A University of Virginia researcher is developing an app to help students transition back to school following a mental health crisis, addressing a critical gap in post-emergency care support. The project addresses a significant challenge: while youth mental health emergency visits have increased substantially, most students are discharged directly home and return to school the next day without structured transition support.
Dr. Lora Henderson Smith, an assistant professor in the UVA School of Education and Human Development, leads the Promoting Healthy and Supportive Experiences in Schools Lab (PHASES Lab). Henderson Smith notes that emergency departments are “designed for assessment and triaging,” not ongoing treatment. Most young people who visit for a mental health crisis do not stay hospitalized; they’re discharged to their parents or return to school where they need integrated support from families, schools, and healthcare systems.
The new app aims to promote communication between hospital systems, youth, families, and schools. The research team is conducting interviews with school mental health professionals, emergency department clinicians, youth, and families to understand what support would help students transition back to school successfully. Henderson Smith emphasizes that the focus is on “schools as a site of prevention and intervention for mental health issues.”
The research team is actively recruiting high school students who have experienced a mental health emergency department visit and their parents to participate in focus groups. Two focus groups are planned: an initial 60-minute Zoom session and a second 90-minute in-person session at UVA. Participants will receive a $50 gift card for each session attended. Those interested can email phases-lab@virginia.edu for more information.
This article is an AI-assisted summary. All facts and figures are drawn from the original report: https://www.12onyourside.com/2026/06/09/uva-researcher-developing-app-support-students-after-mental-health-crisis/