POLK COUNTY, Fla. — Students in Polk County will now have access to health services at school or at home.
The district is partnering with a program called Hazel to allow students to meet directly with medical professionals over live video. During the visits, students can receive treatment for common physical ailments like stomach aches or headaches, as well as mental health issues like anxiety or depression.
Students will have access to these services at school or at home at no charge.
Parents and guardians will have to give consent for their children to have access to these free services. Anyone interesting in learning more or opting in to the service can do so online.
According to Polk County Schools, on-demand physical health services include:
• Medical treatment: for stomach aches, headaches, sprained ankles, asthma concerns, and everything in between
• Medication: prescriptions written or over-the-counter provided at school when needed
• Coordination: with family physician and return-to-school communications.
Mental health services include:
• Scheduled short-term therapy visits: no waitlist for scheduled therapy sessions for coping with everything from anxiety, depression and grief, to peer and family relationships and bullying
• Care management to local resources: referrals to local providers for continuity of care
• Coordination: communication with families, local health providers and school staff.
This comes just a month after the American Academy of Pediatrics declared a national emergency in children’s mental health, citing the pandemic.