Team Based Care

Schools are where mental health concerns are often first noticed.

As such, school-based mental health is becoming a vital part of student support systems. Partnerships that address the mental health and developmental needs of children are key to improving the learning environment and academic performance.

There is a silo mentality between schools and mental health providers.

The reality is that, to improve our system of mental health services, neither the mental health sector nor the education sector can afford to go at it alone. Our strategy is to partner with educators and leverage the strengths and resources of each system to eliminate the siloed and fragmented mental health care for children in need. That is why we utilize the Team-Based Care model.

The Team-Based Care approach is simple.

Include members of the school as part of the team. All working together toward a collective goal. Keeping every member of the child’s team on the same page at the same time.

Meet The Founder

Sue Gehling ARNP, MSN, a Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner, is the founder of Classroom Clinic. She grew up on a farm in western Iowa, and understands the rural lifestyle. In fact, her graduating class only had 42 students, and she often walked beans or detasseled corn to earn money. She has worked in the healthcare field for over 30 years.

Q: Why did you start a school-based telehealth company?

A: I was frustrated. I have lived in rural Iowa my entire life and believe it is a great place to raise my children. But families in rural communities lack access to critical children’s services. As a psychiatric provider, I have listened to the frustrations and felt the despair of many families over the years. That anguish is what motivated me to try and make a difference.

Q: Why work with schools?

A:We understand how difficult it is to access children’s mental health services through traditional mental health systems. Finding healthcare can be a challenge. Besides waiting months for an appointment, families may also have to drive significant distances to a provider’s office. This means lost instructional time for the student. Placing services in schools is convenient for families, and helps reduce the stigma associated with mental health care.

Q: Why now?

A: We are determined to help improve children’s access to care by utilizing technology and integrating services into nontraditional places. Through creativity and collaboration, we believe we can help address the student mental health needs so many school districts struggle with.

Q: Why is this needed?

A:There is a growing and unmet need for children’s mental health services for within both rural and urban communities throughout the state. New models of care are necessary to better meet these needs. Our technology platform allows us to connect psychiatric providers with school districts, improving access for children in rural Iowa.

Meet the Advisory Committee

John Whitman

Steve Davis

Daniel Winegarden