School employees who support the mental health of Delaware students are being recognized for their work.

The state will name its 2025 Delaware Behavioral Health Professional of the Year at a statewide celebration on Monday, May 19th. Delaware’s districts and the Delaware Charter School Network named local Behavioral Health Professionals of the Year for 2025. Following an application and interview process, one will be named the state honoree.

The Delaware State Behavioral Health Professional of the Year (BHPOY) program is administered by the Delaware Department of Education (DDOE). The program recognizes outstanding service by school employees who are health care practitioners or human service providers who offer services for the purpose of improving an individual’s mental health. The Delaware Charter School Network also is invited to participate. Employees considered for the award include:

• School counselors
• School social workers
• Licensed clinical social workers
• School psychologists
• School nurses

From those nominated at a local level, one behavioral health professional of the year moves forward to represent each district or the charter school community in the state program. Each district/charter network honoree receives a $2,000 personal award from the professional’s district or charter school. The state program then chooses one person annually to serve as Delaware’s Behavioral Health Professional of the Year. State honorees receive an additional $3,000 personal award from the department as well as $5,000 to be used for the educational benefit of the state honoree’s students.

The 2025 District/Charter Behavioral Health Professionals of the Year are:

• Appoquinimink School District: Ingrid Carr, school psychologist, Cantwell’s Bridge Middle School
• Brandywine School District: Stefanie Stiefel, school counselor, Talley Middle School
• Caesar Rodney School District: Sarah Mouhtarim, mental health counselor, Caesar Rodney High School
• Cape Henlopen School District: Sandra Concors, board certified behavior analyst, Sussex Consortium
• Capital School District: Krystal Little, school nurse, East Dover Elementary School
• Christina School District: Amber Logan, school counselor, West Park Place Elementary School
• Colonial School District: Tanya Aviola, school counselor, New Castle Elementary School
• Delaware Charter School Network: Juliane Hein, school counselor, Sussex Academy Elementary School
• Delmar School District: Sally Irwin, school nurse, Delmar Middle/Senior High School
• Indian River School District: Michelle C. Mitchell, school counselor, Southern Delaware School of the Arts
• Lake Forest School District: Keisha Baynard, school counselor, W.T. Chipman Middle School
• Laurel School District: Jamie Reynolds, school counselor, Laurel High School
• Milford School District: Lisa Caccamise, school psychologist, Milford High School
• New Castle County Vo-Tech School District: Ryan Hawthorne, school counselor, Delcastle Technical High School
• POLYTECH School District: Sean Kenney, school counselor, POLYTECH High School
• Red Clay Consolidated School District: Jaclyn Durant, school social worker, Richey Elementary School
• Seaford School District: Julianne Lodowski, school nurse, West Seaford Elementary School
• Smyrna School District: Rosemarie Tiberi, school counselor, Smyrna High School
• Sussex County Vocational Technical School District: Tonya James, school counselor, Sussex Technical High School
• Woodbridge School District: Mallory McConnell, school psychologist, Woodbridge Middle School

The Delaware Department of Education (DDOE) will livestream the May 19th event following the dinner portion of the night. The livestream should start around 7:15 p.m. and will be visible on DDOE’s YouTube page and shared to DDOE’s facebook page.

Find photos of the 2025 honorees online here.

Media contact: Alison May, alison.may@doe.k12.de.us, 302-735-4006

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