- Los Angeles Unified School District
- Parent Resources
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Mental Telehealth is now available in
Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD)Mental Telehealth services are available for students at no cost to families. Mental health services will be provided virtually,
during school hours and/or at home, at no cost to families.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
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What is Mental Telehealth?
Mental Telehealth uses video conferencing technology (similar to Zoom or Teams) to allow a person to connect immediately to a qualified professional. Mental Telehealth in schools allows students to connect to a provider from home or at school.
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How does Mental Telehealth work?
For at school sessions, once the parent/guardian consents for Mental Telehealth, the student will be scheduled for a Mental Telehealth session in a confidential room on campus with a mental health professional. For sessions conducted at home, the family will identify a confidential space in which to meet with the mental health professional.
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How can I access services for my child?
If parents/guardians are interested in Mental Telehealth services for their student, visit the LAUSD Mental Telehealth website under Mental Telehealth Parent Resources.
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Are student sessions confidential?
Safety and confidentiality are a priority. Mental Telehealth is provided in a private room to ensure confidentiality between the mental health staff and the student and family. A parent or designated school-site staff member will be contacted via phone by the mental health staff in case the student receiving services needs to be further supported in emergency situations.
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Who provides the Mental Telehealth services?
The current providers include Hazel Health, a national organization that specializes in Mental Telehealth services for at school and at home, and Daybreak Health, a national youth-focused organization that specializes in youth and family Mental Telehealth services for at home.
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Will telemental health replace in-person counseling?
No. The District is developing Mental Telehealth services as a way of expanding the existing catalog of mental health and wellness services.
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What is the cost to students/families for Mental Telehealth?
There is no cost to LAUSD students or families to receive Mental Telehealth services.
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How does Mental Telehealth support families in need of language accommodations?
Daybreak Health and Hazel Health will attempt to match students with a language-appropriate therapist whenever possible. If native language is not available, the providers may utilize automated systems to communicate during the therapy session and parent interactions.
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Do Mental Telehealth providers offer any support for the parent/guardian?
For youth ages 5-12, Daybreak Health offers family sessions in which a parent/guardian and student are both present. Daybreak clinicians also offer consultative sessions between the parent/guardian and the clinician. The current partnership between LA Unified and Hazel Health is designed for K-12 students.
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Mental Telehealth could be an appropriate fit when:
- School services are at capacity
- Students need a short-term solution
- Urgent/non-crisis support is needed for a student on a waitlist for ongoing services
- The family/student prefers convenience of remote services and/or being seen at school
- Addressing transitional stress related to change in school, family dynamics, peer conflicts etc.
- Aligned with the established school site referral/triage process
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Mental Telehealth is not designed to support:
- Active crisis situations, including active suicidality
- Specialized services, such as Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA)
- Fulfilling court mandated services
- Fulfilling services as part of a post-hospitalization discharge or step-down plan
- Students already receiving counseling services for the same concern
- In alignment with mental health industry standards, there is no duplicate counseling services when already being provided by another therapist.
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What occurs in the event of a student crisis situation during a session?
For sessions occurring at school, crisis team members from the school site will be notified and will follow the indicated District policy. For sessions occurring at home, all Mental Telehealth providers will follow their organization's crisis protocol.