School-Based Mental Health: How Kellin Foundation Supports Students Onsite

Kellin Foundation provides school-based mental health services designed to bring behavioral health services directly to students during the school day. Launched in partnership with Guilford County Schools, the program aims to meet students where they are—at their schools - to minimize barriers and increase access to needed supports.

Services include individual therapy, youth peer support, and navigation services to help link students with needed supports beyond behavioral health. Students are able to access these onsite services, or if they prefer, they can also do telehealth or come to Kellin Foundation’s clinic at the Hope Hub. By embedding these services into schools, and offering a variety of ways to access services (in-person at school, telehealth, or at Kellin’s clinic), the program helps eliminate one of the most common barriers to care: transportation. It also creates opportunities for closer collaboration with school teams, leading to more consistent support for students and families.

Like any program, there are kinks to work out as new processes were built such as establishing streamlined referral systems, coordinating with parents during the school day for intake and screenings, navigating language access needs, and building out clinical staffing for onsite presence. But the foundation has been laid for long-term success. Stronger relationships were built with GCS support services, and staff at participating schools received training focused on mental health and family engagement.

The early feedback has been encouraging. “One high school student told us, ‘I’m really glad that I decided to do this. It’s the best decision I’ve ever made for myself,’” says Melanie Garner, Wraparound Services Supervisor at Kellin Foundation. “And we’ve heard from school staff who are seeing a difference in students’ classroom behavior and attendance.”

The school-based mental health services have reinforced what we already knew—when mental health care is accessible, students are more likely to engage. And when care is coordinated, families feel less alone.

We’re looking forward to expanding on the strong foundation that has been laid, and working closely with Guilford County Schools to reach more students and support the well-being of the family as a whole to ensure school success.