ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — The Orange County Classroom Teachers Association is fighting the district's rollout of newly-required mental health lessons, part of sweeping state reforms following the Parkland massacre.

Starting this year, state mandate requires students in grades 6 through 12 to receive at least five hours of lessons on mental health, on everything from healthy coping techniques to suicide and drug prevention. Per the mandate, any certified teacher is qualified to teach this curriculum.

Teachers in Orange County received training on this curriculum, but educators like Matthew Hazel, treasurer of the Orange County Classroom Teachers Association (OCCTA), do not feel prepared - or qualified - to teach this.

"It's entirely possible that students will have very negative or very visceral emotions to this and aside from send them to a counselor, there's no real plan for how teachers should be dealing with that," he told Spectrum News 13.

The OCCTA presented a proposal to the district Thursday, asking mental health professionals to present the lessons instead, according to CTA President Wendy Doromal. 

"Right now all the concerns we have are 'what ifs,'" explained school psychologist Mary-Grace Surrena, who is on OCCTA's bargaining team. "What if the teacher can't address these concerns because of their own issues or what if there's just too many kids in distress?"

"In an effort to fulfill the state's mandate to provide mental health training to students, we have met with the CTA several times to discuss any working condition impacts for teachers prior to the rollout of the state mandated mental health curriculum," an Orange County Public Schools (OCPS) spokesperson said in a statement. "Additional discussions may continue."

The lessons are aimed at removing any stigmas concerning mental health, so students know when to seek help for themselves or on behalf of their classmates.

"If you break your leg, you go to a doctor, so if there's something that's not working with your brain or not working with your mental health, you would go to a doctor. So the more you talk about it, I think then you don't have the risk of students holding things in and not asking for help," said Mary Bridges, OCPS executive director of student services.

"We did training with teachers in the fall so that the teachers are aware of what to do and signs and symptoms," Bridges explained. "Now if we can get students to do that, then we know when they need help, they can ask for it."

OCPS has split the lessons into five one-hour courses, to take place on February 4, 11, 20, 25 and 27. County schools with conflicting events will schedule alternate dates.

Students who are absent or have dual enrollment will be able to take the classes at another time, according to OCPS. Students will not be graded on the material.

These lessons are not graduation requirements, so students who do not attend the sessions or makeup sessions will not be penalized, according to OCPS.