Two nonprofits join forces to bring quick, evidence-based mental-health help into K–12 schools

A new partnership aims to give schools fast, research-backed support right where students are

Closegap and Koko — both nonprofit groups that build mental-health tools for schools — announced a partnership to put short, evidence-based interventions inside K–12 districts. The idea is simple: combine Closegap’s routine check-ins with Koko’s single-session, online coaching tools so students who need help can get support quickly without long waits.

For schools, the immediate takeaway is practical. Districts already using Closegap’s check-in system will be able to offer Koko’s digital, self-guided programs as a next step when a student flags a need. That creates a faster path from identifying a student who’s struggling to giving them something concrete to try — often in the same school day.

Why this matters: filling gaps in school mental-health care

Schools are the main place many young people get mental-health support, but they cannot meet the demand. There are not enough counselors, and public budgets and hiring pipelines move slowly. Students who need help can face waits that are long enough to let problems grow.

Single-session and digital interventions are meant to be a practical response to that gap. They don’t replace ongoing therapy, but they offer a brief, structured way to teach coping skills or change how a student thinks about a problem. That can reduce symptoms and buy time while a district arranges longer-term care.

From a school’s point of view, the approach makes sense: it scales. A counselor can send many students to a guided online session or track progress with short check-ins, rather than trying to deliver everything in one-on-one meetings that the school does not have the staff to run.

How Closegap and Koko will work together in schools

Operationally, the partnership stitches two pieces of a workflow. Closegap’s platform is meant to collect regular, brief check-ins from students — simple ratings of mood or stress and quick notes that tell staff who may need follow-up. Koko offers a library of short, self-directed programs built around a single-session model: a focused activity designed to teach a skill or shift perspective in one sitting.

When a student’s check-in suggests a worry, the system can route them to a Koko program as an immediate option. Students complete the module on a device, and the platform captures basic engagement metrics so school staff can see whether the student finished the session and whether they report feeling better afterward. Those metrics are kept aggregated and limited to what school staff need to act, and both groups say they are building in consent flows so parents and students can control participation.

Privacy and consent are central. The tools are designed to avoid sharing full clinical records outside the school, and they aim to surface only the level of information a counselor needs to follow up. That matters in districts that must balance safety with legal and community standards around student data.

Scale and rollout: reach, training and district implementation plans

The partnership leans on existing district relationships. Closegap already collects millions of check-ins across partner districts; the companies say the combined network could reach many schools quickly. The pitch to districts is that the programs can be added without hiring new staff — but they do require training and a plan for handling students who need more than a single session.

Rollout will likely follow a staged model: pilot in a handful of districts, train staff on how to interpret check-ins and how to offer digital sessions, then expand. Training covers not just the tech but how to communicate options to students and families, and when to escalate to in-person care. District leaders will need to coordinate consent policies, device access, and schedules so students can complete sessions without missing class time.

What the research says — evidence and expert perspectives

There is growing evidence that short, single-session interventions can deliver meaningful benefits, especially when paired with clear guidance and follow-up. Studies show these brief approaches can reduce symptoms of anxiety and low mood for some students and improve coping skills. Digital delivery makes the approach practical for busy schools because it standardizes the content and tracks completion.

Educators and clinicians see the value in a triage model: use check-ins to identify needs, offer a quick, evidence-based tool first, and reserve one-on-one therapy for students who don’t respond or who have complex needs. At the same time, experts warn that not every student will improve after one session, and schools must have clear paths for escalation and enough staff to act on concerning responses.

Next steps and what success looks like for districts and students

In the near term, success will mean smooth pilots: students complete digital sessions, counselors can view useful, privacy-safe signals, and schools reduce bottlenecks for basic support. Longer term, the partnership will be judged on whether it helps more students get help sooner and whether districts can sustain the workflows and funding needed to scale.

Challenges remain. Schools must protect student data, make sure programs work across diverse communities, and ensure the tools do not become a substitute for services that students need. If those issues are addressed, this partnership could be a practical step toward making evidence-based help more available to students who currently fall through the cracks.

Sources

• prnewswire.com