PORTSMOUTH, Va. — With school back in full swing, students across Portsmouth may start to feel the pressures of the academic year.
To help support their mental health, Portsmouth Public Schools is partnering with Hazel Health, a telehealth provider offering free mental health care to students, right from their classrooms or homes.
“It eliminates barriers for our families,” said Shauneille Perry-Wallace, a school counselor at Churchland Middle School.
Hazel Health is currently available at Churchland Middle and High School, Waters Middle School, and Manor High School. Through the program, students can receive mental health support before, during, or after school. Hazel Health removes the need for transportation, insurance, or concerns about language barriers.
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“Hazel Health is a telehealth provider in K-12 schools which offer access to mental health care either before, during or after school,” said Wallace.
School counselors say the need is evident, particularly during key transitional years like 7th and 8th grade.
“With our 7th graders transitioning from elementary to middle school, and our 8th graders anticipating the move to high school, it does cause a lot of stress and anxiety. Hazel Health will help,” Wallace explained.
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So far, 48 student referrals have been made since the beginning of September.
Sessions can be scheduled from home or conducted on school campuses.
“I think Hazel Health will be very important and successful, because it will help them with their mental health, which is very important,” Wallace added.
Parents and guardians interested in signing up can visit the Portsmouth Public Schools website.
Meanwhile, Cradock Middle School and I.C. Norcom High School are expected to roll out a similar program starting in October.
