Dinwiddie County School Board on Nov. 11 approved a $290,000 telehealth mental-health grant to fund virtual therapy and case-management services for secondary students.

Mister Garnes, who presented the plan, said the district partnered with Greater Reach Community Services Board (formerly District 19) to provide outpatient therapists, case managers and a telehealth facilitator to support students referred by school counselors. “We were fortunate enough to be one of the school districts who received it,” he said, noting the award amount is $290,000.

Under the plan, services will target students identified for tier 2 and tier 3 supports — cases the district describes as serious, including self-harm or other significant concerns — and require parent approval before services begin. Garnes said sessions would be held virtually, initially two days a week for roughly 40 minutes per session, with a telehealth facilitator available at school to support students and parents.

The grant will cover equipment and implementation costs the presenters listed: five laptops per secondary school with a small backup pool (15 total), headsets, mounts, some network upgrades and cybersecurity tools. Garnes said the grant also funds parent seminars, staff training (including mental-health first aid), translation services, and data-collection to monitor patterns districtwide.

Board members asked whether the grant limits the number of therapy hours and how invoices would be handled. Garnes said Greater Reach will invoice the district for services and that the number of referrals will determine how long funds last; the partner indicated flexibility and a willingness to increase therapist capacity if needed.

Several board members praised the proposal and urged a focus on parent education to improve consent rates. “Supporting students' mental health isn't an extra service. It's essential care,” Garnes said during his presentation.

The board moved and unanimously approved the telehealth grant contract. The district staff said they will follow up with additional implementation details and further meetings with the partner if the program expands.