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District considers 24/7 teletherapy pilot for students and staff through grant-funded service
Summary
Staff presented an informational proposal for a teletherapy service (Reach Out) funded through a district mental-health grant; the service would offer 24/7 text, phone and video counseling, a six-month pilot and aggregated usage reporting for the district.
Rapid City Area Schools staff presented details Feb. 4 on a proposed teletherapy service that would be offered to students and district staff under a recently awarded mental-health grant.
Roxanne Engle, district prevention specialist, described "Reach Out," an externally run teletherapy and counseling platform the grant team has studied. Under the proposal, students and staff would be able to contact trained counselors by text, phone or video 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The district would receive aggregate usage numbers but not personally identifiable records for staff callers; the administration said it would set up a follow-up protocol so school counselors can respond to students who request or require ongoing support. The district intends the service as supplemental help for crisis moments outside school hours and for immediate emotional support when school counselors are not available.
The vendor offered a six-month pilot option (February through July) so the district could collect usage data before committing to a year-long contract. Engle said the vendor's representatives told the district they would handle emergency escalations similarly to existing crisis-response procedures (e.g., 988 calls) and would provide local resource connections when appropriate. Staff emphasized that the platform is not intended to replace school-based counseling services and that most callers would not be routed into long-term therapy through the vendor; if recurring need is identified, the district would coordinate next steps.
Why it matters: District counselors are limited to the school day; a 24/7 teletherapy option would provide supplemental after-hours access for students and staff and could be useful after traumatic events. The district flagged confidentiality safeguards and stated it would monitor aggregated usage as part of grant reporting.
Board members asked about parental notification and whether the service supports repeated sessions for the same caller. Engle said parents would be informed and that the vendor can accommodate referrals and patterns of need, but the typical model is short-term crisis support rather than ongoing therapy. The administration said it would return with contractual details and a recommended rollout plan.
