Washington students gain easier access to help through new teletherapy service

WASHINGTON — Washington Community School District leaders moved to expand student mental health support this school year by introducing free virtual therapy through Hazel Health, a national telehealth provider that now partners with several Iowa school systems. District officials hope the new service will shorten wait times for families, strengthen existing support programs, and give students quicker access to licensed therapists.

  Buy Photo

The district announced the partnership in late November and told families that every K-12 student can speak with a Hazel Health therapist from home or school between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m., with parent consent.

“We only have one family that has reached out to use it so far,” Curriculum Director Teresa Beenblossom said. “I think word-of-mouth will spread — like, ‘Hey, I'm doing this, and it's really good.’ Our counselors also will make referrals to families.”

Beenblossom said she started exploring Hazel Health after an unexpected message landed in her inbox last year.

“I received a random email that said the place was doing teletherapy, and it was for free, and there were schools in the state of Iowa that were implementing it,” she said. “I contacted them to see if it was successful and if it was being used. She came and visited me and then sat in on some calls, and we decided that it'd be a good move for our district.”

Washington builds on years of mental health expansion

Hazel Health adds another layer to Washington’s multiyear push to strengthen student mental health services.

Washington educators launched therapeutic classrooms six years ago through a state grant that created four NESTT rooms — Navigating Emotions and Stress Through Teaching — across the district. Staff designed the rooms for students who struggle to learn because of stress, trauma or emotional dysregulation.

Teachers say students embraced the spaces. Former Washington Middle School therapeutic teacher Nicole Gish reported about 100 students visited NESTT rooms within the first year.

Washington also uses a long-standing partnership with the Grace C. Mae Advocate Center, where therapists and behavioral health workers meet with students at no cost. Students either attend their sessions at the Grace C. Mae office or at their school buildings as it works best with their schedules. Transportation via the Washington County Mini Bus is even provided for students that go to the office for sessions.

The district supplements therapy with weekly social-emotional lessons, mindfulness outreach programs and community partnerships.

“We have worked really hard,” Beenblossom said. “We were one of the first districts to receive the therapeutic grant and start therapeutic classrooms. I wrote a grant last year, and we got more funding to support our programs, and it pays for our Grace C. Mae services. I feel like we’re continuing to build on that trauma-based care and therapy as students need it.”

She said the Hazel partnership ensures continued access when other grants end.

“At some point our grant funding is going to run out,” she said. “We’re not going to have that funding anymore. This is a great bridge to continue some things that we can continue funding.”

Iowa districts turn to school-based telehealth as student need climbs

Washington joins districts in Cedar Rapids, Des Moines and Council Bluffs that now use Hazel Health as part of a $1.5 million UnitedHealthcare investment.

UnitedHealthcare leaders say the funding builds telehealth infrastructure for roughly 100,000 Iowa students, many of whom live in rural areas with limited access to mental health services.

“Our goal is to breakdown barriers to care and connect students directly to health care providers, ensuring students and their families have access to the care they need,” a press release from UnitedHealthcare stated.

This access comes as data from the National Alliance on Mental Illness shows one in five children lives with a diagnosable mental health condition. NAMI also reports that half all mental illness begins by age 14 and that students with significant symptoms often struggle academically.

NAMI also states that students between 6 and 17 years old with a mental, emotional or behavioral concern are three times more likely to repeat a grade with the average delay between the onset of symptoms and intervention is 11 years.

Additionally, high school students who experience significant symptoms of depression are more than twice as likely to drop out compared to their peers.

With data like this, schools have significant reason to buy into finding ways to support students in these needs.

“This collaboration [with Hazel Health] is a critical advancement in pediatric health care, one that honors and empowers families to access the care children may need, regardless of socioeconomic status, race or ethnicity,” the UnitedHealthcare press release stated.

How Hazel Health works for Washington families

Families begin the process by contacting their building counselor and then completing a short registration with Hazel Health. After a referral, an intake specialist meets with the student to set initial goals. Hazel then assigns a therapist who meets weekly with the student for 45 to 60 minutes.

These sessions are available to students during school hours or after hours.

Therapists help students work through stress, friendships, identity concerns, emotional regulation, academic pressure and confidence building. Hazel says its services improve attendance, coping skills and classroom behavior after about six sessions.

“This gives families another opportunity,” Beenblossom said. “Therapy options are kind of limited, and things are full. It reaches families at a different time frame.”

She said multilingual therapists help Washington reach students who speak languages besides English.

“It meets the needs of all of our students,” she said. “That’s hard to find in rural Iowa.”

The district tracks participation while maintaining confidentiality. Counselors know which students receive therapy if they attend sessions at school, but Hazel restricts therapeutic information.

“We’ve got confidentiality agreements,” Beenblossom said. “The data stays neutral and it’s just numbers. It’s not tied to students.”

District leaders expect to gauge success through increased family participation, student progress and observable changes in emotional or academic functioning.

“I think we’ll be successful when we see families using it,” Beenblossom said. “If it’s a school-based issue they’re working on — like making friends or developing habits — we can see that in the classroom.”

District aims to remove barriers

Therapist shortages continue to complicate mental health care across Iowa, especially in rural regions. Many families face long drives, tight schedules and limited availability. Officials hope a school-based, no-cost virtual model will remove many of those obstacles.

“Whatever it is a student is struggling with, their therapist meets them where they are,” Beenblossom said. “And moves them forward.”

Families interested in the program can contact their school counselor to opt in and begin scheduling sessions.

“I’m excited about it,” Beenblossom said.

Comments: AnnaMarie.Kruse@southeastiowaunion.com