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DuPage HSD 88 highlights Referral GPS partnership that connects students, families to mental‑health care
Summary
At its June meeting the DuPage HSD 88 Board of Education heard a presentation from Amit Thacker of Referral GPS describing a district partnership that provides a searchable provider directory, care navigation and a treatment fund for students and families; the board presented a recognition to the organization.
Amit Thacker of Referral GPS updated the DuPage High School District 88 Board of Education on a multi‑year partnership that helps students and families find mental‑health providers, navigate appointments and pay for treatment when insurance or cost is a barrier.
The presentation, given during the board's business‑partner recognition segment, said Referral GPS provides three main services for the district: a searchable directory of therapists and psychiatric prescribers; a care‑navigation service that staff or families can use to get help scheduling appointments; and a treatment fund for families who cannot afford care. The district presented Thacker with a recognition for the partnership.
Referral GPS staff told the board the directory lets student‑services staff and families filter providers by insurance, language, location and telehealth availability. The care‑navigation team will take referrals, contact families at convenient times and help secure appointments. The organization also described a treatment fund, launched for McKinney‑Vento families, that pays for therapy when sliding‑scale options are insufficient.
Thacker said the programs have expanded via multiple grant partnerships, including an Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) CARES grant and local township mental‑health boards. He reported Referral GPS has provided more than 3,500 treatment searches and that more than 900 treatment sessions have been completed for District 88 students through the various programs. He also said the collaborative has helped raise more than $700,000 for regional mental‑health initiatives tied to these efforts.
Thacker described a recent care‑navigation request in which his team found an in‑person therapist appointment for a family within nine days and followed up with the parent.
Board members asked about the durability of the funding streams and partnerships. Thacker said some grant awards run on annual cycles and that IDPH funding in particular is renewed on a schedule the state manages; he said District 88 and Referral GPS were “in the queue” for renewals and continuing to operate while awaiting written notices.
The board concluded the presentation by formally recognizing Referral GPS as a business partner; Thacker accepted the recognition and thanked district administrators and his staff.
