Accessible for rural students & families
Virtual visits with clinicians reduce common barriers like long waits and long drives, with flexible options that fit students, working parents, and school schedules.
Extended hours for real life
New Mental Health Program Brings Care Closer to K–12 Students and Families in Rural Nevada
Too many families in rural Nevada face long waits or long drives to find mental health care for their children. Through Nevada’s Rural Health Transformation Program (RHTP), Cartwheel is partnering with local schools to make high-quality mental health care easier to access, with virtual appointments that fit around school and family schedules.
Students and families can connect with licensed clinicians for mental health care, with parents and caregivers closely involved throughout treatment.
Care Without the Long Wait
Students and families can connect with a licensed therapist within one week of completing their referral, compared with waits of months in many rural communities.
Parents Stay in Control
Parents and caregivers are involved throughout care, from providing consent to helping shape their child’s treatment. With their permission, Cartwheel can also collaborate with school staff to support students.
Open to Rural Districts
The program starts in Elko County, with opportunities for additional rural districts across Nevada to participate.
Learn more about bringing these services to your district:
“In rural communities, finding mental health care for a child can be difficult, particularly when families need specialized support. Our school counselors and staff do everything they can to help students, but they can’t meet every need on their own. This initiative gives families another way to access care while helping students stay engaged in school.”
Clayton Anderson
Superintendent, Elko County School District
Cartwheel partners with 400 school districts across 20 states.
Nevada’s program starts in Elko County, with opportunities for additional rural districts across the state to participate.
Timely, evidence-based mental health care for Nevada’s students and families
1-1 Evidence-Based Therapy
Parent Guidance
Family Therapy
Psychiatry & Medication Management
Care Programs: School Avoidance, Screens & Social Media, and Big Behaviors, Big Feelings
92%
Students report improvement
in their mental health due to Cartwheel
7 days
From referral to first appointment
to connect with a Nevada-licensed clinician after completing the referral process
3x
Better student follow-through
in care and engagement versus other telehealth programs
What makes Cartwheel the trusted telehealth partner for school districts in Nevada?
A full range of clinical care
Cartwheel uses evidence-based practices and offers a wide range of options, including individual therapy, parent guidance, family therapy, psychiatric evaluations, and medication management.
Care coordination for families
Cartwheel pairs each family with a care coordinator to help with scheduling, reminders, and insurance.
Privacy-protected data and impact reporting
Cartwheel shares aggregate data on program participation and outcomes without identifying individual students or families, so partner districts and the state can understand the program’s impact. The University of Nevada, Reno, through its Nevada Rural Student Mental Health Innovation Lab, will serve as independent evaluator.
Works alongside local providers
Cartwheel collaborates and coordinates with Nevada’s community-based providers and school staff, including supporting handoffs to in-person care and higher levels of care.
How the program is funded
Participating school districts can access the program at no cost. Insurance, including Medicaid, covers direct clinical care. RHTP funding supports the parts of the program insurance doesn’t cover, including school implementation, family outreach, impact reporting, and financial aid for families facing cost barriers.
Hear from Cartwheel families:
“We are very happy that we are able to have the same person working with our son and with us, the parents.”
“My child is continuing to improve. We have seen many positive changes at home.”
Care regardless of coverage
Students in participating districts can access care regardless of their family’s insurance. Cartwheel accepts all major insurance, including Nevada Medicaid, and financial assistance helps ensure cost isn’t a barrier for families.
Our team has decades of 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 · Screen & technology use
Building Nevada’s mental health workforce
Cartwheel and the University of Nevada, Reno (UNR) School of Social Work will develop a Virtual Student Mental Health Training Academy to prepare social work students to care for children and families in rural communities.
Through supervised virtual practicum placements with Cartwheel clinicians, second-year Master of Social Work students will gain valuable clinical experience and develop skills to expand access to care in underserved areas.
Interested in bringing this program to your district?
Book a MeetingLearn more about Nevada’s Rural Health Transformation Program at www.nvha.nv.gov/RHTP
This is supported by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of a financial assistance award totaling $179,931,608.42 with 100% funded by CMS/HHS. The contents are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official view of, nor an endorsement, by CMS/HHS, or the U.S. Government.