Children’s Hospital New Orleans ThriveKids Program to receive $30M in continued funding from the city, securing a NOLA Public Schools partnership through 2034
NEW ORLEANS (Nov. 20, 2024) – The future of Children’s Hospital New Orleans’ ThriveKids Program partnership with NOLA Public Schools has been secured with the commitment of $30M in City funding over the next 10 years. The announcement is part of a larger agreement between the City and OPSB that is dedicating funding specifically for student services like ThriveKids, which provides health services directly to kids in schools to enhance the mental and physical well-being of students.
In the Fall of 2023, Children's Hospital New Orleans' ThriveKids Student Wellness Program began a partnership with NOLA Public Schools, bringing care coordination, access to services and health resources to students and their families, with a strong focus on mental health care and violence prevention. The partnership was made possible with an initial $10M commitment over three years from the City of New Orleans, New Orleans City Council and the New Orleans Health Department.
“This decision safeguards the sustainability of this critical resource to continue to provide the mental health resources our students desperately need,” said Olin Parker, member of the Orleans Parish School Board and former president when the ThriveKids partnership was established. “We are grateful to our partners at the City of New Orleans and City Council for recognizing the importance of bridging our health and education sectors, with a focus on bringing resources to those who need it most.”
“ThriveKids is working with NOLA Public Schools to proactively help identify needs, and get kids connected to the support and resources they need before they reach a crisis point,” said Children’s Hospital President and CEO Lucio A. Fragoso “This significant commitment to continue this work for the next decade will be nothing short of transformational for child wellbeing here in New Orleans.”
The ThriveKids partnership offers a combination of direct clinical services and care management for both medical and mental health needs via a multidisciplinary team of more than 30 full-time experts. Every NOLA Public Schools student can benefit from the program through care coordination services, while 20 schools identified with the highest needs receive further intensive support. Children’s Hospital hopes to scale this impact in the years to come as additional financial support is secured from private, state and federal funding sources.
“Our children cannot succeed academically or in life unless their mental and physical health needs are met,” said Councilmember Joe Giarrusso. “New Orleans City Council will formally approve this continued, vital investment in mental health services for our youth this Thursday. The difference that the ThriveKids team is making is tangible, and the opportunity to make a measurable difference is amplified through this commitment.”
In New Orleans, children face unprecedented levels of trauma, with New Orleans youth experiencing four times the national average for rates of PTSD and 54% having experienced the murder of someone close to them. Additionally, less than half of youth who experience trauma receive any form of mental health services. Together, ThriveKids and NOLA Public Schools have been working to change that.
Throughout the 2023-2024 school year, 3,815 individual counseling sessions were delivered with an additional 892 completed mental health visits with the advanced psychiatric care team. Last year, nearly 900 students also received care coordination from full-time ThriveKids coordinators who worked to remove barriers and connect students with the specialized care needed, across 63 NOLA Public Schools campuses. On top of this, more than 700 connections were made for health needs ranging from psychiatry and counseling to ophthalmology, dentistry and primary care.
"We are thrilled to hear about the City's decision to extend funding for the ThriveKids program for the next 10 years," said New Orleans Health Department Director Dr. Jennifer Avegno. "In just one year since its launch, we have witnessed the enormous benefits the program provides to our youth and their families. This investment highlights the importance of partnerships and the strong commitment to ensuring the mental health and well-being of our city's youth."
To learn more about ThriveKids visit www.chnola.org/ThriveKids.
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*Editor’s Note: Click here for images.
About NOLA Public Schools
NOLA Public Schools is the public school district for Orleans Parish. It includes the district's administration and elected school board, known as the Orleans Parish School Board. NOLA Public Schools currently oversees 67 public schools and is led by Superintendent Dr. Avis Williams, the first woman in the District's 183 years to serve as its permanent superintendent. For more information, visit www.nolapublicschools.com. For updates, follow NOLA Public Schools on Facebook @NOLAPublicSchools, Instagram @nolaps and Twitter @NOLAPSchools.
About the New Orleans Health Department
The mission of the New Orleans Health Department is to promote, protect, and improve the health of all in our community through equitable policies, programs, and partnerships. The Health Department aims to build a healthy and equitable New Orleans by supporting the well-being of everyone in the region. Learn more at www.nola.gov/health-department.
About Children’s Hospital New Orleans
Children’s Hospital New Orleans is a 263-bed, non-profit academic pediatric medical center that offers comprehensive healthcare services, including over 40 pediatric specialties, delivered just for children. With more than 600 pediatric providers, Children’s offers a comprehensive array of pediatric healthcare services in Louisiana and the Gulf South. In addition to its main campus located in New Orleans, the hospital operates a network of specialty clinics across Louisiana, including in Covington, Baton Rouge, Alexandria, Lafayette, and Diamondhead, MS. Children’s offers primary care services at 14 convenient locations and via its Virtual Care for Kids program. Children’s is a proud member of LCMC Health, a Louisiana-based, not-for-profit hospital system which also includes New Orleans East Hospital, Touro, University Medical Center New Orleans, West Jefferson Medical Center, East Jefferson General Hospital, Tulane Medical Center, Lakeview Hospital, and Lakeside Hospital. Learn more at chnola.org.
About ThriveKids
In the fall of 2020, Children's Hospital New Orleans launched ThriveKids, the Student Wellness Project, a multispecialty program intended to increase access to healthcare for kids where they spend most of their time – at school. The program was born out of the hospital's support of schools at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, and quickly evolved into a comprehensive health program that bridges the health and education sectors. ThriveKids, now nearly three years into formal programming, aims to improve both academic and health outcomes by getting the right resources to the right kids at the right time. The program helps staff schools with trained medical and mental health professionals, coordinates with schools to provide healthcare to children, and offers ongoing education for school faculty and partners. ThriveKids currently supports 180 campuses across Jefferson and Orleans parishes, consisting of more than 100,000 students combined. NOLA-PS students can enroll in the program online a www.chnola.org/thrivekids.