Partnership reach
Partner organizations by sector.
USF College of Education · Centers, Institutes & Projectswww.programadvising.com/centers/center.php?id=4 · Printed October 15, 2026
Center Est. 2022
School Mental Health Collaborative (SMHC)
Facilitates access to high-quality, evidence-based school mental health practices statewide and nationally - positive psychology intervention, suicide prevention, threat/violence reduction, mental health assessment. Approved Provider for the Florida Board of Psychology; Florida Office of School Psychology; Florida Board of Clinical Social Work, Marriage and Family Therapy, and Mental Health Counseling; the National Association of School Psychologists; and the Behavior Analyst Certification Board. Strategic Plan 2025-2030 goals: Lead Impactful Research, Disseminate Evidence-based Practices, Provide Technical Assistance, Strengthen Partnerships, and Increase National Leadership & Impact.
4
Leaders & staff
50
Partner organizations
~$17.4M
Awarded across 11 active grants & contracts
$5.8M
Secured in FY2025-26
About the center
Facilitates access to high-quality, evidence-based school mental health practices statewide and nationally - positive psychology intervention, suicide prevention, threat/violence reduction, mental health assessment. Approved Provider for the Florida Board of Psychology; Florida Office of School Psychology; Florida Board of Clinical Social Work, Marriage and Family Therapy, and Mental Health Counseling; the National Association of School Psychologists; and the Behavior Analyst Certification Board. Strategic Plan 2025-2030 goals: Lead Impactful Research, Disseminate Evidence-based Practices, Provide Technical Assistance, Strengthen Partnerships, and Increase National Leadership & Impact.
Areas of work
Technical Assistance
School Mental Health
Suicide & Violence Prevention
Research
Sources: usf.edu/education/faculty/centers-institutes.aspx; FY2025-26 Annual IC Evaluation Form (signed 5/29/2026); Attachments 1-4; SMHC Strategic Plan Brief 2025-2030
People 4
Who leads the center.
Director
David Wheeler, PhD
Director
Center Director
Co-Executive Directors
Partnerships 50
Works with 50 organizations across 9 sectors.
K-12 Schools & Districts 13
- Broward County Schools
- Charlotte County SchoolsAlso works with 1 other unit
- Hillsborough County Public SchoolsAlso works with 3 other units
- Lee County Schools
- Miami-Dade Public Schools
- Orange County SchoolsAlso works with 1 other unit
- Pasco County SchoolsAlso works with 3 other units
- Pinellas County SchoolsAlso works with 1 other unit
- Polk County SchoolsAlso works with 1 other unit
- Sarasota County SchoolsAlso works with 1 other unit
- Sulphur Springs PreK-8
- Terrace Community Middle School (TCMS)
- Volusia County Schools
State Agency / Board 5
- FL Office of Program Policy Analysis and Governmental Accountability (OPPAGA)
- Florida Board of Clinical Social Work, Marriage and Family Therapy, and Mental Health Counseling
- Florida Board of Psychology
- Florida Department of Education (FLDOE)Also works with 3 other units
- Florida Office of School Psychology
University / Research Partner 5
- National Center for School Mental Health
- University of California Santa Barbara
- University of Iowa
- University of Massachusetts-Amherst
- University of Wisconsin-Madison
Federal Agency 3
- Institute of Education Sciences (IES)
- Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)
- U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ-BIA)
Foundation / Philanthropy 2
- Florida Education Foundation
- William T. Grant Foundation
Corporate / Industry 2
- Growing Minds Psychology, LLC
- PracticeWise
Nonprofit / Community 2
- Children's Home Society of Florida
Professional / Accrediting Body 2
- Behavior Analyst Certification Board
- National Association of School Psychologists
Internal / Interdisciplinary 16
- Bellini College of Artificial IntelligenceAlso works with 1 other unit
- Child and Family Studies (College of Behavioral and Community Sciences)
- College of Arts and Sciences
- College of Behavioral and Community Sciences
- College of Engineering
- College of Public Health
- Computer Science
- Counselor Education (COE)
- Educational Measurement (COE)
- Educational Psychology (COE)
- Health Policy and Systems Management (College of Public Health)
- Instructional Technology (COE)
- Mental Health Policy (College of Behavioral and Community Sciences)
- Psychology (College of Arts and Sciences)
- School of Social Work (College of Behavioral and Community Sciences)
- USF Counseling CenterJoint embedded-clinician position serving College of Education studentsAlso works with 1 other unit
Funding
Where support for this work comes from.
~$17.4M
Awarded across 11 active grants & contracts
$5.8M
Secured in FY2025-26
Funding sources
Federal Grants
State Grants
Private / Foundation Grants
Details
FY2025-26: $5,800,000 secured in new and ongoing active grants. 11 active externally funded grants/contracts totaling ~$17.4M in awarded funding:
- Project SAFETY-2 (DOJ-BIA, $1,999,313, ends 9/30/27)
- S.T.A.R.S. (OSEP, $1,960,426, ends 9/30/26)
- Project S.O.A.R. (IES, $3,300,000, ends 6/30/26)
- Project SMARTS (SAMHSA, $3,480,059, ends 8/30/27)
- Project MIDAS (IES, $2,121,940, ends 7/31/26)
- I-BEGIN (IES, $2,000,000, ends 6/30/28)
- Project ADVICE (William T. Grant Foundation, $950,000, ends 8/31/27)
- STAY (IES, $199,613, ends 6/30/28)
- Florida Specific Youth Survey/FSYS (FLDOE, $600,000, annual ongoing)
- Florida Mental Health Awareness Training/YMHAT (FLDOE, $660,000, annual ongoing)
- Clinical Services - Sulphur Springs PreK-8 (contract, $120,000, annual)
18 major deliverables completed and 16 peer-reviewed articles published in FY2025-26. Source: Attachment 3 - SMHC Center Project Funding; FY2025-26 Annual IC Evaluation.
Impact
Key figures reported by the center, and the reach of its partnerships.
~$17.4M
Awarded across 11 active grants & contracts
$5.8M
Secured in FY2025-26
16
Peer-reviewed articles in FY2025-26
By the numbers
50
Partner organizations
13
K-12 schools & districts
4
Leaders & staff listed
4
Years serving since 2022
Resources 1
MOUs, agreements, reports and links.
MOU / Agreement
Last updated October 5, 2026