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What is the Texas Child Health Access Through Telemedicine (TCHATT) program?
- The Texas Child Health Access Through Telemedicine (TCHATT) program is funded by the state Legislature as part of the Texas Child Mental Health Care Consortium. TCHATT partners with school districts for free, virtual, mental health care with licensed clinicians. It extends the capacity of school counseling staff to give students access to much-needed services. TCHATT is free for all students and schools.
How do I schedule a TCHATT appointment for a student?
- Step 1. Talk to a student’s parent or guardian about TCHATT.
Step 2. Book an intake appointment in the Portal at a time the student and legal guardian are available. *All TCHATT sessions are virtual.
Step 3. Submit a Trayt referral including the students presenting concerns and any additional information you want TCHATT to know about the student.
Step 4. TCHATT will send a link to the guardian to complete enrollment paperwork through REDCap. Paperwork should be completed prior to their first appointment. If they are interested, you can help the guardian sign up and give written consent. (If the child is 18 or older, they can give their own consent.) *See PDF version of enrollment packed linked in the Portal.
Step 5. Once paperwork is completed and received TCHATT will also send assessments via Trayt prior to the first appointment, to be completed by school staff, student, and/or guardian.
Step 6. The school counselor or liaison will help the student attend their in-school TCHATT appointments. The liaison and the guardian will receive appointment reminders. If the liaison is unable to support school based appointments, they may notify the clinician at the intake appointment.
Step 7. The student will attend virtual sessions in a private space at their school, another location, or at home. Sessions can include assessments, coping techniques, and education for your child on managing their thoughts, emotions, and behaviors. Parents/guardians are encouraged to participate.
Step 8. TCHATT will work to connect your student with additional community services if continued mental health care is recommended.
What happens in a session if we can’t get ahold of the guardian to participate? Does the session still occur?
- It’s important for parents/guardians to know how treatment is going for their student. Parents/guardians must be part of the first TCHATT (intake) appointment with their student and are encouraged to be part of other sessions as much as possible and appropriate.
•All sessions are virtual and confidential. They must be held in a quiet, private place. The student needs to be in the state of Texas at the time of the scheduled appointment.
What do services look like for students aged 18 years or older, or emancipated?
- Students 18 years and older are able to sign their own consent paperwork to participate in TCHATT Services. Once the consent forms are complete, they will have online visits with a TCHATT clinician. Our team can also connect students to other community resources as needed.
•We require students consenting to their own care to provide an Release of Information (ROI) to an emergency contact.
What supports are available from TCHATT for families that were prescribed medication in a psychiatry assessment for their student but are unable to afford the cost of the medications?
- TCHATT can help problem solve these situations and assist in identifying low-cost and free options for families.
What if I have clinical questions or need support related to a student who may or may not be enrolled in TCHATT services?
- We offer school consultations where counselors, teachers and support staff can speak with a licensed clinician on a variety of topics such as: strategies and interventions in the classroom setting to support students with emotional and behavioral problems, share concerns/ updates related to a TCHATT student in a confidential setting, review appropriateness of services prior to making a referral, etc.
How will I hear about new information and updates to the TCHATT program?
- Campus liaisons and district leads will receive a newsletter by email and announcements will also be posted on the dashboard home page.
What does CPAN stand for?
- Child Psychiatry Access Network. Visit the website: sites.utexas.edu/cpan.
What is Trayt and how does it work?
- Trayt is a protected health information referral and support platform that will be used for all TCHATT appointments. Watch the tutorial.
•Students, teachers, counselors, and guardians will be sent assessments from Trayt, which may be sent via email or text.
•Campus liaisons have the ability to upload/attach documents, related to the student, directly in Trayt.
What if I need to schedule an intake appointment for multiple siblings?
- Please schedule a consultation appointment between yourself (i.e., campus liaison or district lead) and a TCHATT staff member before scheduling an intake appointment for sibling groups larger than two students. This helps us plan ahead so we can better accommodate them.