HCA Virginia grows digital mental health and wellness course across 18 school districts
Middle and high schools across 18 Central, Northern, and Southwest Virginia school districts gained access to an interactive digital course, Understanding Mental Wellness. Overall, students completed over 12,800 hours of critical mental health education.
The 2023-2024 academic year saw HCA Virginia, an affiliate of HCA Healthcare, one of the nation’s leading healthcare providers, expand on an innovative mental health and wellness initiative. In collaboration with EVERFI, an international technology company driving social change through education, middle and high schools across 18 Central, Northern, and Southwest Virginia school districts gained access to an interactive digital course, Understanding Mental Wellness. Overall, students completed over 12,800 hours of critical mental health education.
Understanding Mental Wellness is designed to equip students in grades eight to 10 with the knowledge and skills necessary to build, maintain and promote positive mental health in themselves and their peers. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), youth with poor mental health may struggle with school and grades, decision making and their health. Schools were identified as crucial partners in supporting the health and wellbeing of students.
“Our goal is to empower students to confidently ask for help and be more aware of available mental health resources,” said Ben Brown, vice president of behavioral health at HCA Virginia. “Last school year, over 12,000 students from 76 schools actively invested in their mental health by taking our course, establishing a strong foundation for lifelong mental wellbeing.”
Understanding Mental Wellness educates students on mental health issues by exposing them to the experiences of others to develop awareness and empathy, reduce stigma, and provide facts on the prevalence and symptoms of mental health conditions. The course uses a population-level approach to what is often viewed as an individual issue. Through a public health lens, Understanding Mental Wellness provides students with opportunities to explore their own mental health, identify challenges they may face, and develop concrete strategies for managing those challenges while increasing their awareness of resources and empowering them with the knowledge, skills, and language necessary to identify and support a peer in need or at risk.
“It is critical to approach the challenge of mental health with awareness from all perspectives,” said Tom Davidson, CEO and founder, EVERFI from Blackbaud. “We wanted to design a program that benefits those who are impacted by mental health challenges, those who want to build and maintain positive mental health, and those who have the opportunity to positively impact the mental health of a friend or peer.”
Stigma about mental illness can result in misunderstandings, discrimination, and treatment avoidance. EVERFI data indicates that students are most likely to reach out to a friend (45 percent) or parent (24 percent) when experiencing stress or emotional challenges. Only three percent indicated that they would reach out to a counselor, while five percent would not reach out to anyone at all. The course provides learners with accurate information about mental health disorders, the sharing of peer experiences with mental illness, and messaging that treatment is effective and available.