Juvenile Welfare Board ensures Pinellas County Students have access to Mental Health Services

What You Need To Know

• Experts said there is a growing need for mental health services among children
• Funding for mental health services in Pinellas County Schools was uncertain when President Trump froze federal education grants
• At the time, the Juvenile Welfare Board of Pinellas County said it was reallocating lapse funds to two mental health providers
• The frozen funds were released, and the board is still reallocating money to fund therapists that will help more than 300 students

Local experts said there is a growing need for mental health services for Pinellas County students.

Funding for those services at Pinellas County Schools was up in the air when President Donald Trump froze federal education grants in July.

While the funding was released, the school district had a back-up plan it is still moving forward with.

School is back in session, and school-based therapists are hard at work. 

“It feels amazing, it is the most rewarding job you can have. The children are wonderful and having them just run up to you every day and give you hugs and they’re just so excited to see you,” said Danielle Potter, school behavior therapist at Suncoast Center.

Danielle Potter is a school-based therapist in Pinellas County. She’s been in this career field for over four years, helping students in kindergarten through fifth grade. 

“We treat a variety of mental health disorders. Many of our children are struggling with anxiety, depression, ADHD, post-traumatic stress disorder,” she said.

She has a wall full of tools to help her treat those disorders. Whether it’s coloring, reading or playing with blocks, her goal is to get her students to open up.

“It’s super important, it helps me identify the issues that we need to work on and the skills that we need to develop,” Potter said.

She said the need for mental health services has been growing since the pandemic. Potter said the need is so great, she splits her time between Sandy Lane and Kings Highway Elementary schools every week. 

“So both schools have extensive needs for the services, and a lot of the children are struggling and have behavioral challenges,” she said.

Funding for mental health services at Pinellas County Schools was uncertain when Trump froze federal education grants in July. Those funds were released, but a plan that was initially considered as an alternative has become reality.

“In order to be ready to learn and be available to learn in school, it’s important that we nurture and support our youth,” said Karen Boggess, chief operating officer of the Juvenile Welfare Board of Pinellas County.

The Juvenile Welfare Board (JWB) said it is reallocating lapse funds to two mental health providers. About $600,000 will be split between Suncoast Center and Directions for Living. That’s funding a handful of therapists and helping more than 300 students. 

“When we can come together and partner with each other and figure out solutions so that our children and youth have all the tools that they need to be able to learn, grow, develop and be successful, and that’s what’s the most important,” Boggess said.

This school year, Potter says her position is now fully funded by the Juvenile Welfare Board. Both the board and Potter said her role is crucial to student success.

“We need to address the mental health issues that our children are exhibiting now, instead of waiting until they are adults,” Potter said.

In an executive order, President Trump called for more oversight of federal grant making. He said every tax dollar the government spends should improve American lives or advance American interests.

View the segment with interviews and read the article as originally published at https://baynews9.com/fl/tampa/news/2025/08/29/federal-funding-freeze-juvenile-welfare-board