An employee of Hazel Health displays the opening page of the company's app.
Students across the commonwealth are facing a mental health crisis. According to a study run by Mental Health America, Virginia ranked as the 48th worst state for youth mental health care in America in 2023. The 2024 Mental Health America study shows that Virginia has climbed to 17th. Implementation of key programs and services have helped Virginia combat the youth mental health crisis, but there is so much more to do.
This is why individuals, school districts and legislators like me continue to call for Virginia to allocate more funding for services that give our children the support they need.
In spring of 2023, Hazel Health -- an organization that provides telehealth mental health counseling for K-12 students to access while in school -- started serving Virginia students in Fairfax County Public Schools. By December of that year, more than 1,000 therapy visits were completed.
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In October of 2023, Hazel Health launched its services in Alexandria City Public Schools. Just three months into the program, every school in the district had submitted referrals and was actively using the service. The demand for Hazel's mental telehealth care among students in Virginia proved to be among the highest of all states that Hazel serves. Although Hazel now serves a number of districts across the commonwealth, limited funding from the state prevents all of Virginia's students from accessing these services.
A model such as Hazel's allows students to be referred by a school employee or parent and receive private telehealth counseling at school or at home. This way, students don't have to miss valuable learning hours or wait weeks for appointments from private providers. Hazel's visits are convenient and timely and their team of diverse, bilingual providers ensure all students in need or in crisis are served. Students can then enroll in follow-up appointments with Hazel's licensed therapists for continued care.
Most importantly, this model allows school districts to partner with providers like Hazel to cover the cost of services, eliminating costs to families who have limited access to insurance, and over-the-counter medication administered during a Hazel Health visit at school is provided at no cost.
The mental health outcomes are striking. On average, Hazel's teletherapy program drove an overall 35% reduction in depression and 36% reduction in anxiety symptoms for Virginia students using the service. School district administrators continue to praise the program.
"We have an overwhelming need for Hazel Health's services and have been exceedingly impressed with Hazel's effectiveness in our district, particularly as these services are provided at no cost to the families that are uninsured or unable to pay," said Marcia E. Jackson, chief of student services and equity at Alexandria City Public Schools, in a statement emailed to state House Appropriations Committee members earlier this year.
The incredible need for student mental health services is clear, and telehealth programs like Hazel's offer a proven, cost-effective solution. However, the service is currently offered in only a handful of districts across the commonwealth. This past session, Sen. Schuyler VanValkenburg, D-Henrico, and I submitted a $5 million budget request to create and fund a statewide telehealth pilot program for the commonwealth, on an opt-in basis. Our efforts were unsuccessful.
Students, however, continue to suffer from mental health issues and need access to on-demand services like those provided by Hazel. I am calling on the Virginia General Assembly, in partnership with the administration, to work together to provide funding for mental telehealth programs. As parents, teachers, citizens and elected officials, it is our duty to protect the next generation of Virginians and mental telehealth is a proven resource to aid us in our mission.
Del. Josh Thomas, D-Prince William, can be reached at [email protected].
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