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Board approves Cartwheel telehealth contract to expand student behavioral-health access
Summary
Using hurricane Helene legislative funding, Swain County Schools approved a two-year-plus telehealth contract with Cartwheel to provide school-referred mental-health counseling, with Medicaid/insurance billing where applicable and up to 100 referrals (10 for noninsured students).
The Swain County Board of Education approved a contract with Cartwheel to provide school-referred telehealth counseling and case management services, funded with legislative money allocated after Hurricane Helene.
District staff described the service as an opt-in program for families: the first meeting requires parental approval and a case manager will coordinate appointments and school contacts. Cartwheel's program offers extended hours (including evenings and weekends), bilingual case managers and the ability to provide family, group and individual therapy. Staff emphasized the program is not a substitute for crisis services; mobile crisis and school-based crisis protocols remain in place for suicide screenings and acute needs.
Financial and operational details Cartwheel will bill Medicaid and commercial insurance when applicable; the contract includes a designated amount for uninsured or underinsured families (staff said the vendor agreed to allow 10 non-insured referrals and to work with the district on any students who might otherwise be turned away). The award figure presented to the board was $57,500 with the grant term extending to June 30, 2027; the vendor will bill quarterly and provide metrics and case-management summaries.
Why it matters District staff and board members said the vendor-model addresses local gaps in mental-health access and reduces wait times that families face when seeking community-based therapy. The board approved the contract after legal review.
