Medway Public Schools

Like many districts, in recent years, Medway has faced increasing student mental health needs. In addition to impacting students and families, these needs have put additional pressure on school staff: In 2016, school staff were spending over 2.5 hours per week coordinating outpatient mental health referrals, reducing their ability to directly support students. 

With the expiration of federal ESSER funding and ongoing budget pressures, the district was also forced to find creative ways to support student mental health while limiting overall spending growth.

In October 2023, Medway partnered with Cartwheel to provide students and families with high-quality teletherapy. Teletherapy serves as the first Core Component of “Tier 4” in Medway’s Multi-Tiered System of Support, alongside other Tier 4 supports (care coordination, in-school therapy, and wraparound services).  

As of May 2025, over 40 Medway students and families have received teletherapy through Cartwheel. 8th graders, 7th graders, and Kindergarteners were the most likely to receive care. On average, Medway students completed 15 therapy sessions, with some also receiving psychiatric support from a child psychiatrist or nurse practitioner. 

Because teletherapy expanded the pool of available providers, students accessed teletherapy with no waitlist compared to a typical wait of 8-12 weeks in Massachusetts for outpatient therapy.

In 2025, Medway conducted an academic outcomes evaluation of teletherapy and its other MTSS core components. Teletherapy was found highly effective: 93% of students reported finding virtual therapy helpful, and 81% maintained or improved their GPA (vs. 76% of students not receiving teletherapy). 

Amid an uncertain federal funding environment, Medway is continuing the Cartwheel partnership, having found Cartwheel to be an affordable and financially sustainable mental health solution. Cartwheel costs the district less than 1/4 of an equivalent FTE while serving dozens of students per year, improving their GPA and attendance rates. 

Alongside other MTSS components, Cartwheel helps save school staff significant time by reducing the need to coordinate outpatient referrals. 

“In addition to directly impacting students and families, teletherapy has freed up school staff to run small groups and work in classrooms instead of coordinating outpatient referrals. Ultimately, this means they can support more students and improve their job satisfaction,” said Dr. Ryan Sherman, Director of Wellness at Medway Public Schools. 

The district is also continuing to evaluate the impact of teletherapy on other costs, such as out-of-district placements, the frequency of special education evaluations, and other special education accommodations.