Cartwheel Care, a telehealth mental health provider for K-12 schools, plans to expand access to care for up to 12,500 students in Indiana, supported by an initial $250,000 grant from Anthem. The company said it works with five districts in Indiana and with nearly 400 K-12 school districts across 16 states.
Data from the Indiana Youth Institute shows that 30 percent of Indiana youth report persistent sadness, and that more than 57 percent of caregivers report difficulty obtaining the mental health services their child needs.
Cartwheel said its telehealth model is designed to address barriers Indiana families face, including long waitlists, rural access gaps, language barriers, provider shortages and transportation challenges. It said it provides licensed clinicians based in Indiana, has no waitlist, accepts all major insurance plans including Medicaid, and reaches students and families where they are without requiring them to travel to an office. The grant will also support care coordination for participating districts, including shared care plans, communication with community providers, medication coordination, follow-up after hospitalization and pathways for escalating crises.
Juliana Chen, chief medical officer at Cartwheel, said the barrier for many Indiana families is not wanting help but the wait, the drive or not knowing where to start, and that schools connecting students and families to care can reach children earlier. Neil Steffens, president of government business for Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield in Indiana, said schools are often among the first places where a child's mental health needs become visible and described them as an important connection point to care. He said the partnership is meant to remove barriers such as provider shortages, transportation and long waiting times.
The districts Cartwheel currently partners with in Indiana are Greensburg Community Schools, Mt. Vernon Community School Corporation, Noblesville Schools, the School City of Mishawaka and the School Town of Munster. Services provided through the grant include individual and family therapy, parent guidance, psychiatric evaluation and medication management, and programs for challenges such as school avoidance, social media use, and intense emotions and behavior. Districts interested in the opportunity for the coming school year can find details on Cartwheel's Indiana page.
