HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, Fla. — Serious mental stress is a fact of life for many growing up in today’s society.
“As a student in Hillsborough County since I was in kindergarten, a lot of my friends struggled with their mental health, including myself,” said Idania Rodriguez.
The high school senior said concerns about bullying and social media can feel insurmountable for a young person.
“There is really an ongoing pressure online, and social media definitely takes a toll on a lot of students, especially those who are prone to a lot of cyberbullying or in-school bullying,” said Rodriguez.
According to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), an estimated 4.1 million adolescents in the United States had at least one major depressive episode in 2020.
Hillsborough County Public Schools has been exploring ways to improve support for vulnerable children and teens.
“We know the importance of mental health services, the needs that our students and families have. This partnership with Hazel Health really takes us to another level with care for our students,” said Michael Kelleher, Supervisor of Clinical Care at Hillsborough County Public Schools.
The district announced Thursday that it will provide free virtual mental health services at home and school to all grades K-12. After receiving consent from the parent, Hazel Health will connect the student with a licensed therapist for virtual counseling sessions.
School leaders said this could significantly help on-campus counselors manage growing caseloads.
“With the increasing needs and the increasing volume of mental health needs in our student population, it can be a challenge for our psych-based personnel to meet all of these needs alone,” said school psychologist Melissa McGuire.
The COVID-19 pandemic intensified adolescent depression, anxiety, and mental health distress. Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shows that more than one in three high school students experienced poor mental health during the pandemic.
“The opportunity for bilingual telehealth will address those needs for students who may not have a bilingual practitioner on the school campus. So this is going to be a really great benefit in addition to the resources we already have in place here in Hillsborough County for our students,” said McGuire.
