Pasco schools offer all students free licensed mental health therapy
Help is on the way for Pasco students struggling to process the toll the pandemic has taken on them.
Starting this week, Pasco students will have access to free virtual mental health services and therapy thanks to a new partnership between the school district and a San Francisco-based telehealth business.
The partnership means that all 17,600 Pasco School District students will be able to connect online with a licensed therapist or mental health counselor — either at home and in school — for “short-term, evidence-based counseling,” a news release from the district says.
“Providing mental health support to all our students is an important goal for us, knowing that students’ success in learning is connected to mental and emotional wellness,” said Mira Gobel, Pasco’s assistant superintendent of schools and emotional learning. “Our partnership with Hazel Health paves the way for easier access to mental health support.”
Pasco is the only district in the area to offer a program like this.
Robyn Chastain, with the Kennewick School District, said they have contracted therapists in all their high schools this year offering free services to students, and are working to expand the program into middle schools.
Richland School District also has mental health resources available for students. Parents and the district also are jump starting a program in May to train families on how to talk with their kids about topics such as depression and anxiety.
Growing need
Youth mental health has been on a steady decline in recent decades. COVID-19 and school closures added weight to an already heavy burden.
The number of adolescents who report having a major depressive episode within the last year jumped about 60% from 2007 to 2017, from 2 million to 3.2 million, according to Pew Research.
And in December, the U.S. surgeon general called for a “swift and coordinated response” to the mental health challenges that came as a result of social distancing measures.
Through its partnership with Hazel Health, Pasco officials hope to combat what they see as a “sharp uptick in mental health concerns among youth.”
“The grief, anxiety and depression students have experienced due to the pandemic has had an impact on students’ well-being and performance in the classroom,” Gobel said.
Hazel Health has already contracted with other school districts to serve nearly two million students around the country, according to the news release.
Students who are referred by their parents or staff will take a behavioral health screening and undergo an intake appointment in less than a week.
The service has previously been able to help students resolve and work through anxiety, depression, adjustment disorders, relationship issues, stress and bullying.
The district works closely with students on their child’s care. Long-term mental health care can also be considered.
This story was originally published May 2, 2022 at 5:00 AM.
