019 Baker Act Data
Elementary: 171
Middle: 211
High school: 207

Source: Pasco County Schools

Published September 18, 2019

Filed Under: Education, Health, Top Story Tagged With: Alison Crumbley, Baker Act, Central Florida Behavioral Health Network, David Scanga, Jeannine Welch, Kurt Browning, Melissa Musselwhite, mental health, Pasco County Schools, Vicki Papaemanuel

Pasco school district adopts new mental health plan

August 1, 2018 By B.C. Manion

The Pasco County School Board has approved a plan that allocates additional funding provided by the Florida Legislature to address youth mental health needs.

The Legislature’s decision to provide more money to address mental health issues came in response to the Valentine’s Day shooting spree at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland.

Ray Gadd, deputy superintendent of Pasco County Schools

The Pasco school district was allocated slightly more than $1.7 million in mental health funding, according to Melissa Musselwhite, director of student support programs and services for the district.

Ninety percent of the funding must be spent to provide mental health services and 10 percent can be spent on prevention, she said.

So, the district has designated $1.4 million for services for at-risk youths and slightly more than $150,000 for prevention services. It also has allocated $123,000 for public charter schools.

The district’s plan calls for contracting with Central Florida Behavioral Network to help the district manage access to mental health services and help the district with data reporting.

It also will help the district with wraparound services for students.

“Many times we refer kids out and parents don’t go. We need to be sure that we’re diligent about tracking those kids and following up,” Musselwhite told the Pasco County School Board during a workshop on July 24.

The district’s plan, which required school board approval, was due to the state by Aug. 1.

Board members approved the plan at their evening meeting on July 24.

“There hasn’t be a comprehensive approach to referring kids out for services and support, and the follow-up and the wraparound with the family,” Musselwhite said, noting she would spend close to $100,000 in general fund money every year for a limited number of students.

By working with Central Behavioral Florida Network, the district will be expanding its reach to community resources that it didn’t know about before, Musselwhite said.

The mental health plan also includes:

  • Contracting with behavioral analysts to work one-on-one with students most at risk
  • Training in youth mental health first aid
  • Training in trauma-informed care
  • Training in Positive Behavior Intervention
  • Increased funding for alternatives to suspensions program
  • Additional adult assistance to help with students who are severely at risk for various reasons
  • Increased data collection to help the district make more informed decisions
  • Refining threat assessment procedures to be sure the law enforcement and district personnel are speaking the same language
  • Adding a high-performing school nurse, school psychologist and school social worker who will serve in a coaching/mentoring role for district staff

The district also plans to incorporate Social Emotional Learning across the curriculum, to help kids to learn how to effectively deal with anger, disappointment and difficult situations that arise.

Ray Gadd, deputy superintendent, is a proponent of the approach.

Social Emotional Learning helps kids “deal with the emotions of maybe not being the best player on the team, or not being able to play nine innings every game, or maybe having to sit on the bench for the good of the team,” Gadd said.

“Those things are upsetting to some folks, but how do you learn to handle that because those things that happen in life.

“SEL is trying to help teachers understand how to help kids to build foundational skills so they learn to manage those troublesome behaviors,” Gadd said.

Musselwhite said the district is looking for ways to embed SEL across the curriculum, “so that it’s not something stand-alone, and that it can be holistically done throughout the district, not in one subject or during your time with your school counselor.”

Gadd put it like this: “What we need is more SEL and less people with guns. If I had my choice, I would have rather have seen the Legislature fund a lot of SEL programs all around the state to help kids build those foundational skills so they never get to a point where they want to shoot people.”

Also, the district plans to add another Crisis Intervention Team.

It has four teams and will be adding a fifth.

“There was a huge increase, a 46 percent increase, in our crisis callouts for the crisis intervention team over the last year,” Musselwhite said. “It was pretty taxing last year on the four teams that we had.”

The teams are voluntary and are made up of student services team members and school counselors, who receive additional training to respond to crisis situations throughout the district.

Published August 1, 2018

Filed Under: Education, Health, Local News Tagged With: Central Florida Behavioral Network, Florida Legislature, Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, Melissa Musselwhite, Pasco County School Board, Ray Gadd

Primary Sidebar

Cup of Organic

Foodie Friday Gallery

Search

Sponsored Content

A New Look For 2021 From Tampa Surgical Arts

January 12, 2021 By Kelli Carmack

Tampa Surgical Arts offers cosmetic treatments that give patients confidence and makes them look years younger. Two of … [Read More...] about A New Look For 2021 From Tampa Surgical Arts

More Posts from this Category

Archives

What’s Happening

01/16/2021 – Train Show & Sale

Regal Railways will present a Toy Train, Toy Show/Sale on Jan. 16 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., at the Hernando Fairgrounds, 6436 Broad St., in Brooksville. Vendors will be on hand with various model trains, toys and die cast cars. There also will be a running train layout. Admission is $5 for adults, and free for kids age 12 and younger. Credit cards will be accepted. For information and to prepay, visit RegalRailways.com. … [Read More...] about 01/16/2021 – Train Show & Sale

