Telehealth presenters tell Georgia committee rapid mental‑health care can reduce chronic absenteeism; urge elementary expansion of $20,000 per‑school investment

CartwheelCare representatives told the Georgia Student Attendance and Chronic Absenteeism Study Committee that school‑connected telehealth and coordinated family‑school partnerships can reduce chronic absenteeism among students who receive services.

Dr. Juliana Chen, CartwheelCare’s chief medical officer, said mental health is now a major driver of missed school and described school avoidance — anxiety or emotional distress that prevents students from attending — as distinct from occasional absences for illness or transportation. "When students miss school because of anxiety or emotional challenges, even the best programs can't reach them unless they are present," Chen said.

Jillian Kelton, Cartwheel’s director of district engagement, described the company’s school‑community partnership model and cited outcomes from partner districts: she told the committee that among students who received support through Cartwheel’s school‑based telehealth partnerships chronic absenteeism fell by 44 percent, those students missed on average 62 percent fewer days, and one partner district reported an 84 percent reduction in behavioral incidents.

Cartwheel illustrated the model with an anonymized case study of a 10th‑grader who missed 25 days and returned to regular attendance after a combination of weekly virtual therapy, parent guidance and a psychiatric evaluation. Presenters said their technology platform tracks engagement and outcomes and that data sharing complies with FERPA and HIPAA to protect student privacy.

Committee members pressed presenters for fiscal detail. Several representatives asked how the existing $20,000 per‑school appropriation was being used and whether that amount would be sufficient if the program were extended to elementary schools. Seth Ryle, Cartwheel’s director of government affairs, said Georgia operates under an "unlimited referral" model and that per‑school student counts vary by district size; he offered to provide estimated breakdowns and Georgia‑specific results as districts enroll.

Members also raised access and continuity questions. Cartwheel said its braided funding model combines insurance billing, district support and a financial‑aid fund so uninsured students can access services (Medicaid families have no copay), and that care "follows the student": a portal supports warm handoffs between districts with parent consent so treatment can continue even if a student moves.

Presenters cautioned that much of the outcome data they cited come from districts where Cartwheel already operates; they said some heat‑map data predates Cartwheel’s entry into Georgia and offered to return with state‑specific evidence as more Georgia districts sign on. The committee did not vote on any formal action; members said they plan to include follow‑up data requests in the study report.