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In schools facing rising mental health needs, telehealth expands the continuum of student supports—increasing access to foster earlier intervention—without overburdening staff.

In the edLeader Panel “Investing in Student Wellness: Attendance Gains, Behavior Breakthroughs, and the Telehealth ROI,” district leaders highlighted the success and impact of telehealth in their schools. They described it as an evidence-based approach that improves achievement, attendance, and behavior while normalizing mental health care and reducing stigma.

The Role and Value of Telehealth in Schools

Telehealth, the panelists explained, fills gaps without requiring staff to provide direct therapy. Instead, staff identify students who need support and refer them for timely intervention. Accessing telehealth at school or home gives students faster, more flexible care, often in their first language. Many students are eager to connect with someone virtually, whether on an iPad in the nurse’s office or on a computer at home.

Districts reported higher participation, improved attendance, reduced chronic absenteeism, and—in some cases—better discipline outcomes. Students who received timely support re-engaged more quickly. As with any new program, introducing telehealth requires thoughtful planning to expand services without overwhelming staff.

1. Make a Case

To bring telehealth into schools, first, demonstrate the need. Students can’t access instruction if they aren’t in a good place emotionally. Gather data from support teams and directly from students. An audit of social-emotional learning programs or a family survey can highlight gaps and elevate student voice.

2. Focus on Return on Investment

ROI drives decision-maker buy-in. Define success metrics up front and track outcomes. Link telehealth participation to attendance, behavior, discipline data, and social-emotional screeners to demonstrate impact.

Triangulating data early makes monitoring easier and helps identify gaps. Establish a reporting cadence, such as quarterly updates for leadership and an annual board presentation highlighting usage, demographic breakdowns, and equity indicators. Combine hard metrics with qualitative evidence. Parent emails, student enthusiasm, and staff testimonials add weight to the numbers.

Frame ROI strategically. For example, suppose a telehealth program serves 300–400 students annually at the cost of two to three additional social workers. In that case, the program provides far greater capacity for individual sessions than added staff could deliver.

3. Create an Implementation and Integration Plan

Telehealth should be presented as one tool in a broader support system, not a standalone fix. Clarify staff roles, from identifying students to handling logistics. Assign dedicated liaisons to coordinate efforts, and involve nurses, psychologists, and social workers to strengthen engagement.

Provide training and onboarding for staff, including one-page guides and orientation for principals and frontline teams. Equip schools with iPads and private spaces for sessions, and provide district devices for home use. Collaborate with vendors to align workflows and responsibilities. Vendors can manage scheduling, consent, billing, and delivery, while ensuring uninsured or undocumented students receive care at no cost.

4. Conduct Outreach and Marketing

Equity must remain central. Address language barriers with consent forms, flyers, and outreach materials in families’ languages. Use real-time interpretation features for announcements.

When permitted, allow older students to self-refer. Connect telehealth to wraparound services like food and housing supports to reduce structural barriers.

Train community engagement staff to answer family questions. Monitor usage data to target underrepresented groups and ensure outreach is inclusive. Normalize mental health through campaigns, student advocates, and visible leadership support. If parents do not consent, continue outreach and offer alternative supports such as mentoring, group programs, or MTSS interventions.

5. Form Community Partnerships

Partnerships with universities, hospitals, nonprofits, and school-based health centers offer financial and programmatic benefits. Universities may offset costs through research studies, while philanthropic partners or vendors can provide funding support.

These partnerships also help students transition to community providers when long-term services are needed. Shared data and continuity of care strengthen follow-up and ensure students don’t fall through the cracks.

Telehealth in schools is not just a service—it’s a signal. It tells students that their well-being matters as much as their academics, that asking for help is normal, and that support will meet them where they are.

Learn more about this edWeb broadcast, Investing in Student Wellness: Attendance Gains, Behavior Breakthroughs, and the Telehealth ROI, sponsored by Hazel Health.

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Hazel Health is the nation’s largest and most trusted provider of school-based telehealth. By partnering with districts and health plans across the country, Hazel transforms schools into the most accessible front door to pediatric healthcare. Today, Hazel’s licensed providers deliver teletherapy and virtual care (in school or at home) to over five million K-12 students, regardless of their ability to pay. Hazel aims to remove all barriers to the mental and physical health care that children need to thrive: in school, at home, and in life. www.Hazel.co.

Article by Michele Israel, based on this edLeader Panel