01/18/2021 – Garden club

The Dade City Garden Club will host a virtual general membership meeting on Jan. 18 at 9:30 a.m., via Zoom. The program will feature a presentation by Madonna Wise, author of “A Haunted History of Pasco County.” Wise’s husband, Ernest, also will present a short demonstration on pressing flowers. Non-members can attend. Registration is through email at by Jan. 17. For information, visit DadeCityGardenClub.com. … [Read More...] about 01/18/2021 – Garden club

01/19/2021 – Best of crafts

The Pasco County Library Cooperative will present a “Best of Craft Tuesdays: Playlist” on Jan. 19 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Check out a video at Facebook.com/hughembrylibrary or Facebook.com/newriverlibrary to learn about some of the craft programs that are worth revisiting from the past year. For information, call 352-567-3576, or email Danielle Lee at . … [Read More...] about 01/19/2021 – Best of crafts

01/19/2021 – Virtual gardening

The Pasco County Library Cooperative will present “Virtual Backyard Gardening with Jo Ann” on Jan. 19 at 2 p.m., via Zoom. Registration is required to receive an email on how to join the meeting. For information, email . … [Read More...] about 01/19/2021 – Virtual gardening

01/20/2021 – Library story times

The Pasco County Library Cooperative will offer these upcoming story times: Jan. 20, for birth to age 5: Participants can tune in anytime between 10 a.m. and 8 p.m., at Facebook.com/hughembrylibrary or Facebook.com/newriverlibrary, to hear “Private I. Guana.” For information, call 352-567-3576, or email Danielle Lee at . Jan. 21 at 10 a.m.: “Virtual Baby Time with Miss Cindy.” Visit Facebook.com/cplib. Jan. 21 at 10 a.m., for ages 2 to 5: “Virtual Story Time with Miss Jenn.” For information, call Amaris Papadopoulos at 727-861-3020. … [Read More...] about 01/20/2021 – Library story times

01/20/2021 – LOL Book Club

The LOL Book Club from the Land O’ Lakes Library will meet on Jan. 20 at 2:30 p.m., to discuss “Beartown” by Fredrik Backman. Register online for a Zoom link, which will be sent out via email a day ahead of the discussion. For information, call 813-929-1214. … [Read More...] about 01/20/2021 – LOL Book Club

More of What's Happening

Follow us on Twitter

The Laker/Lutz NewsFollow

The Laker/Lutz News
LakerLutzNewsThe Laker/Lutz News@LakerLutzNews·
16h

Looking for your new favorite restaurant? Maybe Foodie Friday can help!
https://buff.ly/38wIay0

Reply on Twitter 1350125797957398530Retweet on Twitter 1350125797957398530Like on Twitter 1350125797957398530Twitter 1350125797957398530
LakerLutzNewsThe Laker/Lutz News@LakerLutzNews·
14 Jan

Busy 2021 anticipated for East Pasco communities. https://buff.ly/3hSZLo5

Reply on Twitter 1349763337278681090Retweet on Twitter 13497633372786810901Like on Twitter 13497633372786810901Twitter 1349763337278681090
LakerLutzNewsThe Laker/Lutz News@LakerLutzNews·
13 Jan

"It’s Not Wednesday Until You Read The Laker!" This week's papers are out in print & online https://buff.ly/2UTt6EA

Reply on Twitter 1349406604429565956Retweet on Twitter 1349406604429565956Like on Twitter 1349406604429565956Twitter 1349406604429565956
Load More...

 

 

Where to pick up The Laker and Lutz News

Top Stories

Rioters breach U.S. Capitol building

Zephyrhills development yields roadway concerns

400 apartments proposed on Wesley Chapel Boulevard

Law enforcement memorial receives donations

New community planned along State Road 56

Pigz in Z’Hills festival postponed until April

COVID-19 vaccinations in high demand

Zephyrhills seeking state funding for four projects

Bridging Freedom is charity of the month

Pasco County approves $205,000 for work on comprehensive plan

State road projects will ease congestion

Street hockey rinks open in Wesley Chapel, Holiday

Dade City approves modified CRA plan

Secondary Sidebar

More Stories

Check out our other stories for the week

Rioters breach U.S. Capitol building

Zephyrhills development yields roadway concerns

400 apartments proposed on Wesley Chapel Boulevard

Law enforcement memorial receives donations

New community planned along State Road 56

Pigz in Z’Hills festival postponed until April

COVID-19 vaccinations in high demand

Zephyrhills seeking state funding for four projects

Bridging Freedom is charity of the month

Pasco County approves $205,000 for work on comprehensive plan

State road projects will ease congestion

Street hockey rinks open in Wesley Chapel, Holiday

Dade City approves modified CRA plan

Sports Stories

All-Pasco County fall awards announced

New year in sports to deliver joy, excitement, adventure

2020 had shining moments in sports, despite COVID-19 (Part 2)

2020 had shining moments in sports, despite COVID-19

Toronto Raptors training camp a slam dunk at Saint Leo

Copyright © 2021 Community News Publications Inc.

   