ROANOKE, Va. – Schools are now providing access to doctors and therapists before, during and after the school day.
“Students learn best when they feel best and can attend class daily,” according to Roanoke City Public Schools. The school division has partnered with Hazel Health to support students’ physical and mental well-being without any out-of-pocket costs for families.
“We have realized that our students need a little bit more support with their physical health and their mental health,” said Dr. Hayley Poland, the Roanoke City Public Schools Assistant Superintendent. “We realized there were some barriers for our families with transportation. There were some waiting lists for mental health services. So, we needed to bridge that gap, and we needed to provide services to our families so that they don’t have to take off work, where they don’t have to get to the school to get their child to take them to a sick child appointment. We want to keep our students in school the most we can.”
The Kent family agreed to do a therapy session for us so we could show you how it works. Olivia and Emma talked to someone on the computer about their feelings about starting a new school year.
“It was cool because I could, like, tell them about the first day of school. It’s kind of nervous to go in,” said Emma, who agreed the therapist helped her feel more comfortable before the start of school.
“It was definitely pretty cool how that works and how kids will be able to communicate with people like that without traveling long distances. You can just grab a device and talk whenever you want,” said Olivia.
“It’s another way to help kids cope with school, grow up and realize that things that they may be going through, other people may be going through, and there’s a way to talk that out,” said Glenn Kent, who watched the girls go through their first session.
What are the trends showing?
Andrew Post, the Hazel Health president, said the data is pretty clear citing these statistics:
- 50% of mental health conditions or disorders start before the age of 14
- 75% start before the age of 24
- The average in this nation from onset to treatment for mental health care is 11 years
Post said there are trends they are seeing in school systems using Hazel Health.
“We are seeing care much, much earlier. I say that because 45% of our visits are in the elementary grade levels. Honestly, as somebody who spent a decade and a half in public education, I was surprised to see that,” said Post.
Roanoke students did 630 therapy sessions through Hazel from November 2023 through June 2024, and those students went to 25 different schools.
“Counseling is my background. So as a counselor, I see the need and they [students] are worried about themselves. They’re worried about their friends. It’s really amazing that we were able to respond and give our students what they’re asking for,” said Poland, who said it is working well in the schools.
So, how does it work?
Anyone can make a referral, a teacher, school staff member, principal parent or even a child in some states. Hazel takes it from there. Parents have to make sure they’ve given the consent for physical or mental health visits and then Hazel will set appointments or your child can go to the school nurse when they’re not feeling well and get seen by a doctor.
“Many of the common things that a child will come to a school nurse for a belly ache, headache, scrape or bruise from a fall are things that the school nurse can take a look at and triage and then say, ‘Hey, you may benefit from talking to one of the Hazel Health providers’ and they initiate a visit. The provider will come on and do a full assessment,” said Dr. Travis Gayles, Hazel Health’s Chief Health Officer and pediatrician.
The telehealth option can save parents time and money and help kids with chronic issues like asthma.
“When a child has an issue at school, one of the first calls that are made are to the parent and the parent is left with trying to make the decision of ‘Do I take off from work to pick up my kid? Do they need to be taken home? Do they need to be taken to the doctor? Are they going to be able to get an immediate appointment to address their needs?’” said Gayles.
This service helps remove many barriers preventing children from getting help like cost, transportation or even language.
“It’s huge. Sometimes the parents are struggling just to get transportation to work. So, removing that barrier for them to be able to get their child therapy is huge, especially when we’re talking about insurance, and maybe they’re only approved for six sessions or maybe there’s a waitlist,” said Poland.
What are the challenges?
But, there are some concerns parents may have regarding treatment in the school setting.
“This is relatively new. The telehealth and virtual health platforms were not something that were widely used and standardized practice before COVID. Many parents grew up in a generation where they’re used to going to the traditional brick-and-mortar pediatrician’s office. The parents do have the opportunity to join the visit, if they would like, and even if they don’t join the visit, they will get a follow-up, detailed description of what brought the child in and the treatment plan,” said Gayles.
Limitations can also include access to technology or developmental needs.
“For our little ones or students with developmental needs, it may not be the perfect platform for them. They may need in-person therapy,” said Poland.
Making a diagnosis over a camera can also be harder.
“It limits the scope, the depth of a physical exam, so you’re relying on what you’re seeing on camera in different views and angles there. Certainly, for some conditions, it makes it a little bit trickier if you’ve got to actually feel and palpate a particular area,” said Gayles.
“The reality is that schools also have to educate children those full seven hours of the day. They have a full schedule, and so pulling a child from class to go on to the iPad and talk to their licensed counselor can be a barrier at times. Unfortunately, chronic absenteeism can be one too. The reality is that if we have a visit scheduled, while we can shift it from a school-based to a home-based, when the child is absent from school, unfortunately, the miss rate for the sessions becomes much higher,” said Post.
We are focused on academics, but we are also focused on the whole child. We want to make sure that even if they’re struggling at school, there’s something getting in the way. If this is a way that we can support our students to access their instruction and ensure they are their best selves when they walk into the classroom, then this is truly what Hazel is for.
Dr. Hayley Poland, Roanoke City Public Schools Assistant Superintendent
“The convenience can’t be underestimated. We all have devices now and this just opens up a whole new opportunity for all the kids and their parents to have another professional in the house to kind of help us navigate raising these kids,” said Kent.
Poland said there are protocols in place if a student mentions harming themselves or someone else. Hazel Health will help connect students to in-person providers when there is a need.
The service is completely free for all Roanoke City students, even during the summer. The first year, which began in November 2023, is being paid through the ESSER funds for $195,000. The school system says it’s now part of the budget for when it continues into its second year in November 2024.
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