Supporters of student mental health were honored tonight for their work in Delaware schools.

School counselors, social workers, licensed clinical social workers, psychologists, and school nurses from nearly 20 Delaware schools were recognized during the Delaware Department of Education‘s Behavioral Health Professional of the Year awards dinner.

Each nominee representing a district or charter school received a $2,000 award from their respective district or charter school in recognition of their work with students.

This year’s 2026 Delaware Behavioral Health Professional of the Year winner is Taylor Richey, a school counselor with the Woodbridge School District.

Richey received a total of $5,000 from the state and her district as this year’s winner.

The Woodbridge School District will also receive $5,000 to support the students Richey serves.

She says it’s an honor to be recognized for her work at the Woodbridge School District, as she graduated from the same district when she was a student. 

Richey also had a message to her fellow nominees.

“Your work is meaningful and it truly takes a village to support our students and families,” Richey says. “The connections that you make matter and the impact that you make on each child will last a lifetime.”

Last year, social worker Jaclyn Durant from the Red Clay Consolidated School District was named Behavioral Health Professional of the Year.

The 2026 District and Charter Behavioral Health Professionals of the Year are:

  • Appoquinimink School District: Debra Taylor, school counselor, Townsend Elementary School
  • Brandywine School District: Tina Lombardo, school counselor, Mount Pleasant Elementary School
  • Caesar Rodney School District: Nicole Boris, school counselor, Nellie Stokes Elementary School
  • Cape Henlopen School District: Terri Tipton, school social worker, Sussex Consortium
  • Capital School District: Heather Barcus, school nurse, Hartly Elementary School
  • Christina School District: Angelique “Angel” Boyce, school nurse, Sarah Pyle Academy
  • Colonial School District: Nicole Irwin, school social worker, John Leach School
  • Delaware Charter School Network: Dawnyel Furlong, school nurse, Sussex Academy
  • Indian River School District: Denise Parsons, school nurse, Selbyville Middle School
  • Lake Forest School District: Jennifer Satterfield, school counselor, Lake Forest Central Elementary School
  • Laurel School District: Logan Downes, school nurse, Laurel High School
  • Milford School District: Angel Mills, school counselor, Morris Early Childhood Center
  • New Castle County Vo-Tech School District: Kristan Garofalo, school counselor, Hodgson Vocational Technical High School
  • POLYTECH School District: Andrea Spence, school counselor, POLYTECH High School
  • Red Clay Consolidated School District: Kelly R. Nichol, school psychologist, Conrad Schools of Science
  • Seaford School District: Rhonda Bailey, school social worker, Blades Elementary School
  • Smyrna School District: Dina Pennington, school counselor, Sunnyside Elementary School
  • Sussex County Vocational Technical School District: Krista Schirmer, school counselor, Sussex Technical High School
  • Winner — Woodbridge School District: Taylor Richey, school counselor, Woodbridge Early Childhood Education Center

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