Atlanta Public Schools has partnered with Hazel Health, the national leader in school-based telehealth, to offer health services for students throughout the district, at no cost to families.

With our partner Hazel Health, students who are not feeling well will be able to speak with a Hazel doctor or schedule a therapy session virtually.

This new service connects students directly with licensed professionals for telehealth visits in school or at home, for immediate physical health needs, or for short-term mental health support. If long-term mental care is needed, family resource managers from Hazel work closely with parents and community partners to help find the appropriate providers as needed.

Mental health services will include scheduled short-term therapy visits. There is no waitlist for scheduled therapy sessions for coping with everything from anxiety, depression, and grief to peer and family relationships and bullying. Physical health services will include medical treatment for stomach aches, headaches, sprained ankles, asthma concerns, and everything in between. Prescriptions can be written, or over-the-counter medications provided at school when needed.

“Many of our students face significant barriers to receiving quality health care – such as cost, transportation, and provider availability. Sometimes our students face months-long wait times for mental health care appointments,” said Valencia Hildreth, APS Comprehensive Health Services Director. “Lack of access to care can result in chronic absenteeism, which disproportionately impacts students from marginalized communities. This partnership ensures every student has equitable access to health care, resulting in improved health and academic outcomes.”

Founded in 2015 by an educator, doctor, engineer, and technology entrepreneur in a rural community in California, Hazel Health began building partnerships with local schools to provide pediatric physical and mental health care at no cost to families. The company’s mission is to ensure that all children, regardless of family income, geography, race, ethnicity, insurance or immigration status, or any other factor, have access to high-quality health care so they could feel their best and ready to learn.  

Today, the cost of Hazel services is covered by a combination of insurance reimbursement, fees paid by partnering school districts, and several federal initiatives which can be used by school districts to fund programs supporting students’ physical and mental health.

“The Hazel protocol directly addresses the ongoing challenges that students, families, and school faculty face in their attempts to access timely, high-quality health care,” said Andrew Post, a lifelong educator and Chief Innovation Officer at Hazel Health. “Hazel will help Atlanta Public Schools to streamline the identification, treatment, and ongoing support for students’ health concerns.”