Families raising children with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) often face added emotional, behavioral and caregiving challenges, yet finding affordable mental health services from professionals trained to address their needs can be difficult. In parts of Palm Beach County, shortages of mental health professionals create additional barriers to care, leaving children and families without the support they need.
To help address these challenges, Florida Atlantic University ’s College of Education has received a $1.2 million grant from the Children’s Services Council of Palm Beach County to expand access to family-centered mental health services for children and teens while preparing the next generation of counselors to serve youth with and without disabilities.
The three-year initiative, called OWLS-FLY (Opportunity, Wellness, Leadership & Strength with Families Leading Youth), will provide free counseling and family support to children ages 6 to 17 and their families, with half of its focus dedicated to youth with IDD, their siblings and caregivers.
“I am incredibly excited to receive this grant because it gives us an opportunity to make a meaningful difference in the lives of children and families who too often face barriers to mental health care,” said Kelly Emelianchik-Key, Ph.D., principal investigator and a professor in FAU’s Department of Counselor Education . “By bringing accessible, family-centered services together with specialized counselor training, we can support children’s emotional well-being, strengthen families and help ensure that more families have access to professionals who understand their unique needs.”
Funded through the Children’s Services Council’s fiscal 2026 Request for Proposals for Youth Development, with a focus on youth mental health, OWLS-FLY combines a university-based counseling clinic, specialized graduate-level training and partnerships with community organizations to connect families with services.
The program will prioritize low-income families, families living in designated mental health professional shortage areas, children with significant exposure to adverse childhood experiences, autistic youth and other children with IDD, their siblings, and families referred through community partners.
Through OWLS-FLY, children and families will have access to individual counseling for youth, family therapy, parent and co-parenting groups, and other supportive services delivered in person or through telehealth. Services will be provided by advanced graduate counseling students pursuing education specialist (Ed.S.) degrees and postdoctoral scholars, with specialized instruction and close supervision from licensed faculty and clinicians.
“Children with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families can encounter mental health challenges that require more specialized support than traditional services may provide,” said Alexander (Alex) M. Fields, Ph.D., assistant professor in FAU’s Department of Counselor Education and OWLS-FLY co-principal investigator. “An important part of this initiative is recognizing that a child’s well-being is connected to the entire family. By examining outcomes for youth with IDD and evaluating the effectiveness of our services, we can better understand what works, strengthen the support we provide and help inform future approaches to disability-informed mental health care.”
In addition to delivering direct services, OWLS-FLY will establish a structured training pathway to prepare more counselors to work effectively with children with disabilities and their families. Each year, eight to 12 advanced graduate counseling students will complete a specialized four-course training sequence and gain supervised clinical experience. The curriculum will help students develop the knowledge and practical skills needed to address the emotional, behavioral and family needs of diverse youth populations.
OWLS-FLY will partner with community organizations to help families access counseling and other support services. The initiative aims to improve emotional well-being among children and teens, reduce stress for caregivers, strengthen family relationships and expand access to specialized mental healthcare. It also will prepare more counselors to meet the needs of youth with and without disabilities, helping build a stronger network of support for families throughout Palm Beach County.
“Programs like OWLS-FLY demonstrate how a university can bring together education, research and community engagement to address an important public need,” said Charles Dukes, Ed.D., Ph.D., dean of FAU’s College of Education. “By expanding access to mental health services while preparing highly trained counselors to serve children and families with diverse needs, this initiative advances our college’s commitment to developing skilled professionals and building stronger communities throughout Palm Beach County.”
Emelianchik-Key will oversee the program, curriculum and clinical quality. Fields will lead research and evaluation, with particular attention to outcomes for youth with IDD. FAU postdoctoral researchers Christina Ladd, Ph.D., and Rotem Moshe, Ph.D., will support implementation through clinical instruction and supervision, clinic operations, client data management and assessment of program outcomes.
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About Florida Atlantic University:
Florida Atlantic University is one of the nation’s fastest-rising public research universities, serving more than 32,000 students in South Florida. Ranked among the Top 100 Public Universities by U.S. News & World Report, Florida Atlantic is also one of only 13 institutions nationwide to hold Carnegie Foundation designations for R1 research, opportunity and community engagement. Guided by its strategic plan, “2031FAU: Where Tomorrow Begins,” the university is focused on delivering career-ready education and experiential learning, driving scholarly inquiry that creates healthier, safer and more prosperous communities, strengthening institutional excellence, and elevating its impact across South Florida and beyond. Florida Atlantic continues to advance its position as Florida’s first quantum university, integrating research, education and industry partnerships around next-generation computing technologies. Through other signature strengths in neuroscience and healthy aging, environmental, ocean and coastal innovation, and national defense and autonomous systems, Florida Atlantic expands knowledge, fuels economic opportunity and fulfills its mission as South Florida’s hometown university.