District launches Cartwheel teletherapy pilot to expand student mental-health access

Superintendent announced the district will pilot Cartwheel, a teletherapy service, this school year to expand mental-health supports for K–12 students. The superintendent described the program as an added resource to existing partners and said it is intended to “supplement the already existing partnerships that we have in our schools, like HDC or Lake Superior Community Health Center, SOAR, Encouragement Clinic.” She said the district will pay an upfront fee for the service and Cartwheel will bill private insurance or Medicaid when possible. District officials emphasized the pilot nature of the program. The superintendent said the district wants to verify vendor claims and collect outcome data before deciding whether to continue the investment. “They said there's virtually no waiting list for students who need the service. They have it available within a week or two of the referral,” the superintendent said, adding that the district will track turnaround times and outcome measures. Administrators said families and staff, as well as school social workers and counselors, will be able to make referrals; staff training is scheduled for back-to-school week. Carrie Hennessy was identified in the meeting as assisting with coordination. No formal board action was requested or taken on the pilot during the committee meeting; the item was presented as informational. Why it matters: Board members and staff described mental-health supports as the single largest issue schools currently face, and the district cited a recent local reduction in community providers. The pilot is designed to expand immediate access and to produce data the district can use to judge effectiveness and fiscal sustainability. What the district will measure: officials said they will receive referral counts, turnaround times and routine outcome data from Cartwheel so the district can determine whether the service improves student outcomes and whether the investment is sustainable given potential future federal and state funding changes. Next steps: staff will complete training for social workers and counselors, make referral pathways available to families before school starts, and report pilot data to the board during the year.