Arizona partners with company to bolster mental health services through schools

By Stacy Mantle
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Amid a rising youth mental health crisis — particularly in rural areas — the Arizona Department of Education has launched a statewide telehealth initiative in partnership with Cartwheel, a schools-based mental telehealth provider.

“This is about removing barriers,” said State Superintendent Tom Horne in a recent announcement. “No child should wait weeks or months for help just because they live in a rural area.”

The initiative delivers rapid access to virtual therapy and psychiatric services for students, families and school staff in 13 counties outside Maricopa County — with a focus on low-income and underserved populations. 

Chronic absenteeism is an ongoing problem throughout Arizona.

“We see a lot of school avoidance,” said Dan Tartakovsky, COO and cofounder of Cambridge, Massachusetts-based Cartwheel. “We also work with a lot of kids who may be having suicidal thoughts, suicidal ideation or violent behavior. We want to make sure that we're preventing that and avoiding further deterioration due to delayed treatment.”

Bridging a statewide shortage

Arizona ranks among the worst in the nation for access to mental health providers — with nearly 90% of its counties federally designated as mental health professional shortage areas, according to 2025 data from the Arizona Center for Rural Health. The disparity is especially pronounced outside metro Phoenix, where long waitlists, high costs and geographic isolation limit access to care.

Through the Cartwheel program, more than 200,000 students across 250 schools in counties such as Navajo, Apache, Yuma and Gila can now receive therapy within seven days of referral — often faster than in-person care.

Services are provided virtually and include individual therapy, family sessions, psychiatry and parent coaching for students and teachers.

Cartwheel is a startup in the mental health care industry, have received a $20 million investment in 2023 to expand its offerings around the country. At that time, the company was working with 50 school systems across Massachusetts, New York, Connecticu, Illinois and Rhode Island.

Human-led care

While Cartwheel uses AI tools to streamline intake and track outcomes, care is provided by licensed clinicians. Sessions can be held in the evenings or on weekends to accommodate family schedules, and interpreters are available for Spanish and other languages.

“School counselors typically aren’t licensed to address a more severe mental health condition,” Tartakovsky said. “That's actually asking them to go beyond their scope of license. From my perspective, it's good to have counselors, social workers and outside mental health clinicians working together to really figure out what's best for the student in the family. And sometimes that might mean the student goes and sees a cartwheel therapist for a little while, and then they go back and just get school-based counseling.”

In early evaluations, 92% of students reported improvements in emotional well-being after working with Cartwheel therapists. The program also supports teachers and school staff, who can access mental health resources for themselves or refer students confidentially.

All services are funded by the Arizona Department of Education. Insurance is accepted, including AHCCCS and Tricare, but no family will be turned away based on coverage or ability to pay.

A model for the future

Arizona’s investment comes at a critical time. Youth suicide rates in the state are among the highest in the country, and pandemic-era disruptions have left many families struggling to access consistent care.

“With a critical shortage of counselors and social workers in Arizona, particularly in rural and tribal areas, we must embrace innovative solutions to address the growing mental health needs of students and the systemic challenges that contribute to these disparities,” said Cheryl Mango-Paget, superintendent of schools, Coconino County Education Service Agency, in a press release from the Arizona Department of Education. 

Editor’s note: A grant from the Arizona Local News Foundation made this story possible. The foundation awarded 15 newsrooms to pay for solutions-focused education reporters for two years. Please send your comments to AzOpinions@iniusa.org. We are committed to publishing a wide variety of reader opinions, as long as they meet our Civility Guidelines.