What is Hazel Health?
Hazel Health provides physical and mental health telehealth services to students at school and at home. Hazel Health is an additional tool for nurses, counselors, and social workers to use when providing student services.

What is telehealth?
Telehealth is the use of technology to provide health care virtually. All Hazel Health visits are "virtual visits", through a tablet, desktop, or other smart device.

Why is Houston ISD partnering with Hazel Health?
Houston ISD is partnering with Hazel Health in response to the increasing demand the district is seeing for both physical health and mental health services, especially after the pandemic.

Additionally, the recent survey from Rice University Kinder Institute’s Houston Education Research Consortium shared that physical and mental health services were identified as two of the top needs for students in HISD. We are excited that our new partnership with Hazel Health aligns with the community’s feedback and provides additional opportunities for students to access physical and mental health services.

Is Hazel Health compliant with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA)?
Yes.

Does a student need insurance to participate in Hazel Health?
Hazel Health providers and therapists will see all students at no cost, regardless of insurance or immigration status.

Why does Hazel Health ask for my insurance information if it’s free?
Families with medical insurance will be asked to provide their insurance information so Hazel Health can bill insurance for Hazel Health services. If insurance does not cover the cost, Hazel Health will not bill or collect co-pays from families. It also helps Hazel Health to better coordinate care, such as referrals and prescriptions.

What kind of consent is required?
Parents/guardians of students, or students over the age of 18, must complete an online consent form prior to receiving Hazel Health services at houstonisd.org/telehealth. All consent information can be updated at any time by completing a new consent form.

How does Hazel Health protect students' data?
All student health information will stay confidential and in compliance with HIPAA. Student information is stored on Hazel Health’s highly secure, fully encrypted digital records platform.

What are the credentials of Hazel Healthcare providers?
Hazel Health’s physical health providers are state licensed Physicians, Nurse Practitioners and Physician Associates. Hazel Health’s mental health providers are licensed Social Workers, Marriage and parent/ guardian Therapists, Licensed Professional Counselors, and Licensed
Mental Health Counselors.

What are the hours for physical health telehealth?
Physical health services are available on-demand 7am-5pm local time, Monday through Friday. School-based physical health services will only take place during the school day.

Where do physical health services take place?
Physical health services can take place at home on-demand or in the nurse’s office during school hours when the nurse is present and has determined telehealth services are needed.

How does Hazel Health protect my student’s privacy during physical health sessions?
All student health information will stay confidential and in compliance with HIPAA. Nurses will be able to look up whether that student has successfully enrolled with Hazel, but will not receive any details about that students’ care plan or health information without your explicit permission.
Student information is stored on Hazel’s highly secure, fully encrypted digital records platform.

How many physical health visits can each student access?
There is no limit on the number of visits.

Can visits be scheduled in advance?
At-school physical health visits are available on-demand and a provider is available within minutes. Wait times may be a little longer during peak visit times. At-home physical health visits are available throughout the day, but are initiated by the parent/guardian.

What physical health symptoms can Hazel Health providers treat or address?

How do physical health services work at school?
Physical health services begin when a student visits their school nurse with a potential medical issue*, the nurse determines that a Hazel Health Telehealth appointment is necessary, and the nurse confirms the student has a Hazel Health consent form on file. The nurse will begin by initiating an on-demand Hazel Health visit. The nurse will then take the student’s height, weight, temperature, and blood-oxygen level and enter that information on the iPad for the provider. The Hazel Health provider will speak with the student to better understand what is going on. If appropriate, the provider may prescribe the student with over-the-counter medicine that the parent/ guardian has previously consented to or may recommend follow up care. Once the visit is complete, an automatic follow up report will be sent to the student’s parent/ guardian or guardian.

*Note: If an on-site clinic is available, the nurse will utilize the on-site clinic as appropriate. If the on-site clinic is determined to not be appropriate for the student, the nurse may proceed with utilizing Hazel Health if the nurse deems it appropriate and the student has a consent form on
file.

How will I know if my student is seen by a Hazel Health provider?
Following each physical health visit, the parent/ guardian will receive a text message with a link to securely access the discharge summary for the visit.

What types of over-the-counter medication can a Hazel Health provider prescribe?
During the online consent process, parent/guardians can designate which over-the-counter medications the Hazel Health provider can prescribe, including:

What are the hours for mental health telehealth services?
Mental health services are available 7am-7pm local time, Monday through Friday.

Where do mental health telehealth services take place?
When opting into services the parent/guardian can request for the sessions to take place during the school day or at home. For school sessions, each school will designate a location where the child can go. If needed, headphones and privacy screens can be provided. A school-based staff member will remain in eyesight during the session.

How does Hazel Health protect my student’s privacy during mental health sessions?
School staff members who refer a student to Hazel Health’s mental health service are able to look up whether that student successfully enrolls with Hazel Health, but will not receive any details about that students’ care plan or health information without your explicit permission. All student health information will stay confidential and in compliance with HIPAA. Student information is stored on Hazel Health’s highly secure, fully encrypted digital records platform.

Can I refer my child for mental health telehealth services?
Yes. After providing consent, a parent/guardian is able to request a referral for their child.

How will I know if my student has been referred for mental health telehealth services?
A parent/guardian will receive a call from a Hazel Health Family Resource Manager explaining that their child has been referred by the school counselor for mental health services through Hazel Health. The Hazel Health Family Resource Manager will share details of the referral that
was completed by the referrer. The parent or guardian will then choose if they would like to opt-into services for their student and schedule an intake visit.

How many therapy sessions can each student access?
Hazel Health mental health sessions typically consist of a preliminary intake visit followed by approximately six sessions. The program is short-term—if your child needs long-term mental health support, Hazel Health will work with the parent/ guardian to identify and connect you with
providers in your community.

What mental health issues can Hazel Health providers treat or address?

How does Hazel Health’s mental health services work?
First, a parent/ guardian or the school counselor can refer a student for teletherapy by completing the referral form for the student. Once a student has been referred the Hazel Health Family Resource Manager will call the parent/ guardian. If the parent/guardian opts-into services then the Hazel Health Family Resource Manager will schedule an intake visit. The parent/
guardian will participate in the initial intake session with the student.

After the intake visit, the parent/guardian will work with a Hazel Health Family Resource Manager to schedule appointments for their student either at-school or at-home. All sessions are pre-scheduled and a student will participate in approximately six sessions. Once all of the
sessions are complete, the student, parent/guardian and therapist will review the progress they have made and make a recommendation for either long term support or additional next steps.

What happens if a student needs to cancel or reschedule?
The Hazel Health clinical team will work with the referrer and/or parent/ guardian to reschedule canceled or missed appointments. Clinical visits proceeding as scheduled is a crucial component of ensuring that Hazel Health’s licensed providers can best serve the needs of students, but Hazel Health understands that conflicts arise. Whenever possible, Hazel Health appreciates receiving at least 24 hours advance notice in the event that a visit needs to be canceled or rescheduled. After multiple cancellations with no notice, the student will be discharged, and re-enrolled once they are able to commit to the program's time commitment.

Please note that therapists may or may not be able to accommodate requests for sessions to be moved later in the day or week; given the weekly nature of the Hazel Health HEART care model, if a visit does need to be canceled and cannot be rescheduled, students can still look
forward to their recurring session the following week.

Can my child see a Hazel Health therapist if they are also receiving care from another therapist in my community?
In alignment with mental health industry standards, Hazel Health cannot duplicate counseling services that are already being provided by another therapist. Please let your Hazel Health therapist know if you are receiving any other mental health services during your intake visit so that they can determine whether it is clinically appropriate to pursue Hazel Health’s program.