Frequently Asked Questions About Hazel Health

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

The first layer allows families 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 parent or legal guardian name, phone number and relationship to student.

The roster information is provided to Hazel 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 family opts-out their student 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 family wants to access Hazel services for their student, 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 has a roster of eligible students and their families.

The second layer ensures that even if a family has not opted-out of the eligible student roster, the family must provide consent to care prior to their student accessing services.

No. Hazel 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’s highly secure, fully encrypted digital records platform.

The roster of eligible students determines if a student is a Jeffco student, and indicates the parent or legal 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.

All Hazel providers serving Jeffco students have 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).

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.

Hazel treats urgent care physical health conditions and supports chronic condition management. Hazel is not a replacement for 911. Below is a summary of common conditions that Hazel sees for physical and mental health.

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 family to recommend next steps and refer to a local provider.

Hazel Services Venn Diagram of Care

Yes. Hazel’s HEART protocol can support students with substance use disorders. In many cases, students experiencing substance use disorders require long-term care. 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 can 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.

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

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

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

Hazel’s services are healthcare services accessed at home with a student’s family and provided to Jeffco students. These services support attendance and academic performance, but they are healthcare services.

During a visit scheduled by a family, Hazel providers work to connect students in need of ongoing counseling or additional specialty services with local providers like those at the Jefferson Center for Mental Health Services. In doing so, Hazel forms community partnerships to improve referral processes and continuity of care.

Yes. If a student has a PCP, Hazel encourages that relationship to continue. Hazel has relationships with local community providers and can help families to identify available PCPs.

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

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

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

• On-demand physical health visits initiated at home by a parent or legal 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 parent or legal guardian.
• Self-consent by students 18 or older, with school staff completing the referral.

Only students who are 18 years old and above may access Hazel for physical and mental health services without permission from a parent or legal guardian.

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

Hazel Services are available for Jeffco students to access at home, year-round from 7 a.m.– 5 p.m. You do not need to schedule an appointment. 

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.

There is no set limit for the number of visits, but 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.

No. If a student needs immediate medical attention CALL 911. Hazel is not a replacement for the emergency room.