Robinson school psychologist praises Hillsborough County Schools' supports for students with disabilities and mental health

An unnamed school psychologist at Robinson High School told meeting attendees that Hillsborough County Schools provides extensive supports for students with disabilities and for students with mental-health needs, citing internships, on-the-job training and college acceptances.

The comment, delivered during public remarks, described long-term student relationships, transition programs and examples of postsecondary outcomes as evidence the district’s programs help students reach graduation and pursue careers or higher education.

"Here at Robinson, I feel like being a school psychologist, it's not just it's not a role. It's not it's more more than a job. I get to really make an impact in students' lives and families' lives and help students make their goals and, you know, get over some pretty big hurdles in their life," the school psychologist said. The speaker said watching students graduate in May is among the most rewarding experiences.

The speaker described supports for students with disabilities, saying many come from middle school with conditions "whether it's autism or learning disabilities," and that at Robinson "it just clicks," with students developing social, communication and executive-functioning skills. "We have a lot of students that come to us from middle school that have a lot of impact from disabilities," the psychologist said.

The speaker listed district-enabled opportunities intended to aid transition to postsecondary life, including on-the-job training at Robinson, internships "with the base sometimes," and students participating in activities such as debate trips to Harvard. The speaker said some students have been accepted to Ivy League schools, while others enter the military.

On mental-health supports, the speaker said Hillsborough County Schools "does a really good job of supporting students with mental health issues and challenges and making sure that many of our staff members are trained in mental health and trying their best to get resources for kids that need counseling or other resources." The speaker said they often encourage parents to enroll students in Robinson or other county public schools because of the opportunities available.

The remarks were a personal account offered in a public meeting; no formal board action, vote or staff directive related to these remarks was recorded in the transcript provided. The speaker framed the comments as experiences at Robinson High School rather than as a presentation of district-wide policy or a request for action.

Less concrete claims in the testimony — for example, exact counts of students placed in internships, the number accepted to Ivy League schools, or the frequency of staff mental-health training — were not specified in the remarks.