The Department Of Student Services Home
Diagnostic & Prevention Services
The Office of Diagnostic and Prevention Services is responsible for the leadership, management and provision of services and supports to schools and students in the areas of educational diagnostic services; behavioral threat assessment & management; child find and eligibility for special education; Section 504 identification, evaluation, and placement; early childhood identification services; and Multi-Tiered System of Supports that includes Positive Behavioral Interventions & Supports, Response to Intervention, and Social-Emotional Learning.
The Office of Special Education is committed to providing high quality services that are provided based upon student individualized needs. A continuum of specialized services are provided within the schools to enable students with disabilities to access the curriculum in the general education and special education setting. The Office of Special Education supports the LCPS mission of empowering ALL students to make meaningful contributions to the world through inclusive practices in the classroom and school community.
The Office of Procedural Support provides guidance to parents related to compliance with federal and state regulations as they pertain to special education. This office also provides direct assistance to school-based staff engaged in case management, interpretation of and compliance with regulations pertaining to special education, inclusive practices and other identified school needs.
The Office of Student Services supports the LCPS mission of empowering ALL students to make meaningful contributions to the world by providing a full range of services and resources for all students, including outreach services, student registration, homebound instruction, residency determination, McKinney-Vento services, special permission, home instruction, and school-based student health services.
Student Mental Health Services
The Office of Student Mental Health Services (SMHS) oversees Attendance, Student Assistance, School Counseling, Student Support, School Psychology, Crisis Intervention, and Restorative Practices and offers comprehensive and holistic services provided by our unified mental health teams (counselors, psychologists, social workers, and student assistance specialists). Embedded in each school, these teams work together with families and other school-based staff to provide resources and services to address the social, emotional, and behavioral needs of students. SMHS is responsible for the leadership, management, and provision of services in the areas of academic counseling, college and career exploration, post-secondary planning, substance use prevention and intervention, bullying prevention and education, individual and group counseling, school anxiety and refusal services, suicide prevention, crisis intervention, and student-led prevention programming.