Hendry County Launches Mental Health Tool for Students and Staff

New grant-funded messaging service connects middle and high schoolers with live coaches for support

Published on Feb. 9, 2026

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Hendry County School District has launched a new mental health support and life-coaching tool called Clayful Health to help middle and high school students and staff navigate stress, relationship issues, and other daily challenges. The service provides access to supervised mental health coaches within 60 seconds, addressing a critical gap for students who may not have adult support at home during evening hours.

Why it matters

Many families in rural areas like Hendry County face accessibility barriers to mental health support. This new tool helps address that need by providing immediate access to counseling and life coaching for students and staff, which can be especially helpful for those who may not have other options available.

The details

The grant-funded Clayful Health messaging service connects students and staff with live coaches, supervised by mental health counselors, on a wide range of topics including relationship issues, testing anxiety, stress, bullying, grief, organizational skills, and time management. Parents must provide consent for their children to use the service, and the coaches have protocols to follow in case of a crisis. The service is available from 6am to 1am, including after-school hours, weekends, and school breaks.

  • Hendry County School District launched the new mental health tool in February 2026.

The players

Hendry County School District

The public school district serving Hendry County, Florida.

Clayful Health

The company providing the grant-funded mental health and life-coaching messaging service to Hendry County schools.

Lynnette White

The director of ESE and Student Services for Hendry County School District.

Tammy Bass

The principal at LaBelle High School in Hendry County.

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What they’re saying

“Their relationship topics, testing anxiety, stress anxiety, some bullying, and also grief. Even organizational skills, time management, productivity.”

— Lynnette White, Director of ESE and Student Services, Hendry County School District (fox4now.com)

“A lot of our children may not have access to an adult at home in the evening. Maybe that adult's working, and they're at home alone. Just having somebody immediate that they can respond and interact with, I think, is very helpful for them.”

— Lynnette White, Director of ESE and Student Services, Hendry County School District (fox4now.com)

“People struggle with not having someone to talk to or being able to actually afford to be able to have someone to talk to.”

— Tammy Bass, Principal, LaBelle High School (fox4now.com)

What’s next

The Hendry County School District plans to continue promoting the Clayful Health service to ensure students and staff are aware of the mental health support available to them.

The takeaway

This new mental health and life-coaching tool in Hendry County helps address a critical gap in accessibility to counseling services, especially for students in rural areas who may not have other options. By providing immediate support through a messaging platform, the district is taking an innovative approach to supporting the wellbeing of its students and staff.