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Dorchester 2 lays out MTSS rollout and expands school-based mental-health partnerships with MUSC
Summary
District staff outlined expansion of MTSS supports, Panorama onboarding across schools, and partnerships with MUSC for tele-mental-health, NeuroFlow screening, pet therapy and other tiered interventions; staff emphasized parental consent for telehealth services and provided utilization figures for partners.
District staff presented a multi-part update April 27 on the district’s multi-tiered system of supports (MTSS) and school-based mental-health partnerships.
Matt Michelle, the district’s MTSS coordinator, described the new MTSS district leadership team and an MTSS resource map that outlines tier 1, tier 2 and tier 3 interventions across elementary, middle and high schools. Michelle said Panorama is being rolled out to provide a unified documentation and progress-monitoring tool; he told the board every school is being onboarded this year and the system will follow students across district sites to preserve continuity of interventions.
Galia Mercer Brown, director of counseling services, and Erin with MUSC’s Boeing Center for Children’s Wellness described how MTSS aligns with school-based counseling, social work and outside partnerships. MUSC’s Erin said the district’s tele-mental-health effort began under a memorandum of agreement in October 2025 and has expanded: Office of Mental Health clinicians are seeing roughly 750 students per month across tier-2 and tier-3 services, district social workers averaged about 360 students per month, and MUSC’s tele-mental-health and trauma-informed programs have grown since the MOA.
Consent and screening procedures: Board members asked about parental notice and consent. Erin and Mercer Brown said NeuroFlow screening in high schools is opt-out (parents are notified at least two weeks prior through ParentSquare and PowerSchool and can opt out via QR code or phone) while tele-mental-health requires explicit parent opt-in and documented consent. The presenters noted sliding-scale and grant-based options (including a grant-funded tele-mental-health outreach program) for students without insurance.
Programs and examples: Presenters highlighted layered supports: universal prevention and well-being screening (NeuroFlow), small-group mindfulness and art therapy, pet-therapy sessions in some schools, tele-mental-health pods (private spaces for virtual sessions built into schools), and partnerships with community providers including Stepping Stones counseling and the Office of Mental Health.
Why it matters: District leaders said the MTSS infrastructure and partner services are designed to reduce classroom disruption and link students to care while keeping families engaged. Trustees praised the coordination and asked for follow-up usage and outcome data in future updates.
Next steps: District staff will continue onboarding Panorama, create an MTSS manual and refine the three-year MTSS plan; trustees asked for later updates on usage rates and student outcomes.
