Project Staff

Andrew serves as the Director of the Student Support Services Project at the Florida Department of Education. Prior to becoming director, Andrew served as the Project’s secondary school counseling consultant. Before coming to the Florida Department of Education, Andrew served at the district level as supervisor of school counseling and as a school counselor in the Florida school system.

Education:

• Bachelor of Science – Psychology: Palm Beach Atlantic University, West Palm Beach, FL
• Masters of Science – Concentration in School Counseling: Palm Beach Atlantic University, West Palm Beach, FL
• Doctorate of Education – Educational Leadership and Policy: Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL

Patricia (Trisha) Strickland is the Assistant Program Director of Student Support Services. Previously, she served as the Assistant Program Director of Youth Mental Health Awareness Training (YMHAT) within the same department. Before joining Student Support Services, Trisha worked for three years in the Bureau of Exceptional Education and Student Services (BEESS), focusing on Dispute Resolution and Monitoring (DRM) as well as Instructional Support Services (ISS) at the Department of Education. Prior to that, she spent eight years working with Exceptional Student Education (ESE) at the district level. Trisha holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in elementary education for grades K-6 and in ESE for grades K-12. She also has endorsements in Reading and English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL), as well as in Social Science for grades 5-9.

José Castillo is a Professor in the School Psychology Program at the University of South Florida and is Co-Director of the Institute for School-Community Partnerships, Integrated Services, and Child Mental Health and Educational Policy. Previously, Dr. Castillo served as the Problem Solving/Response to Intervention (PS/RtI) Project Evaluator where he facilitated the development and application of a model for evaluating MTSS implementation. He has also worked as a school psychologist in the Pasco County School District in which he provided training and ongoing coaching to school and district leadership responsible for implementing MTSS.

Kim Brumage is the Secondary School Counseling Consultant with the SSS Project. Prior to joining the Student Support Services Project, she worked as a high school counselor for 18 years and 7 years as department chair. Her previous experience includes working as an academic advisor at the Florida State University in the Department of Human Sciences and working as an elementary school counselor. She has a Master of Science and Education Specialist Degrees in Counseling and Human Systems from the Florida State University and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology with a minor in Theatre Arts from Jacksonville University.

Jessica O’Neal is the Elementary and Middle School Counseling Consultant with the Student Support Services Project. Prior to joining the project, she worked as an elementary school counselor for four years. Before that, she was a high school counselor for five years. She holds a Master of Education in School Counseling, a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology, and a Minor in Music, all from Valdosta State University in Valdosta, Georgia.

Before coming to the Florida Department of Education, Karla served as the Interim School Nurse Administrator and Registered School Nurse Consultant at the Florida Department of Health in the Bureau of Community Health Promotion, School Health Services Program. Prior to working at the state health office, Karla worked 16 years at the local county health department level in the areas of school health, maternal-child health, clinic services, immunizations and epidemiology. She is member of the National Association of School Nurses (NASN), Florida Association of School Nurses (FASN) and Florida School Health Association (FSHA).

As the School Nurse Consultant with the Student Support Services Project at the Florida Department of Education, Karla:

• Provides guidance, support and technical assistance related to Florida school health policy and procedures
• Collaborates with districts to promote current, evidenced-based best practices in nursing and school health services to address the health needs of every student
• Supports school nurses as vital healthcare professionals in the educational setting as clinicians, advocates, educators and leaders
• Conducts analyses of proposed legislation and assists in the development and implementation of State Board of Education rules
• Encourages partnerships between families, schools, and community agencies for student health and academic success
• Serves as a liaison to the FDOE , state and community departments and agencies, and professional associations

Karla has a strong desire to support school nurses and school support staff to positively impact the social, emotional, behavioral, mental and physical health of students and the school community.

Mirtha Santisi is the School Psychology Consultant with the SSS Project.

As the School Social Work Consultant with the Student Support Services Project at the Florida Department of Education, Beverley Wilks provides:

• Assistance on mental health initiatives and support service around grief and crisis counseling
• Technical assistance and guidance on assessment and interventions activities that promotes independent educational outcome for students
• Truancy identification and intervention services and case management
• Guidance on comprehensive parent/home and school/classroom-based training programs that assist educators and parents in problem solving and assessment for intervention

Beverley brings to this position experience as a practitioner and an educator. She has 21 years of clinical experience as a social worker in the educational sector and has extensive experience in MSW intern training and evaluation in school social work practice. She has classroom experience both at the college and secondary levels. She has provided instruction as an undergraduate adjunct instructor in Social Work Practice and high school instruction as a Mathematics teacher.

Beverley has certifications in both Educational Leadership and School Social Work. She served as a former President and Board member of the Florida Association of School Social Workers (FASSW).

Beverley believes that student’s success and performance can be improved through the collaborative delivery of coherent social services.

