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Frequently Asked Questions

Jeffco Public Schools has partnered with Hazel Health, Inc. to provide a telehealth extension of mental and physical health supports to Jeffco students enrolled at district-managed schools, through evidence-based, culturally responsive, on-demand integrated healthcare services, accessed at home with a legal parent/guardian. 

 

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Data Privacy

Hazel Health Services Explained

Primary Care Physicians and Hazel Health

Eligibility and Access


Data Privacy

What protections are in place to support the privacy of our students and how can I opt-out my student(s)?

Student data privacy is very important to Jeffco and the district has balanced timely access to services with student data privacy that includes two robust layers of security:

  1. The first layer allows legal parent/guardians to opt-out of the roster of eligible students that the district shares with Hazel Health.
    • The eligible student roster contains only the following data elements:
      • Student name, date of birth, sex/gender, grade level, current school, student ID, and legal parent/guardian name, phone number and relationship to student.
    • The roster information is provided to Hazel Health subject to a data privacy agreement prohibiting any re-disclosure or misuse of the student data. The data sits dormant and is not accessible to Hazel professionals until a referral for services has been made.
    • If a parent/guardian opts-out their student(s) from the eligible student roster, a referral cannot be made for their student and their student is not shown on the eligibility roster. In the future, if the legal parent/guardian wants to access Hazel Health services for their student(s), they would need to opt-in to the eligibility roster through the Infinite Campus portal. 
    • For families that have not opted-out, the district only shares the roster information (listed above) so that Hazel Health has a roster of eligible students and their legal parent/guardians.
  2. The second layer ensures that even if a legal parent/guardian has not opted-out of the eligible student roster, the parent/guardian must provide consent to care prior to their student accessing services.

Is the student’s medical record shared with school personnel?

No. Hazel Health must keep all student health information confidential pursuant to HIPAA. School staff who refer a student for Hazel’s mental health service may look up whether that student successfully enrolled, but cannot otherwise access any information about the student’s care. Student information is stored on Hazel Health’s highly secure, fully encrypted digital records platform.

How is Jeffco able to share the eligible student roster with Hazel Health without my consent?

The roster of eligible students determines if a student is a Jeffco student, and indicates the legal parent/guardian who can provide consent for services. The roster is not defined as directory information in district policy. In alignment with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), Colorado state law, and district policy, Jeffco may share the eligible student roster as part of a FERPA-compliant written contract with Hazel Health.


Hazel Health Services Explained

Who are the Hazel Health providers? Are they licensed?

All Hazel Health providers serving Jeffco students possess the appropriate Colorado credential for their profession, whether to practice medicine (i.e. medical doctor, nurse practitioner, or physician’s assistant) or provide mental health services (i.e. Licensed Clinical Social Worker, Licensed Professional Counselor, or Doctor of Psychiatry).

Does Hazel Health provide multilingual services?

Yes. The Hazel team works to develop an understanding of each family’s perception of health care and delivers responsive, culturally competent care in their preferred language. Hazel maintains a team of providers who are representative of the communities in which they offer services, where at least 50% of providers identify as persons of color and 40% of the provider team is multilingual, increasing Hazel’s capacity to understand students and their families both in words and context.

What does Hazel Health treat and not treat?

Hazel Health treats urgent care physical health conditions and supports chronic condition management; below is a summary of common conditions that Hazel sees for physical and mental health:

Hazel Health services venn diagram of care

Can Hazel Health specifically address substance use disorders?

Yes. Hazel Health’s HEART protocol can support students with substance use disorders. In many cases, students experiencing substance use disorders will require long-term care; therefore HEART’s role will be to support them immediately and in the interim while they are waiting to be connected to a long-term provider. HEART is able to explore topics such as triggers and consequences of use, as well as positive coping skills and replacement behaviors, assisting the student in making progress towards their long-term goals.

Can Hazel Health providers write prescriptions?

