Select relevant products

You are likely well-versed in the requirements of FERPA when it comes to student health, but keep in mind that some digital mental health products may also need to adhere to HIPAA protections. You’ll also want to understand the company’s approach to collecting and managing parental and caregiver consent.

Any product with unrestricted student inputs (such as journaling, chats, mentorship and coaching) can result in students communicating that they may harm themselves or others. If the products you are considering collect this kind of information from students, be sure to ask about their escalation protocols to ensure they align with your own. You’ll also want to be sure that students understand the circumstances in which escalation would happen before using the product, particularly if any elements of the product are billed as anonymous or confidential.

What works in one district, school, or classroom may not work in another. You may be interested only in well-established products with rigorous evidence of impact. Or, you may want to consider a newer technology that isn’t yet proven, but was designed with your population in mind and developed using evidence-based practices. Perhaps you want your students to participate in shaping an innovative product through pilot testing. Whatever your focus, it’s important to understand the intended and potential impact of a product. You may want to ask questions such as: 

• What outcomes was this product designed to address? Does it have a clear logic model outlining its approach?
• What is the product’s demonstrated evidence of impact on health or education outcomes?
• What type of usage, engagement, and satisfaction results has the company seen from users? How does usage and engagement change over time?

If the evidence of a product’s impact isn’t externally validated (i.e. through a partnership with a research university), you will want to understand the rigor of any data shared. You may want to ask questions such as:

• How many studies have been conducted?
• What was the sample size, and what demographics were evaluated?
• What specific measures were assessed? Are they reliable and validated scales?
• What plans do you have for evaluation in the future?

Be sure that the product utilizes technology that is readily accessible to your student body. You may want to ask questions such as:

• Does the product require a web browser or a downloadable app? If an app, is it available on Android as well as iOS?
• Which hardware is the product optimized for?
• Do these requirements match up with tech that is readily accessible to your students at school or at home?

You will want to ensure that any product is usable for students with disabilities. You may want to ask questions such as:

• What specific accessibility features does the product offer to ensure it can be used by youth with diverse needs, including those with disabilities?
• Does the product meet WCAG 2.1 AA standards? WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines) is a set of technical standards that ensure ADA compliance.
• If the product does not yet meet WCAG standards, what is the company’s plan for meeting them? In the meantime, how does the company ensure that the product is usable for all students?

Most companies will advertise whether their products are offered in languages other than English, but keep in mind that not all translation is the same. You may want to ask questions such as:

• What is the process for translation to ensure both accuracy and cultural relevance?    
• If the product includes live support, will students have access to support from a native-speaker, or is the company using Google Translate or a similar plug-in to translate conversations?

User testing can play an important role in determining whether a product is a fit, so it’s ideal to provide students with opportunities to try out products. You’ll also want to know how diverse audiences were considered in the design and ongoing development of a product. You may want to ask questions such as:

• How were young people involved in initial product design and development? In what ways are they involved in ongoing improvements?
• Is the language used in student- and family-facing materials inclusive, age-appropriate, and relatable?
• In what ways does the company ensure that the product is usable for individuals with different levels of digital literacy or technological access?
• How does the product address the cultural diversity of youth users to ensure it is inclusive and relevant to their backgrounds and experiences?
• Does the product reference and highlight young people with a variety of identities?
• If there is live support, do providers represent a range of lived experiences to which a diverse student population could relate?

• What level of experience does the company have implementing their product in schools or districts similar to yours in size and population?
• How long has the company been in existence?
• Who are the company’s key competitors in this space, and what differentiates this company from the rest?

• What will the product cost to implement in the short and long term? Does the company offer to support schools and districts in obtaining funding?
• What type of implementation support is offered, and for whom (students, families, teachers, staff)?  
• Will the product work with other systems or products that you already have in place?
• Is there a data management component?
• Is there an assessment component?
• Which elements are customizable by the district, school, or teacher?
• What does ongoing support look like? Keep in mind that companies are most likely to respond quickly during the sales process– if you’re having trouble with communication, consider what ongoing support may look like.

• Which therapeutic practices are utilized? Are they evidence-based?
• What experience do clinicians have working with diverse populations? What training is provided to support their work?
• Does the company bill Medicaid or private insurance for services in addition to fees paid by the school or district?
• What hours are clinicians available? What happens if a student needs support outside of regular hours?

This list is not exhaustive, so you may want to use an evaluation resource such as the ISTE selection tool to ensure your product assessment isn’t missing anything critical for your school or district. While the ISTE tool was designed specifically for digital learning tools, it may help ensure that your product assessment and selection process is rigorous and comprehensive.