Nanci English is the Medicaid School-Based Services (SBS) project consultant with the Florida Department of Education’s Office of Student Services. Nanci has over 16 years of experience in the areas of special education, health services and Medicaid in schools. Before joining the project, Nanci worked for the School Board of Broward County as the Medicaid Specialist supporting the Medicaid SBS program. Nanci serves as a liaison between school districts and the state Medicaid agency, the FDOE Bureau of Exceptional Education and Student Services (BEESS), other state and community departments and agencies, and stakeholders in the Medicaid SBS program. Nanci works collaboratively with Florida school district personnel and other stakeholders to provide training and technical assistance to ensure the effective and successful implementation and operational readiness of the Medicaid SBS program.

Nanci is the President and Committee Chair for Bylaws, Policies & Procedures with the National Alliance for Medicaid in Education (NAME). Nanci has a master’s in public administration.

Marsha Skiles is the EMACS Coordinator with the Student Support Services Project for the Florida Department of Education. She has over 24 years of experience in Special Education with the last 8 years focusing on Medicaid in Schools. Prior to joining the Student Support Services Project, Marsha worked for Clay County District Schools as a Program Specialist supporting the Medicaid in Schools program; students with Intellectual Disabilities, Traumatic Brain Injuries, Orthopedic Impairments, and Physical Impairments; the Specially Designed PE Program; Educational Surrogate Parents; and the designing/building of Inclusive playgrounds. In her current position, she serves as a liaison between school districts and the Florida Department of Education. Her focus in this position is to disseminate information, communicate clearly, and provide guidance to school districts and other stakeholders pertaining to implementing the Medicaid in Schools’ program to assist with maximizing Medicaid reimbursement dollars.

Marsha is a member of the National Alliance for Medicaid in Education (NAME). She graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Recreation Therapy from the University of Florida and a Masters in Educational Leadership from the University of North Florida.

Kelbe Harrell is the Portal to Exceptional Education Resources (PEER) Systems Analyst for the Student Support Services Project. PEER is a web-based application provided by the Florida Department of Education at no cost to school districts for educators to develop and track the exceptional student education processes required by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, Florida’s Statutes and Rules related to exceptional students.

Kelbe has been part of the Bureau of Exceptional Education and Student Services (BEESS) team since 2019. She began her BEESS journey as a Dispute Resolution and Monitoring Compliance Specialist and Investigator, and then was promoted to Program Accountability, Assessment and Data Systems Program Director. Prior to working with BEESS, she was a middle school ESE teacher for ten years.

Jan Oberschlake is the Portal to Exceptional Education Resources (PEER) Systems Analyst for the Student Support Services Project. PEER is a web-based application provided by the Florida Department of Education at no cost to school districts for educators to develop and track the exceptional student education processes required by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, Florida’s Statutes and Rules related to exceptional students.

Jan’s previous educational roles include a Dispute Resolution and Monitoring Compliance Specialist with The Bureau of Exceptional Education and Student Services (BEESS), a Virtual Learning Coordinator and Human Resources Development Specialist with the Florida Diagnostic and Learning Resources System (FDLRS), and various teaching positions in Leon and Hillsborough Counties in the areas of exceptional student education, mathematics, and reading.

Trina Thomas is the Program Grant Specialist for the Youth Mental Health Awareness Training (YMHAT) Program initiative at the Florida Department of Education. In this role, she provides technical assistance and support for YMHAT stakeholders. She also manages data related to the initiative and ensures that school districts meet the requirement of having 80 percent of their personnel trained in YMHAT. Additionally, Trina assists with reviewing the YMHAT Local Education Agencies (LEAs) Support Request for Applications (RFA) and effectively communicates with the LEAs. Before her current position, Trina was a Referral Coordinator in a mental health office, facilitating connections between clients and appropriate mental health services. Her academic background includes a Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy and Religion, and a Master’s degree in Business Administration, Healthcare Administration, and International Business. Beyond her professional accomplishments, Trina is a proud mother of three adult children.

Judi Hyde has worked on numerous grants with the Institute for School-Community Partnerships, Integrated Services, and Child Mental Health and Educational Policy at the University of South Florida since 1996. As the Student Support Services Technical Consultant, Judi is the Project webmaster, designs numerous online surveys, and assists with data reporting.

Prior to coming to USF, Judi worked in Hillsborough County Schools’ Department of Student Services as a Project Coordinator for the Robert Wood Johnson Teaching Strategies grant, the Shared Services Network project, and SEDNET. Judi also has experience as an elementary classroom teacher.

Liane has served as an Administrative Specialist for the Project since 2012. She is responsible for purchasing, travel arrangements, expense reimbursements, and editing. She also provides support to the director and acts as Project liaison to USF. Liane has two children, three grandchildren, and ten cats. Her interests include photography, medieval England, and mosaics.

Roxanne Johnson is studying elementary education at Florida State University and will earn her master’s degree in 2028. She plans to teach kindergarten after college.