Yes. Hazel’s physical health providers will write prescriptions, if medically appropriate.

Will Hazel Health cover the cost of prescriptions or referrals to providers outside of the Hazel Health program?

No. The cost of any prescriptions would need to be covered by the family or their insurance.

The Hazel Health consent form will ask for insurance information. Any student, regardless of insurance status can use Hazel Health. Providing insurance information helps Hazel to better coordinate care for your student, in ways such as referrals and prescriptions.

Hazel protocols and guidelines are evidence-based and grounded in the American Telemedicine Association and American Academy of Pediatrics guidelines. For anything outside of Hazel’s scope, they will work with the student’s legal parent/guardian to recommend next steps and refer to a local provider.

Do these services exist as an access to healthcare or is this an education service (Which information sharing rules are we following?)

Hazel’s services are healthcare services accessed at home with a student’s legal parent/guardian and provided to Jeffco students at district-managed schools. While these services are designed to support attendance and academic performance, they are healthcare services.

How does this interact with mental health services provided by the Jefferson Center for Mental Health Services?

As a core component of our program model, during a visit scheduled by a legal parent/guardian, Hazel Health providers work to connect students in need of ongoing counseling or additional speciality and subspecialty services with local providers like those at the Jefferson Center for Mental Health Services. In doing so, Hazel forms community partnerships to streamline this referral process and ensure warm handoffs as well as continuity of care.


Primary Care Physicians and Hazel Health

If a student already has a primary care physician (PCP), should they keep seeing them? Do providers work with the student’s primary care physician? How are referrals to a specialist handled?

Yes. Hazel is not a replacement for your student’s medical home. If a student has a primary care physician (PCP), Hazel Health encourages that relationship to be maintained. Additionally, Hazel has relationships with local community providers and can assist legal parents/guardians in identifying available primary care providers.

Hazel will follow up with PCPs when clinically appropriate. Communication to external providers can only occur if a legal parent/guardian has given written consent, which is obtained when a legal parent/guardian signs up for Hazel Health.

Hazel providers will communicate with your student’s primary care provider when a referral to a specialist is needed. Most insurance companies require that referrals to specialists are made directly by the primary care provider.


Eligibility and Access

How do students get referred to use the system?

Services are accessed via multiple entry-points into care, including (but not limited to):

  • On-demand physical health visits initiated at home by a legal parent/guardian
  • Mental health referrals from school staff, most often the school Social Emotional Learning Specialists (SELs), Counselors, School Psychologists or School Social Workers
  • Request for mental health services from a legal parent/guardian
  • Self-consent by students 18 or older, with school staff completing the referral

At what age can a student access Hazel Health Services without parent permission?

Only students who have reached the age of majority (18 years old and above) may access Hazel Health for physical and mental health services without permission from a legal parent/guardian.

Is Hazel Health available for charter school families?

Yes, if the school has also contracted with Hazel Health. Please contact your school’s leadership team to see if your charter school has done so.

When are services available through Hazel Health?

Hazel Health Services are available for Jeffco students at district-managed schools to access at home, year-round. Services are available on-demand (no need to schedule an appointment) from 7 a.m.– 5 p.m. local mountain time. Hazel starts at 7 a.m. so that families can access medical care before school, when they are making the critical decision whether to send their student to school.

Hazel’s mental health services are available through virtual at-home sessions by appointment from 7 a.m. – 7 p.m. local mountain time.

How many visits do students get?

While there is no set limit for the number of visits, Hazel’s supports are meant to be short-term and solution focused. If a student needs long-term therapy, Hazel will maintain the student until a warm handoff is made to a local provider in their community.

Is Hazel Health for emergencies?

No. Hazel is not a replacement for the emergency room. If a student needs immediate medical attention PLEASE CALL 911. Hazel is not designed to replace the 9-1-1 system.


Questions?

Legal parents/guardians can contact Hazel Health directly at 720-605-5366 to address additional questions.

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