The State Department of Health and Human Services initiative for virtual health care is .
Officials say telehealth provider Hazel Health services will help with mental health challenges like anxiety, depression, and trauma.
Any K-12 students enrolled within participating districts will be able to access one of Hazel’s on-staff, licensed therapists before, during, and after the school day.
It's meant to remove obstacles students might face outside of school, like transportation issues or long wait times. Services are expected to go live this month.
"Services like school-based telehealth are critical to improving access to mental health care because they meet children and families where they are with the care they need," said N.C. Health and Human Services Secretary Dev Sangvai.
It will first be offered in Harnett County Schools and Durham Public Schools. More districts will then be added in the coming weeks.
State health officials estimate that nearly 400,000 students will have access to the program. , more than high school students in North Carolina have reported feeling sad or hopeless, along with almost 1 in 3 middle school students.
