Rural Wisconsin school districts hire firm to provide mental health services

Two rural Wisconsin school districts have contracted with an online mental health care provider to expand access to students who sometimes have to wait months to see a therapist.

The Abbotsford and Colby school districts are working with Uwill, a fast-growing Massachusetts-based telehealth company that will give students access to clinicians when they need it. 

Abbotsford School District Superintendent Ryan Bargender said student mental health has become one of the most urgent challenges facing local schools.

“In rural communities like ours, where families often face long wait times or must travel long distances for in-person care, new approaches are essential to meeting the needs of students,” Bargender said. 

The Abbotsford and Colby school districts are located about 45 minutes from Wausau in Marathon and Clark counties, where mental health care providers are scarce. 

There is only one mental health care provider for every 1,340 Clark County residents. That’s compared to the state average of one provider for every 350 residents, according to data from the Wisconsin Office of Rural Health.

The Abbotsford School District has about 800 students and is about 64 percent Hispanic, according to the state report card. Nearly half identified as English language learners. 

The Colby School District has about 900 students and is about 35 percent Hispanic. About a quarter of the children are ELL students. 

In both districts, more than half of the families are economically disadvantaged, according to the state report cards. 

Students have access to Uwill’s platform, which provides an immediate appointment with a licensed counselor based on the student’s needs and preferences. 

Current local wait times for counseling can stretch four to five months, and school counseling teams are already at capacity.

Patrick Galligan, superintendent of Colby School District, said this removes all barriers.

“As district leaders, we need to think beyond traditional models of support if we want to ensure every student has a fair chance to succeed — not just academically, but emotionally and socially as well,” Galligan said. 

The Wisconsin Office of Children’s Mental Health reports that youth mental health concerns are rising sharply, with a 29 percent increase in students reporting daily anxiety and a 42 percent increase in students experiencing depression.