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Committee reviews proposal to adopt CTH text‑based mental‑health service for high‑school students
Summary
The committee heard a presentation on CTH, a text‑based mental‑health platform providing moderated peer supports and professional chat triage between 3 p.m. and 11 p.m.; the service requires no parental consent for users ages 14 and up and would be funded through a Pennsylvania grant, with district escalation plans tied to Safe2Say.
The operations committee on Sept. 11 reviewed a proposal to partner with CTH, a text‑based mental‑health platform that offers self‑directed tools, moderated peer discussion boards and professional chat triage for students.
A wellness‑committee presenter described CTH as “a digital mental health app for students” available 24/7 with three tiers of support: self‑directed goal‑setting and journaling, moderated peer supports (discussion boards and magazine content), and professional support consisting of live triage chat and scheduled sessions with Pennsylvania‑licensed clinicians.
Committee members asked how serious emergencies (suicidal ideation or domestic‑violence disclosures) would be handled. The presenter said escalated risks would be routed through Safe2Say and district emergency contacts, and that the district would identify local contacts in a formal escalation plan before rollout. The presenter added that in a crisis the district would follow up directly and contact crisis services as needed.
Board members also raised questions about parental awareness and follow‑up. Presenters said the platform requires no parental consent for students aged 14 and older under Pennsylvania law, but the district would establish a communication plan to inform parents and community stakeholders and provide an opt‑out process; if a parent requested an opt‑out, the district would honor it. The committee discussed confidentiality limits and how counselors would be notified when a chat interaction rose to crisis level.
Funding for the program was described as grant‑supported: the presenter said the Pennsylvania Department of Health and Human Services has filed a grant to pay for the program. The committee discussed metrics and reporting; presenters said CTH provides usage statistics but further detail about aggregation and district‑level reporting would be obtained during contract negotiations.
The committee did not vote; presenters outlined next steps including stakeholder kickoff, a communication plan, pilot/rollout scheduling for high‑school students ages 14 and up, and developing written escalation and notification procedures.
