Illinois

The trusted mental health partner to schools, students, and families in Illinois

Nearly half of Illinois youth have experienced worsening mental health in recent years, and more than 80 of Illinois's 102 counties have no practicing child psychiatrist — a shortage most acute in rural communities, where families often wait months or travel long distances for care. Cartwheel's telehealth student support services for Illinois school districts is built to close that gap: no waitlists, Illinois-licensed clinicians, and care delivered directly through schools.

FUNDING ANNOUNCEMENT:

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois (BCBSIL) has just announced $1 million in grant funding to expand access to Cartwheel’s telehealth services in schools to improve mental health across rural and underserved communities in Illinois. The services will benefit up to 100,000 students and will expand an existing partnership between BCBSIL and Cartwheel following a year of strong engagement and clinical outcomes.

Grant funding available through BCBSIL

Therapy and psychiatry via telehealth

PK-12 students, families, and school staff

In school or at home, mornings, evenings, and on weekends

Accepting Illinois Medicaid (Blue Cross Community Health Plans) and major private insurance

Specialized programs to address school avoidance, screen time conflicts, social media stress, emotional overwhelm, outbursts, and behavior struggles

No waitlist for care

Let’s talk about funding available for your school

Join 40+ school districts who partner with Cartwheel in Illinois

Real Results from Illinois School Districts

62% Reduction in Student Absences at Peoria Public Schools

Peoria Public Schools faced rising chronic absenteeism, frequent behavioral incidents, and months-long waitlists for care in a 12,600-student urban district where more than three-quarters of students qualify for free or reduced lunch. Cartwheel helped Peoria match students with clinicians in days instead of months.

44% reduction in chronic absenteeism
68% fewer suspensions
Nearly 90% of students receiving care reported positive outcomes

From 13 Referrals to Over 100 in 45 Days at Decatur Public Schools

Decatur Public Schools launched Cartwheel district-wide but found early referral volume lower than expected. The barrier wasn't awareness; it was staff understanding of who could and should refer students to care. After reframing Cartwheel as a family resource and extending referral ownership beyond counselors to all staff, referrals jumped from 13 to over 100 within 45 days.

13 referrals in the first two months of launch
100+ referrals within 45 days of a district-wide launch
Multi-channel family outreach (robocalls, ParentSquare, social posts, community events)

BCBSIL $1 Million Grant Expanding Access for 100,000 Illinois Students

A new $1 million grant from Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois is expanding Cartwheel's reach to up to 100,000 students with a focus on rural and underserved communities.

$1 million grant from Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois, expanding an existing partnership
Up to 100,000 Illinois K-12 students to be served
Within the first year pilot, 200+ students referred and 1,000+ telehealth sessions completed
68% of students served were covered by Medicaid or uninsured
73% showed meaningful improvement in anxiety and depression symptoms on standard clinical screeners

Why Illinois School Districts Partner With Cartwheel

“Before this partnership, getting a student connected to care could take months. Now our counselors can refer a student, know they’ll be seen within days, and are seeing real improvements as a result.”

Jeffrey Peterson

Director of Student Services & Records, Troy CCSD 30-C (IL)

“We had one family whose whole trajectory changed once they got into Cartwheel services. Before Cartwheel, the student was unmotivated and unwilling to go to school. After going through services with Cartwheel, their participation and engagement in school activities began to increase. And the teachers that worked with that student and family, reported that the student was more willing to participate in class. The parents were grateful for the outcome.”

Dr. Myskeshia Mitchell

Director of the Wraparound Center – Community Based Social Emotional Learning, Peoria Public Schools (IL)

“They're in network for every insurance provider in Illinois, but they also will not turn a student down if they don't have insurance."

Eldon Conn Jr.

Assistant Superintendent of Support Services, Decatur Public School 61 (IL)

Hear from Illinois Education Leaders

Reversing Chronic Absenteeism: District Results, Clinical Insights and Sustainable Funding Models

Dr. Myskeshia Mitchell, Director of the Wraparound Center — Community Based Social Emotional Learning at Peoria Public Schools, shares clinical insight on what's driving chronic absenteeism in Illinois and what actually moves the needle for students struggling to get to school. She’s joined by an education leader from Massachusetts and community partner for a candid look at district results, clinical strategy, and sustainable funding models.

The highest quality mental health care for Illinois' students, families, and school staff — no waitlists

1-1 Evidence-Based Therapy

Students and families meet virtually with licensed therapists who specialize in supporting young people. Through regular sessions, typically for 10–12 weeks with some students engaging for up to one year, students learn to understand their emotions, develop practical coping skills, and build resilience to handle life's challenges.

Parent Guidance

One-on-one sessions with child mental health experts who provide personalized guidance on supporting a child's wellbeing. Parents will get practical strategies and expert advice for managing specific concerns, from anxiety to school challenges.

Family Therapy

Joint sessions with students and family members focus on improving communication, resolving conflicts, and strengthening relationships. They work together with a family specialist to develop solutions that help everyone thrive.

Psychiatry & Medication Management

Comprehensive psychiatric support from experienced child psychiatrists and nurse practitioners, including evaluations, medication management, and ongoing care coordination. Treatment plans are tailored to each student's needs with regular monitoring to ensure effectiveness.

Specialized School Avoidance Program

With chronic absenteeism on the rise across Illinois, our evidence-based program combines weekly therapy, parent guidance, and coordinated school collaboration to help kids get back on track. Our shared portal tracks real-time student progress updates.

New Care Programs: Screens & Social Media and Big Behaviors, Big Feelings

Designed for students experiencing screen time conflicts, social media stress, emotional overwhelm, outbursts, and behavior struggles. Students receive Cartwheel’s core care, with added structure around understanding what may be contributing to these challenges.

92%

Students report improvement

in their mental health due to Cartwheel

3x

Better student follow-through

in care and 5x engagement versus other telehealth programs

7 days

From referral to first appointment

to meet with an Illinois licensed clinician.

What makes Cartwheel the trusted telehealth partner for school districts in Illinois?

High quality clinical program

Cartwheel uses evidence-based practices and offers a wide range of options, including individual therapy, parent guidance, family therapy, psychiatric evaluations, and therapy for school staff.

Care coordination for families

Cartwheel pairs each family with a care coordinator to help with scheduling, reminders, and insurance. Our student engagement rate is 2x higher than for other telehealth providers.

Compliant data collection and impact reporting

Cartwheel reports on usage and impact data – at an aggregated level, without identifying students – to ensure any state dollars are spent wisely. Subject to parental consent, Cartwheel also collaborates with school staff to support quality care.

Care regardless of coverage

We ensure every student in Illinois can access support, regardless of their insurance status. Cartwheel accepts Illinois Medicaid and most major private insurance.

Our team has decades experience working with students and families.

Here are a few examples of needs we can support:

Anxiety · Stress · Depression · Sadness · Grief or loss · Low self-esteem · Self-harm · · Coping skills · Motivation · Family & relationships · Anger ·  Trauma · School avoidance · Social issues · Sleep issues · Technology use

“Cartwheel has become a key part of our student support infrastructure, delivering measurable improvements in attendance and behavior, and positioning our schools as hubs of comprehensive wellness support.”

Dr. Alexander U. Ikejiaku

Associate Superintendent
Peoria Public Schools

Join the growing number of Illinois districts working with Cartwheel.

Grant funding is available for new Illinois districts. We'd love to talk.

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