All New Orleans public school students will have access to mental health care under this $10M plan

Some 100,000 students in 160 schools in Orleans and Jefferson parishes will have access to in-school mental health programs this school year. This is an expansion from the 45,000 students in 80 schools served last year by the program, mostly in Jefferson Parish.  The ThriveKids Student Wellness Program is operated by Children’s Hospital New Orleans.  

“We’re not going to wait for kids to come to us, we’re not going to wait for them to show up in our hospital, to show up in our emergency room,” said Lucio Fragoso, President and CEO of Children’s Hospital New Orleans, referring to the program as a “student health department.”