VitellaCare helps families navigate back-to-school stress
Submitted Photo Heidi Peterson, primary care nurse practitioner for VitellaCare, listens to a patient's heart. Photo from VitellaCare.
Troy Roness
Submitted Photo Heidi Peterson, primary care nurse practitioner for VitellaCare, listens to a patient's heart. Photo from VitellaCare.
Troy Roness
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As the school year begins, families face a multitude of pressures and changes. While the transition can be exciting for some students, it can also bring anxiety for others. According to Blue Cross Blue Shield, mental health is discussed more frequently among Gen Z than among other generations. At the same time, 62% of North Dakotans lived in an area with a shortage of mental health professionals in 2025.
With access to mental health care remaining a challenge for many in the state, VitellaCare is working to cut down on that number by providing top mental health and primary care services.
"Access to care is the purpose of VitellaCare," said Heidi Peterson, a primary care nurse practitioner at VitellaCare. "We're really trying to reach those people that aren't getting in for that annual preventive care visit and to talk about things like social isolation, maybe domestic violence, housing or food insecurity. We want to address it all."
According to the National Institutes of Health, back-to-school anxiety is an issue mental health counselors see among students of all ages. Adolescents and young adults may worry about friendships, where they fit in, social pressures, grades, teachers and how their parents view them. According to Johns Hopkins Medicine, some aspects of social media can even heighten those fears that contribute to isolation and depression.
Peterson and Troy Roness, licensed professional counselor with VitellaCare, both said quality sleep and establishing a weekly routine can help provide students with stability. They also encourage parents to pay attention to changes in their children's behaviors, including increased withdrawal or physical symptoms.
"A lot of parents will say their students are waking up saying, 'I feel sick. I don't want to go to school,’" Roness said. "Those are signs to be looking for."
VitellaCare serves Blue Cross Blue Shield insurance subscribers and, according to the accrediting organization URAC, Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Dakota and Minnesota were among the first companies in the nation to earn the URAC's Mental Health/Substance Use Disorder Parity Accreditation.
In addition to mental health screenings, counseling and treatment, VitellaCare provides primary care services for patients. Peterson explained how establishing relationships with patients can help create a safe space to discuss their health.
"I encourage anybody that wants to come in to just stop by and do a tour and come in and meet the staff," Peterson said. "We welcome anybody. I think it takes time to gain that trust, so these established care visits, whether it’s a sports physical or a wellness check, opens the door to that trust so we can develop those relationships."
Roness emphasized how patients maintain control over decisions regarding their care, which aids in building that safe space.
"The biggest thing is allowing themselves (patients) to sit down," Roness said. "I tell everyone who comes to see me that it's not my job to tell you what to do or to make decisions for you. I am here to help you make decisions that you feel are best for you. You steer the ship."