One year in, Henrico CARES has provided students more than 400 mental healthcare appointments

Since its launch in March 2024, the Henrico CARES program has been able to provide Henrico County Public Schools students more than 100 free teletherapy appointments and about 300 mental healthcare appointments, according to school system leaders.

Through Henrico CARES, Henrico Schools’ new five-year mental healthcare plan, the division partnered with Hazel Health, a teletherapy service, to offer free short-term therapy to any high school student starting this past September. HCPS also partnered with Care Solace, a mental healthcare coordination website, to help students, staff, and families find mental health professionals in their area.

The division hopes to invest $17.8 million into Henrico CARES during the next five years, adding five new school mental health staff each year and more supports. In the past few months, the division has invested $212,000 into Care Solace.

“The well-being of our students, staff, and school communities is the heart of what we do,” Varina District school board representative Alicia Atkins said. “When students feel supported in their mental health, they thrive academically and they develop a strong sense of self worth. Who they look at in the mirror is important.” 

Care Solace has had a 45% success rate in getting families appointments, with an average wait time of two to three weeks – much less than the national average, according to HCPS Student Support and Wellness Director Liz Parker. Hazel Health has had a 73% success rate with students referred to the service. 

In total, both services have provided about 400 mental health appointments. But for a division with almost 50,000 students, this number seems to be on the lower end, said Henrico School Board Vice Chair Madison Irving (Three Chopt District).

“I’m thinking, naturally, do we feel that this is being underutilized? Maybe people aren’t as aware of how accessible it is, and I’m just curious what the challenges are,” he said. “And unfortunately there still is a societal stigma around mental health-related issues.”

However, that number does not include families that are likely accessing mental healthcare through outside sources, Parker said, as well as the 494 anonymous searches made through Care Solace. 

“We’ve come a long way – from nothing. So any number that’s put up here is progress,” Atkins said. “This action plan. . . it’s a powerful model for addressing mental health. . . And it will continue to evolve. This is a beginning step.”

HCPS has also been able to reach many other students through more broad mental health curricula, Parker said. More than 16,000 middle and high school students have received youth substance use and violence prevention training and 2,700 ninth and tenth graders have completed youth vaping prevention training.

“[Henrico CARES] has evolved into a collaborative and transformational model that really sets a new standard for youth mental health,” Parker said.

The division also has 386 student members involved in “Active Minds” clubs, a student-led organization that helps de-stigmatize mental health and mental healthcare.

This school year, HCPS has added five new school counselors, each serving two high schools, that specifically help address youth substance abuse, violence, and trauma. HCPS still has to decide where to place the next five positions, Parker said, and is looking at which schools demonstrate the highest needs.

In partnership with Henrico Area Mental Health, HCPS also has added a second mental health team to the division located at Fairfield Middle School, including a licensed provider, case manager, and clinical supervisor who can provide individual and family therapy.

Henrico CARES has also expanded mental health trainings to parents and community members. The division’s “Hidden in Plain Sight” events, which help parents recognize signs of youth substance abuse, have seen a 90% increase in attendees over the past year. Staffers have also been able to provide almost 50 community members with mental health awareness training – an effort that Parker and school officials hope will encourage more youngsters to seek mental healthcare, Parker said.

“Young people often turn to a trusted individual before they turn to a mental health professional,” she said. “And when important people in a young person’s life know how to respond, they can significantly expand the safety net for those in need.”

The division hopes to keep expanding services to more students and families, especially to those with the highest needs.

“So many of our children have experienced grief, whether it was from internally within our schools or externally,” Atkins said. “So reaching one actually reaches many.”

Liana Hardy is the Citizen’s Report for America Corps member and education reporter. Her position is dependent upon reader support; make a tax-deductible contribution to the Citizen through RFA here.