Ready to Return /
Resources
Community Resources

Community Resources

Learn about support and resources available through CPS and its partners.

Free, Evidence-Based Teletherapy for All HS Students - Public, Charter, and Selective Enrollment

Hazel Health in Partnership with Chicago Public Schools

Chicago Public Schools (CPS) is partnering with Hazel Health to provide free, evidence-based teletherapy for all secondary students - public, charter, and selective enrollment. Students will be able to access virtual therapy sessions at home (on a personal device) or at school (via a Hazel-provided iPad). For our implementation, we are starting with a district-wide at-home services launch. From there, all secondary schools will be cohorted (grouped) for a phased at-school launch. This partnership is being championed by CPS’ Office of Student Health and Wellness.

Hazel Health believes that every child deserves to be seen, heard, and cared for. Hazel helps address common barriers to mental healthcare like cost, waitlists, and transportation. Hazel services are available at no cost to families, regardless of insurance. Hazel therapists specialize in kids and teens and support with: Mood/behavior changes, grief, motivation, anxiety, worry, social skills, peer & family relationships, academic stress, and more.

Learn more about Hazel:
- Watch: What is Hazel HEART? - A 2-minute video about Hazel’s mental health services.
- Read: Hazel Flyer - A 2-pager with Hazel information and impact data.
- Read: FAQ - Answers to common questions about Hazel’s services.
- Read: Clinical Outcomes - A 1-page summary of Hazel’s clinical impact.
School Avoidance Resources:

CPS has developed an informational video for parents and guardians on the topic of school avoidance. The video is available in both English and Spanish. You can find the links below:
Center for Childhood Resilience at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago

Resources to Support School Communities

The Learning & Resource Hub of the Center for Childhood Resilience (CCR) provides free, on-demand learning and resources designed to support school communities.

CCR’s Learning & Resource Hub: https://www.learningwithccr.org/
- One featured module, “Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Strategies for
  Schools,” provides targeted content for school mental health
  professionals, focusing on effective strategies to address common
  emotional and behavioral challenges faced by students.
Anxiety and School Avoidance:

Chronic absenteeism and school avoidance/refusal are often rooted in anxiety. Anxiety or worry about separation from parents, social situations, or school performance may lead students to avoid attending school.

Select websites with resources for understanding and managing anxiety:
- Anxiety and Depression Association of America: https://adaa.org/
- Anxiety in the Classroom: https://anxietyintheclassroom.org/
- Child Mind Institute: https://childmind.org/topics/anxiety/
- Help Guide Anxiety: https://www.helpguide.org/home-pages/anxiety.htm
- Kidz Can Cope: https://www.kidzcancope.com/
School refusal programs:

Compass Health Center has school refusal programs for children (5-13
years old) and adolescents (13-18).
- Child Program: Children's School Refusal Program - Compass Health Center
- Adolescent Program: Adolescents School Refusal Program - Compass Health
- Lurie Children’s Hospital offers a Partial Hospitalization Program that
  may be appropriate for children ages 10-14 with severe anxiety, mood
  disorders, or obsessive-compulsive disorders that interfere with school
  attendance.
City of Chicago Services

When it comes to mental health, the City of Chicago is committed to helping Chicagoans get the support needed. They have over 100 publicly-funded clinics that provide mental health services across the city, plus dozens of nonprofit community mental health centers. Explore and Locate Services
Illinois DCFS

The Online Reporting System should only be used for non- life threatening and non-emergency instances of abuse and neglect. If you believe the abuse or neglect you are reporting requires immediate action, you MUST call the Child Abuse and Neglect Hotline at 800-25-ABUSE (800-252-2873) to make your report.

Call the DCFS Child Abuse and Neglect Hotline instead of using the Online Reporting System for situations including but not limited to:
- Current injuries to the child
- Immediate need for medical treatment (including a child who is suicidal)
- Sexual abuse where the involved adult has or will have access to a child within the next 24 hours
- A child is currently afraid to go home
- A child is currently in protective custody of police or medical personnel
- A child death
NOTE: Cook County does not take on educational neglect cases, but it is important to remember; truancy or the resulting chronic absenteeism is symptomatic, not causal. If there is concern that the reason a student is not coming has to do with safety and well-being, then a call must be made with that being the reason for the call, not missing school.
Learn More

BEACON

BEACON is a centralized resource for Illinois youth and families seeking services for behavioral health needs.

Learn More