ACPS Expands Mental Health Support Services

By Albemarle County Public Schools

ALBEMARLE COUNTY, Va. — Albemarle County Public Schools (ACPS) is expanding mental health support for students this summer through a new partnership with Cartwheel.

The expanded partnership comes during Mental Health Awareness Month, observed each May to raise awareness about mental health, reduce stigma and encourage individuals and families to seek support when needed.

Through Cartwheel, students and families can connect with licensed clinicians for virtual counseling from home. Cartwheel accepts most major health insurance plans and has immediate openings for counseling services, which will continue through the summer.

“We know these needs don’t just disappear when our kids get off the bus in the afternoon or go home in the summer,” Miles Nelson, coordinator of mental health and wellness, said. “So, it’s really important to us to be able to keep providing these services over the summer.”

Parents and guardians can request telehealth counseling through Cartwheel for their child, and students ages 18 and older can request support for themselves. Families can access Cartwheel directly through ACPS’ HELPme system. After a referral is submitted, a member of the Cartwheel team will follow up to schedule an intake appointment, and the student’s school counselor will stay connected to support the process.

The HELPme app allows students and families to confidentially request school and community support with food, clothing, mental health concerns, safety concerns or other challenges they may be facing. For more immediate mental health challenges, emotional distress, or crisis support, families are encouraged to call or text the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988 for free, confidential support 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, or call 911.

Nelson said Mental Health Awareness Month serves as an important reminder that support is available and that no student or family should feel alone in seeking help.

“ACPS remains committed to ensuring students and families have access to timely and responsive mental health support,” Nelson said. “By expanding these services through the summer, we can help provide continuity of care and reduce barriers to accessing support.”