Board approves MOU with Daybreak for telehealth mental‑health services

The board approved a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Daybreak Mental Health Services to provide telehealth behavioral‑health services for students and families.

Superintendent summarized the program and said the MOU would not cost the district anything. Services require parental consent; if a family has Medicaid the provider will bill Medicaid, if the family has private insurance the provider bills the family's insurer, and a sliding scale is available for self‑pay families. The district would serve as the referral source through counselors or social workers and could provide school‑based access for families without home internet.

Staff said Daybreak uses licensed clinicians (including bilingual Spanish‑language clinicians), offers family therapy and play therapy for younger students, and provides webinars to educate parents. The superintendent and a board member described examples of long local waits for mental‑health care and said the arrangement would likely reduce waiting periods for families who are on community provider waitlists.

Board discussion focused on parental consent and on whether intensive services are available; staff said those questions can be researched further but confirmed telehealth sessions can be held at school if needed. The motion to approve the MOU carried.

Staff and counsel reviewed the agreement and made some legal modifications to ensure compliance with North Carolina law and data requirements; board counsel reviewed data‑sharing and confidentiality provisions and said the MOU had been adjusted accordingly.